How to use patterns to exclude files and directories from an NDMP server backup

Last published : Apr 02, 2026
When you exclude files and directories from a backup for a NetApp/IBM/Fujitsu or EMC Celerra network-attached storage NDMP server, you must use patterns. You should enter patterns carefully to ensure that you exclude the correct files and directories. Backup Exec does not verify the validity of exclude patterns. If you enter an invalid pattern, the pattern is ignored and therefore the files or directories are not excluded.
For details about how to use patterns, see your NDMP server documentation.
The following example shows a pattern to exclude files and directories from a backup selection for a NetApp/IBM/Fujitsu NDMP server:

Table: Example pattern for NetApp/IBM/Fujitsu NDMP servers

Pattern Example
tmp Excludes all files and directories that have the name "tmp".
*.core Excludes all files and directories that end with ".core".
To exclude directories for an EMC Celerra NDMP server, do not include the name of the EMC Celerra server or the name of the file system in the pattern. The names of the NDMP server and the file system are already included in the Resource name text box on the Include/Exclude dialog box. If you repeat the name of the NDMP server and the file system in the pattern, the EMC Celerra NDMP server ignores the exclusion. Type the path from the root directory to the directory that you want to exclude. Do not include an initial forward slash ( / ).
The following example shows a pattern to exclude directories from a backup selection for an EMC Celerra NDMP server:

Table: Example pattern to exclude directories for an EMC Celerra NDMP server

Pattern Description
test_exclusion/subdir1 Excludes only the "subdir1" directory on the file system that is listed in the Resource name text box.
test_exclusion/d* Excludes all directories that start with the letter "d " under the directory "/test_exclusion"
The following example shows a pattern to exclude files from a backup selection for an EMC Celerra NDMP server:

Table: Example pattern to exclude files for an EMC Celerra NDMP server

Pattern Description
*.mp3 Excludes all files that end with ".mp3".
temp Excludes all files that have the name "temp".
More Information
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