AASync

Scheduling

Important! Before you schedule a sync, you should to run it manually at least once to make sure the sync commences fine, free of login or other network problems.

AASync 2 has what many computer users wanted for a long time: unattended operation in the background without the need of any user intervention. Set the parameters once and .. well, forget it! AASync's Schedule Panel has all the options to achieve this.



In order to use the scheduling feature on a sync, turn on the "Use Scheduled Sync" button. Set the schedule type (eg. Daily) the time to perform it and click OK on the bottom. That is how easy it is. Here is what you need to know about the scheduled sync:

Once the sync has been scheduled, AASync will not have to be running! The sync will still execute in the background, even if smoebody else is logged in during your sync. The logs will be left according to the log setting in the Options Panel. Next time you start AASync the time of the last sync will be shown. and clicking the "Last Log" button will open the log of the last sync.

After the Scheduled Sync has been completed:

After a scheduled sync there are some options that can be executed:

  • Attempt to put the machine to suspend/standby/hibernate - It is called an attempt for a good reason. In normal circumstances it should succeed, unless some running software prevents it from happening. It should be tested in your particular environment. If it works, it allows the user to have a truly unattended sync in the middle of the night.. the machine will wake up, execute the sync, then back to sleep.
  • Do the Chain Thing..execute another sync right after this one? See below..

Some Important Caveats about power events

  • Power management features, such as putting the host to sleep/hibernate after the sync requires that the host computer is able to stay in standby or hibernate mode. That means these states must be able to be achieved by hand and must be working correctly. Many times BIOS/network or other powermanagement setting can prevent computers from gettting into or staying in suspend or hibernate mode.
    Scheduled syncs will try to wake the host computer from standby or hibernate mode 20 seconds before the sync time to perform the sync!

  • Power events triggered only if the sync is started on a schedule! If the sync is run manually, wake/sleep settings are ignored!

The Chain

So, since you can only wake your machine on one set schedule, it would be great execute more than one syncs in a sequence. This way, all periodic (like daily or weekly) backups can be executed in the middle of the night, one after another. The first sync will wake the machine, then call the next sync by using the "After the Sync" popup button (be sure to turn on the "Use Scheduled Sync" button). The sync sync should sleep the machine after it completes, and voila, you have a chain of backups executing completely unattended whenever you want, and you do not have to worry about your box running needlessly.
One sync can only be part of one chain! Chains have to be set up from the top. The first sync will be triggered by time (this will have an alarm clock icon next it's name). The rest will have a chain icon next to their name. Chained syncs cannot set their start times, since they will be triggered after the previous sync completes. A chain can be broken up also from the top, by resetting the "After the Sync" option. Chain sequences are triggered only if the sync is started on a schedule! If the sync is run manually, chain (also wake/standby) settings are ignored!