Configuring Advanced Open File options for backup jobs

Last published : Apr 02, 2026
Backup Exec's Advanced Open File feature lets you use snapshot technology to capture any files that are open when a backup runs. You can configure Advanced Open File options as default settings for all backup jobs. If the default settings are not appropriate for a particular job, you can override them when you create the job. You do not have to create default settings for Advanced Open File options, however. If you want to use Advanced Open File options only for specific jobs, you can configure the settings when you create those jobs.
To configure Advanced Open File options for backup jobs
  1. Do one of the following:
    To configure default Advanced Open File options for all backup jobs Complete the following steps\:
    - Click the Backup Exec button, and then select Configuration and Settings .
    - Select Job Defaults , and then select the type of backup for which you want to configure Advanced Open File options.
    To configure Advanced Open File options for specific backup jobs Complete the following steps\:
    - Create a new backup definition or edit an existing backup definition.
    - In the Backup box, click Edit .
  2. In the left pane, click Advanced Open File.
  3. Complete the following options:
    Use snapshot technology Select this option to enable the use of snapshot technology for backup jobs.
    Snapshot provider Select one of the following snapshot providers for jobs\:
    - Automatic - Allow VSS to select the snapshot provider. Select this option to enable VSS to select the best provider for the selected volume.
    - System - Use Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider.
    - Hardware - Use technology provided by the hardware manufacturer.
    If you select multiple volumes, you must use the same type of provider to snap all of the volumes. You can snap multiple volumes with the same provider or you can use multiple providers, but you cannot use system and hardware providers as part of the same snapshot.
    Process logical volumes for backup one at a time Select this option to enable the backup of multiple volumes in one job, with only one logical volume being snapped at a time. To ensure database integrity, or if a volume contains mount points, multiple volumes may need to be snapped one at a time. A volume with mount points to other volumes is considered a logical volume for snapshot purposes. Therefore, that volume and the mount point volumes are snapped together simultaneously.
    After the logical volume is snapped and backed up, the snapshot is detected before the next logical volume is snapped. This option increases the ability to meet the minimum quiet time that is needed to complete a snapshot.
    A logical volume can comprise multiple physical volumes. A single logical volume can encompass all of the volumes on which databases reside.
    If this option is not selected, then a snapshot for all volumes in the backup job is created simultaneously. All volumes must meet the minimum quiet time.
    This option is only available for local volumes.
    The Shadow Copy Components snapshots are created using VSS, which is reported in the job log.
    Enable checkpoint restart Select this option to enable the checkpoint restart option. Checkpoint restart enables Backup Exec to automatically restart a job that is interrupted. The job restarts from the point where it was interrupted instead of starting over at the beginning. Backup Exec waits two minutes after the job stops and then attempts to restart the interrupted job one time. If the job cannot be restarted automatically or if checkpoint restart is disabled, you must restart it manually. A manual restart starts the job at the beginning instead of at the point where the job was interrupted.
    See Configuring checkpoint restart .
  4. Click OK.
More Information
Changing default backup job settings
Backing up data
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