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# Backup

## Overview

Backup is used to create a single archive from a collection of files and folders. The archive can be in one of two different formats, and a number of backup methods are available, as are a number of levels of compression. These range from uncompressed if you simply wish to collect a number of files together to ultra, which although it takes a long time gives maximum compression.

## User Interface

The Backup tab is roughly split into three sections. Along the top are the controls for the backup, the standard jobs area, the standard rules area and other settings for the backup. On the left hand side below these settings if the computer browser. Here you can select which files to backup. On the right there are two main areas. Firstly is the backup location selector, this is where you can select the location of the archive to create. Below this is the file list. Once you have added files from the computer browser they appear here so you can easily see what will be backed up. Using the buttons on the right hand side you can also add Variables and expand all of the folders you have selected. The file list is automatically coloured using any Rules you might have selected.

## Function

Complete
  This backs up all of the files you have added in the File List to the location specified in the Backup Location.
Update
  This adds newer files from your File List to the Backup Location.
Differential
  On its first run a base file is created in the folder specified in the Backup Location. In subsequent runs changes files are backup up in an archive named after the date and time. To restore a differential backup you need to restore the base file and then the most recent date file. Currently this only supports one source folder.
Restore
  Restores files from an archive into a folder. This works the other way on to other the main functions, you add the files to the file list and they are extracted into the folder specified.

## Format

Toucan supports two formats currently, they are:

Zip
  An industry standard format with average compression levels and speed. It is ideal to use when you are taking archives to other computers as many operating systems have support for zip archives built in.
7-Zip
  An improved format developed by Igor Pavlov. It is normally both faster and its archives are smaller than Zip archives. However support is much rarer.
GZip
  When this mode is selected files are firstly added to a tarball before being gzipped. This format is normally used for Linux archives.

## Compression Level

Six levels of compression are supported, from no compression to ultra compression. Each increment reduces the size of the final archive but takes more time to produce. Please note that ultra many take a very long time, especially if you are backing up large numbers of files.

## Other

Password
  When this is enabled you will be prompted for a password at the start of the job. Toucan uses the standard encryption systems for both Zip and 7-Zip archives.
Test After Creation
  After the archive is created a test command is run to ensure the integrity of the archive.
Solid Mode
  This options is only valid for 7-Zip archives. It gives an improved compression ratio at the cost of potentially corrupting a larger part of the archive if there is an issue.

## Preview

Whenever you add new items to a backup job they will automatically be previewed and so either be left black, so show they will be included in the job, or red to show that they have been excluded.

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