Creating an include-exclude list

If you do not create an include-exclude list, the backup-archive client considers all files for backup services and uses the default management class for backup and archive services.

About this task

This is an optional task, but an important one.

You can create an include-exclude list to exclude a specific file or groups of files from backup services, and to assign specific management classes to files. The client backs up any file that is not explicitly excluded. You should exclude IBM Spectrum Protect™ client directories from backup services. You can use the query inclexcl command to display a list of include and exclude statements in the order they are examined when determining whether an object is to be included.

Windows operating systems Specify your include-exclude list in your client options file (dsm.opt). The include-exclude list can also go into a separate file, which is referred to by the inclexcl option. The include-exclude statements are not case-sensitive.

Windows operating systems The client options file, dsm.opt, must be in a non-Unicode format. However, if you are using a separate include-exclude file, it can be in Unicode or non-Unicode format.

AIX operating systems Linux operating systems Oracle Solaris operating systems Mac OS X operating systems Specify the include-exclude list in your dsm.sys file. If you define more than one server in your dsm.sys file, each server must have its own include-exclude list. This list can also contain include-exclude statements obtained from the include-exclude files you specify with the inclexcl option.

Windows operating systems When the client processes include-exclude statements, the include-exclude statements within the include-exclude file are placed at the position occupied by the inclexcl option in dsm.opt, in the same order, and processed accordingly.

AIX operating systems Linux operating systems Oracle Solaris operating systems Mac OS X operating systems When the client processes include-exclude statements, the include-exclude statements within the include-exclude file are placed at the position occupied by the inclexcl option in dsm.sys, in the same order, and processed accordingly.

Procedure

You can use the following methods to create an include-exclude list or specify an include-exclude file:

You can add include-exclude statements in the backup-archive client GUI or web client directory tree. The online help provides detailed instructions.
1. Open the Edit menu and select Client Preferences. In the Preferences dialog, select the Include/Exclude tab. You can specify an INCLEXCL file using the Preferences editor. However, you cannot create the INCLEXCL file using the Preferences editor.
2. Create the include-exclude list manually, following the steps listed.
You can create an include-exclude list manually by performing the following steps:
1. Determine your include and exclude requirements.
2. Locate the client options file
3. Locate the server stanza in your dsm.sys file. Each server stanza must have its own include-exclude list.
4. Important: Group your include-exclude options together in your client options file.
5. Enter your include and exclude statements. The client evaluates all exclude.fs and exclude.dir statements first (regardless of their position within the include-exclude list), and removes the excluded file spaces, directories, and files from the list of objects available for processing. All other include-exclude statements are processed from the bottom of the list up. Therefore, it is important to enter all your include-exclude statements in the proper order. For example, in the following include-exclude list the includefile.cpp file is not backed up:
```
include /Users/user01/Documents/includefile.cpp
exclude /Users/user01/Documents/.../*
```
  However, in the following include-exclude list the includefile.cpp file is backed up:
```
exclude /Users/user01/Documents/.../*
include /Users/user01/Documents/includefile.cpp
```
6. Enter your include and exclude statements. The client evaluates all exclude.dir statements first (regardless of their position within the include-exclude list), and removes the excluded directories and files from the list of objects available for processing. All other include-exclude statements are processed from the bottom of the list up. Therefore, it is important to enter all your include-exclude statements in the proper order. For example, in the following include-exclude list the includefile.txt file is not backed up:
```
include c:\test\includefile.txt
exclude c:\test\...\*
```
  However, in the following include-exclude list the includefile.txt file is backed up:
```
exclude c:\test\...\*
include c:\test\includefile.txt
```
7. Save the file and close it.
  For Mac OS X, ensure that you save the file as plain text encoded as Unicode (UTF-8 or UTF-16). Do not add the .txt extension.
8. Restart the client and the scheduler and client acceptor services to enable your include-exclude list.
9. Restart the client to enable your include-exclude list.