IDrive's Continuous Data Protection (CDP) feature automatically recognizes the changes made to the files/ folders (up to 50 MB in size) in the Backup set and backs them up every 10 minutes.

CDP is executed only for smaller files as frequently modified data tends to be small. Also, it avoids slowing down your machine while you work on it. Large files (eg. Outlook emails) are backed up during the scheduled backup.

The temporary files, system files and mapped drives are exempted from the operation. CDP is not a replacement for the traditional schedule backup feature; it works along with the scheduled backup to provide timely protection for your data.

How do I use the Continuous Data Protection feature?

Login to the IDrive application, open the IDrive Classic interface and select the files/folders (Backup set) for which you want to perform the CDP operation. Next, click the 'Enable Continuous Backup' button. Clicking the same button again will disable it.

You can also enable/disable this feature from the IDrive Tray menu.

What are the advantages of Continuous Data Protection?

1. Prevents loss of data as the modified contents of the file(s) are backed up automatically in real-time (every 10 minutes).

2. As frequently modified data is backed up in almost real time, you can accurately restore an earlier version, created on the same day. It is possible to go back up to 30 recent versions to restore.

All the files in my Backup set that were modified have not been backed up. Why?

There are some default rules including size that decide the files that will be considered for the Continuous Data Protection operation. To minimize the impact of CDP on your normal PC functions at regular hours, the operation is executed only for files less than 50 MB in size. This usually covers most office and other documents that you work on during the day. The remaining files (in the Backup set) are considered during the normal Scheduled/Interactive backups. Temporary files, system files and mapped drives are exempted from the Continuous Data Protection operation. The scheduled backup is indispensable, in addition to CDP, to ensure complete data backup.

Will the scheduled backups occur even when the Continuous Data Protection is enabled?

Yes, the scheduled backup will run even if you have enabled Continuous Data Protection. The Continuous Data Protection will stop during the scheduled backup and resume on completion of the scheduled backup.

Are scheduled backups required when the Continuous Data Protection is enabled?

Yes. The Continuous Data Protection feature is designed to backup files less than 50 MB in almost real-time (every 10 minutes). It is not a replacement for the Schedule Backup operation - which backs up all the files in your Backup set.