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Enabling Windows File Compression on FPI/Logs/Temp folders (version 21.x and newer)

NovaBACKUP

NovaBACKUP PC Agent & Server Agent (version 21.x and newer) software requires about 10GB of free disk space on C: drive in order to operate, however the Restore Media Index record files that store to the "FPI" folder, that is utilized by the 'Local Backup' and 'Cloud Backup' device types that was added in version 21.x (which that "FPI" folder only stores index record files that are basically like a database of every object in each backup job that has completed, that is using the modern FPI backup engine in that case) can add up to a fair amount of disk space usage, in the "FPI" folder; you can however define a different drive and folder location for where that backup restore index files do get stored in, for that "FPI" folder, the how-to for that is here.  If you are limited in disk space on C: drive or quickly running low and are unable to delete items or expand the C: drive volume then we have instructions on how to save disk space for the files that NovaBACKUP stores on your C: drive including Logs and Restore Media Index records.  You can enable the native Windows file compression on certain NovaBACKUP app FPI/Logs/Temp related folders that already exist which is where the  NovaBACKUP app logs, temporary data and restore media index are stored. Turning on Windows file compression can save quite a bit of space, usually in the order of about 10:1.  These files can add up to a lot of disk space if using the default settings without file compression enabled (by default Windows file compression is not enabled).  There is no way for these settings not to be re-directed to an alternate location other than the temporary data that NovaBACKUP utilizes, there is a central setting just to set the NovaBACKUP Temporary folder to something else than the standard location but that would only take care of TEMP data.  

To save the extra space (including if the following app data folders were told to store to a different hard drive and folder even in that case, as opposed to the default location for all of it which would be located in the default 'C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\' folder), you will do the following: make sure that no jobs (of any job type) are running currently, and then exit out of the NovaBACKUP client GUI app first and then end the various named processes that run in the background after you exit the client GUI app using Windows Task Manager > Details tab, including engine.exe, NovaBackX.exe, nsCtrl.exe, nsService.exe, and drdiag.exe if they are still running; the instructions on how to properly exit those tasks is at the top of this article/email.

1. Enable Windows file compression on the listed entire FOLDERS by right clicking on each of the folders listed below, that are sub-folders located in the default 'C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\' folder path structure, by using Windows Explorer to navigate to that above default folder (just note that 'C:\ProgramData' is a hidden folder normally), then click "Properties" on the first folder name in the list below, and then click the "Advanced..." button and select "Compress contents to save disk space" item listed to enable the check box on that item and press the OK button to save changes, the folder should turn a blue color after you do so; and then you would repeat that operation on the rest of the other folders stated below (to get all 3 of them done with that same method, as you can't do all of them at one time, and be careful that you don't enable Windows file compression on the entire ".. \NovaStor NovaBACKUP\" folder, as that will not be able to work):

\FPI, \Logs, and \Temp and that will keep the contents of those folders smaller overall, since the folders will be compressed, for anything current and new that saves to those folders (that may equate to about a 4:1 compression ratio, so if the overall size of the above 3 x stated folders equates to 20 GB for the size on disk, then after enabling compression on those 3 x stated folders may then equate to 5 GB for the size on disk, as a typical example, or rule of thumb). Note: The above folders to compress will suffice if you ONLY utilize the "Backup" tab to create backup jobs with, for any backup job type that would utilize the modern FPI backup engine in that case, where the backup job target is either a 'Local Backup' device type or a 'Cloud Backup' device type (in the Device tab). However, if you do also utilize the legacy backup engine to backup to device types that are not those two stated modern FPI backup engine device types, other than Image Backup jobs, then you will want to also add these two additional folders to the list of folders to enable Windows file compression on in that case: \Data\Media, and \Index. Otherwise you don't need to compress those two prior stated folders, if you only utilize the modern FPI backup engine, and Image Backup jobs (that don't store restore index records at all for the latter).

2. Start the NovaBACKUP software.  Optional step to do:

If you would like to change the default NovaStor TEMP data folder to another path at a different hard drive partition (if you have another hard drive partition that is locally connected on that server that is such as a D: or E: drive) you can set the TEMP folder if you click the top left portion of our program where the large N circle button is and then go to "Default Settings" and then the "Advanced Options" tab and then near the bottom of that screen you will see an input box that shows the default "Temporary Files directory:" path currently which in your case would be "C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\Temp".  You can use the "…" button to the right of the path box to specify and browse to the other hard drive partition where you want to then create the NovaStor Logs folder and set that path specifically to that path after it is created in the "Default Settings" and then the "Advanced Options" tab for the "Temporary Files directory:" item.

3.  Test out running a modern FPI backup engine (non-legacy backup engine) either 'Local Backup' device type or a 'Cloud Backup' device type backup job so that you can make sure the compression of the stated folders works, and if you did do the "Optional step" that the new location that the TEMP folder would get created in works correctly, for the "Optional step" item only), and keep an eye on that newly specified TEMP files path if you changed it in Step 3 above, to make sure that the folder does move to the new drive and folder location, if you did perform that optional last paragraph change.