On-Demand File Backup

This feature is intended for OneDrive files only. Currently, Google Drive's 'Stream files' and Dropbox's 'Smart Sync' data cannot be backed up.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• Key Characteristics of On-Demand files
• On-Demand Files Support
• On-Demand Files in OneDrive
• On-Demand File Backup
• Enable or Disable Backup of On-Demand Files

Key Characteristics of On-Demand Files:

On-Demand files are files that appear in your file manager (such as Windows Explorer) but are not stored locally on your device. Instead, they reside in cloud storage, like OneDrive or Dropbox, and are only downloaded to your computer when you actually access or open them. This feature helps save local storage space while still giving you the ability to see and interact with all your files as if they were stored locally.

• Cloud-Resident: Files remain in the cloud until accessed.
• File Placeholder: The file is represented in your file manager with a small placeholder icon, but the file's actual content is downloaded only when needed.
• Offline Access: If a file is marked for offline access, it will be available locally and can be used without an internet connection.

In OneDrive, for example, you can manage on-demand files by selecting which files or folders you want to keep available locally, and the rest will remain in the cloud until accessed.

On-Demand File Support

• OneDrive files: Supported. Files are backed up or skipped depending on the Do not back up On-Demand files setting.
• Dropbox files: Files that are available locally are backed up normally. Online-only files cannot be backed up because their content is not stored on the local disk.
• Google Drive Stream files and other types of on-demand files: Not supported.

Dropbox File Backup

Dropbox Smart Sync lets you view files in File Explorer without downloading their contents to your computer. Whether a Dropbox file can be backed up depends on its availability on the local disk.

• Online-only files (cloud icon): The file content is stored in the cloud and is not available locally. These files cannot be backed up until they are downloaded to the computer.
• Available on this device (white circle with a green checkmark): The file is stored locally and can be backed up normally.
• Always available offline (solid green circle with a white checkmark): The file is stored locally and can be backed up normally.

To ensure that files in Dropbox folders are backed up, select Make available offline in Dropbox before running the backup plan.

On-Demand Files in OneDrive

OneDrive Files On-Demand helps you access all your cloud storage in OneDrive without having to download all of it and use file storage space on your Windows device.

Once the Files On-Demand option is enabled, you see all such on-demand files in a file manager. Once your computer is connected to the Internet, you can use the files like every other file on your device.

OneDrive File Backup

Managed Backup supports OneDrive file backup in the Management Console and Backup Agent. Note that all OneDrive files selected for backup will first be downloaded to your computer before being backed up.

How It Works

By default, the backup of OneDrive files is disabled (the "Do not back up On-Demand files" option is enabled), meaning these files are excluded from backups. To back up OneDrive files, clear the "Do not back up On-Demand files" checkbox in the backup plan wizard. All OneDrive files will be downloaded locally before being backed up to the selected storage.

Manage On-Demand File Backup

The Do not back up On-Demand files option controls how the backup agent handles files marked with the offline access attribute. This setting affects how online-only files are processed; it does not prevent the backup of Dropbox files that are available locally.

When enabled (recommended)

The backup agent detects online-only files marked with the offline access attribute and skips them without failing the backup plan.

Expected result: The skipped files are reported with Warning (Code 1603): Files and folders were skipped.

To back up these files, make them available offline in Dropbox before running the backup plan.

When disabled

The backup agent attempts to read and upload online-only files. Because their content is not available directly on the local disk, the backup may fail for these files.

Expected result: Depending on the circumstances, the backup plan may report one of the following errors:

• Error 1635: Unable to back up files in the Dropbox folder or files with the offline attribute.
• Error 1622: Unable to access some files in the backup source.

To avoid these errors, make online-only files available offline before running the backup plan.

Enable/Disable On-Demand File Backup In Management Console

To configure the On-Demand file backup settings in files backup plans using the Management Console, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Management Console.
2. In the Computers menu, select Remote Management if you use the legacy main menu, or open the Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
3. Find the required computer, then click on the computer name.
4. Select the Backup Plans tab.
5. Find the required plan on the side pane, expand it and click Edit.
6. Click the Advanced Filter step.
7. Disable or enable the Do Not Back Up On-Demand Files checkbox.
8. Once you are done, click Save.

Enable/Disable On-Demand File Backup In Backup Agent

To configure the On-Demand file backup settings in files backup plans in Backup Agent, proceed as follows:

1. Access the required computer and open the Backup Agent instance.
2. On the Backup Plans tab, edit the required file backup plan.
3. Follow the backup wizard to the Advanced Filter step.
4. Select or clear the Do not back up On-Demand files checkbox.
5. Finish the backup wizard to save the configuration.