Filtering Jobs

By default, when an Agent creates a new Job or links to a Job, the Agent synchronizes with the Server. Using filters, you can exclude certain files, file types, or folders from being replicated. You can set the filter parameters for each Job, and can specify filter parameters that apply to all Jobs.

• You can filter a specific file name (e.g., desktop.ini) or using wildcard patterns. For example, to exclude any mp3 files from replication, you can filter files named *.mp3.

• You can add a folder filter (relative to the Job's root folder) to prevent an entire folder from being replicated (e.g., Marketing\Promotions\OldLiterature).

Filters are Agent specific; that is, you must set up the filters at each Agent. The filters are stored as XML files in a folder called Filter in the AVCStuff folder (e.g., C:\AVCStuff\Filter). These filter files can be copied from one Agent to another so that you do not have to redefine them for each Agent.

In some cases, the filtering functionality may be used to increase the performance of the WAFS system by filtering out unnecessary files. Such files might include temporary files ("*.tmp") that are often used on a temporary basis while performing a save operation. When handling I/O requests for filtered files, the Agent can skip expensive operations such as network communications with the Server. This reduction in expensive operations can lead to performance gains.

Note that incorrectly filtering out files may lead to unexpected behavior within user applications. Care should be taken when adding or modifying the set of filters through careful testing.

Creating Filters

You can create Filters when you create a new Job, when you link to a Job, or any time that the Agent is running. (To remove a filter, refer to Removing Filters.)

To filter a Job

1. Do one of the following:

   • When you create a new Job:

   • 1. Create a New Job.

     2. On the Job summary page, click Set up Filter.

     

   • When linking to a Job:

   • 1. Link to the Job.

     2. On the Link to an existing Availl Job page, click Edit Filter.

     

   • In the Job Properties and Options dialog box:

   • 1. On a computer on which the Agent is installed and running, in the system tray, click the Agent icon , then click Job Properties and Options.

     2. On the Change Options tab, click Filter.

     

   The Filter Editor appears.

   

   In the Filter Editor, you can add a filter to All Jobs on this Agent or a Specific Job on this Agent.

   • To add a filter to all Jobs on the Agent, click the All Jobs tab.

   • To add a filter to a specific Job, click the Specific Job tab.

   

2. If you clicked the Specific Job tab, the tab and the Server and Job name list display the selected Job. If you have previously defined filters on the selected Job, its filters appear in the File Filters and Folder Filters areas.

   To filter out specific files or file types:

   1. In the File Filter area, define the file filter pattern for those files that you do NOT want to replicate:

      • Use the asterisk (*) to replace zero or more characters.

      • Use the question mark (?) to replace exactly 1 character.

        Examples of file filter patterns:

        *.bak - Will not replicate files that end with .bak extension

        tmp* - Will not replicate files that start with "tmp"

        *.mp? - Will not replicate files with an extension of .mpX, where X is any one character.

   2. Click Add. The filter pattern is displayed.

   3. Click OK to save the filter.

   To filter out entire folders:

   1. In the Folder Filter area, define the folder filter pattern for those folders that you do NOT want to replicate (i.e., none of the files in the folder will be replicated).

      • You can use wildcard patterns or the full path, relative to the Job's root folder.

      • When setting folder filters that apply to all Jobs, it might not make sense to use a full path, unless the same path applies to all Jobs.

      Examples of folder filter patterns:

      *temp* - Excludes any folder that has "temp" in its name

      \Local? - Excludes any folder in the job root folder that starts with "Local" and has exactly one character at the end (e.g., "Local7")

   2. Click Add. The filter pattern is displayed.

   3. In the Specific Job folder filter, you can click Browse and Add to browse for and add a folder to exclude from replication. The Browse for Folder dialog box opens to the Job's root folder and displays all of the folders in the Job.

      

   4. Specify the folder that you do not want to replicate, then click OK. The folder is added to the Filter Editor.

3. Click OK to close the Filter Editor and, if you are creating or linking a Job, continue with that procedure, as usual; click Apply to save the changes and leave the Filter Editor open.

Removing Filters

To remove a filter

1. Open the Filter Editor, as described above.

2. Click the filter pattern that you want to remove, then click Remove.

3. The files and/or folders that were not being replicated will now replicate.

Related Topics

Creating a New Job

Linking to and Unlinking from a Job

Configuring Job Properties and Options