Heads up when using Arq to backup Devonthink

DEVONthink
21

I would definitely make sure the Files.noindex folders inside the .dtBase2 files are getting backed up. That’s where the imported files are located. If you restored a database without it, you’d have an incoherent and broken database.

1 Like
22

I use Arq with an encrypted Dropbox destination (not their Cloud). The files inside my (not encrypted) DEVONthink database get properly stored in the backup. You can verify it by opening the latest backup in Arq, and then navigate to the DEVONthink database. Inside the database you should see the Files.noindex folder, with all your files. Find at least one file in the pdf folder, for instance. You should also see some metadata files in the root folder of the database. If you see all of this in the Arq backup, there shouldn’t be a problem in my opinion, based on my use of DEVONthink and Arq. I in fact restored a full DEVONthink database from Arq backup a few days ago.

But go and see what’s inside your Arq DEVONthink database backup to verify it! It’s easy with the Arq application. It’s still possible they’ve changed this thing with some update, or that their own Cloud solution works different by default.

EDIT: And as I read the earlier posts more thoroughly, please verify the current situation with the Arq application with this method, since I don’t actually use their Cloud but the encrypted Dropbox destination, which may have different preferences.

2 Likes
23

Hey ya’ll,

Some great feedback here that will hopefully save everyone (and the DT team!) a bunch of time. I restored a database from Arq Cloud Backup and everything seems to be right.

  1. I checked for a Files.noindex folder in the Arq Backups and it was there.
  2. I restored a database and looked in the finder for that folder and found it.
  3. All was smooth in DTP 3
  4. I’m a new Arq Cloud Backup user so I assume their inclusion of this folder in backups is their default setting now…

MY ONLY question is:

Are there ANY other DTP3 files anywhere else outside the database that need backing up?

24

Backing up the location of your databases and the ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink 3 folder should be sufficient. You could include the ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.devon-technologies.think3 folder if you have custom scripts you’re using.

1 Like
25

sorry to resurrect this thread from a few years ago - I am looking at ARQ backup and the settings structure seems to have changed from the original post.

For Arq7 fresh install - I cannot see any default exclusions for .noindex when using the trial for the Arq server sync location
can anyone else please confirm?

26

Open Arq. Select your Back Up location. Go to the Files tab, select a folder to back up. Click Edit. Here you can add exclusion rules, uncheck files you don’t want to back up, etc.

27

I found I had a lot of errors using the default Arq settings (caused by cloud files being locked etc.). I reverted to custom option, selecting the directories I wanted backing up (documents, database, and others). I use TimeMachine to look after the system files and Arq to look after my data.

Using exclusions, I was constantly adding new rules until I decided to back up only a limited number of specific folders.

1 Like