Backup and System Performance
The default settings in Cucku Backup are designed to balance protection and performance. You can tune these settings to get the right mix for your needs.
The first thing to look at is the Backup Schedule:
The default is to backup your computer every day when the computer is idle. After the local backup completes Cucku will send new and changed files to each of your backup partners. You can change the schedule to run a local backup weekly rather than daily which will reduce the load of both local and remote backup.
With Don't backup while I'm using my computer checked Cucku will wait until your computer has been idle for ten minutes before starting a local backup. If you start using your computer again while the local backup is running Cucku will automatically pause the backup until the computer is idle again (you can change the ten minute idle timeout in Advanced -> Performance).
By default Cucku will run remote backup while you're using your computer. It will also accept backup connection from your partners. You can change this in Partner Settings - check Don't send or receive files while I'm using my computer and remote backup will behave the same way as the local backup default.
If you need even more control then you can decide when to run Cucku, or even run a command line backup.
In Advanced -> Performance uncheck Run Cucku Backup at startup to prevent Cucku from running when you log in to Windows. We really don't recommend this as you need to remember to run Cucku manually and your partners can't connect when Cucku isn't running.
If you don't want Cucku running all the time then a better option is to schedule the command line version of Cucku to run daily, weekly or on whatever schedule works best for you. The command line is capable of running local, remote and partner backups.
Is there anything else we should be doing to help you get the right balance between protection and performance?
Labels: Tips
posted by Rob on Thursday, June 25, 2009
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There is one point that I did not see mentioned: Other machines.
You see, My home network consists of two machines, one of which I backup using Cucku, to my parent's PC.
When Cucku is backing up, it uses a lot of my upload stream. (as far as I can see, it uses as much as it can). This makes surfing on the other machine impossible. What I would like to see, is the ability to limit the upload/download Cukcu uses. Even better - use a scheduler for that, just the the one uTorrent uses.
(Or does that already exist?)
Thanks,
Uri
Uri - we don't have bandwidth throttling at the moment, it's something on the wish list for a future release.
You could set Don't send or receive files while I'm using my computer on the Partners page in Settings (possibly on both computers). This will prevent a remote backup from starting while you're using the computer, and if you start using the computer it will pause any remote backup in progress. The remote backup will start again once the computer is idle.
Let me know if this helps with your surfing problem.
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the prompts response.
Your solution is not exactly what I meant. I was referring to a situation when another computer on the network is working, while the backup on my machine is running. This would be the equivalent of a Don't send or receive files while I'm using any computer on this LAN (Although not technically possible)
-Uri
Uri, The setting works both ways - for remote backup and for partner backup.
Let's say you're working on PC1 when PC2 starts backing up to you. PC1 will then pause the partner backup (also pausing the remote backup on PC2) while you're working. When PC1 is idle again the backup is resumed.
There's another option that I should have mentioned. If you right click the Cucku icon in the system tray you can pause Cucku. This will pause everything - local tasks, remote tasks and partner tasks. You can then resume again from the icon later. See Tray Icon in the user guide for more info.
Hi Rob,
Thanks, but that's not it...
I think we are not talking about the same thing. If I understand, you are referring to a situation with 2 PCs - local and remove, and I am referring to a situation with 3 PCs: 2 locals, and one remote.
Local-1 is using Cucku to backup to remote-1. This uses a big part of my upload, right? Now, what happens when someone wants to use Local-2? On Local-2 Cucku is not installed, so the settings will not affect it. The only way is to pause/disable Cukcu on Local-1, but this has to be done manually, by someone who has access to this machine.
The easiest solution (for me) would have been to limit Cukcu to upload no more than X kb/s.
-Uri
Rob,
Reading your last comment again, I think I misunderstood it the first time. It does answer my concern, so you can ignore my comment from earlier today.
Thanks
Uri
Uri - no, you're right, in the 2 local / 1 remote situation you describe the automatic pause won't help you.
As you say you could manually pause the first local PC when needed.
Depending on your router you might be able to balance the load between the PCs at that level.
Bandwidth throttling would definitely be useful - as I said, it's on the wish list. I'll count your comments as another few votes in favor!
I would love if Cucku had an advanced setting where a user could specify that the computer should not be considered idle if xx% of the CPU is being used or something to that affect.
Cucku's current notion of idle is severely limited.
From what I can tell Cucku thinks my computer is idle as long as there is no direct user input (no mouse or keyboard input). This unfortunately does not account for when my computer is busy processing something when no human is present.
It might not seem like such a big deal that scheduled or background processes slow down when Cucku is backing up, because no human user is being affected directly. However, this is not always the case, as when you consider multiple machines on a network.
I have two computers on a home network: PC 1 and PC 2.
PC 1 has Cucku installed and is backing up. PC 2 runs some other software over the network but which is based on PC 1 (it reads and writes to PC 1 and PC 1's CPU is devoting processor time to the task).
My backup on PC 1 does not pause even when its CPU is being devoted to an important process that the user on PC 2 depends on. The user experience on PC 2 becomes severely diminished: Cucku's backup is slowing the other software down for the user at PC 2!
I performed a simple test when Cucku was waiting 10 minutes for the computer to become idle before starting its backup. I ran a process that ran another CPU-intensive process after 15 seconds. As those 15 seconds went by Cucku counted down because my computer was idle. It continued to think my computer was idle even when the second process was run automatically and 89% of my CPU was in use!
Please allow the user to specify what idle means specifically. As I mentioned in the very beginning, an advanced setting to define idle to be when my computer's CPU usage is below 50% would be so useful for users in my situation. It does not make any sense for a relatively CPU-intensive backup to run when the CPU usage is already up at 90%!
ferdexists - thanks for your detailed comment. You're right that at present user input is the basis of the idle setting. It does make sense to use CPU as well to prevent the problems that you're seeing - this capability is on the list for a future release.
I've added a new item for this on our feedback forum - you can go and vote for this (and other suggested enhancements).
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