Summary

This Knowledgebase article provides information about how to specify or manually adjust file filters.

More Information

Neverfail uses file filters to identify protected application data files in order to replicate them.  Neverfail provides an easy method to modify which files are to be included in the replication set via Neverfail Advanced Management Client.

Procedure

Neverfail automatically creates file filters for a protected application when a plug-in is installed. File filters may also be created manually or can be edited to meet the needs of the user. File filters are classified as either an Inclusion filter (to include files in a filter) or an Exclusion filter to exclude files from a previously defined Inclusion filter. All Exclusion file filters must be a subset of an existing Inclusion file filter.

File filters are considered either Effective or Not Effective as defined below:

• Effective - Allowed by Neverfail and properly defined.
• Not Effective - Not allowed by Neverfail or improperly defined.
• Subset (contained within another filter) - Allowed by Neverfail but is a subset of an existing file filter

Note: When an Exclusion file filter defines files or folders that are not part of an existing Inclusion file filter, the State of the file filter will be listed as Not Effective (not contained within an inclusion filter).

To specify or manually adjust file filters, follow the steps below:

1. Launch the Neverfail Advanced Management Client.
2. Click on the Data -> File Filters tab.
3. The File Filters pane shows three columns, the Filter, the State, and the Detail.
4. The Filter column lists the rules for protecting files and folders on the active server. The State column details the status of the file filter and the effectiveness of the file filter entry.
5. Filters to protect files and folders are defined by adding rows to the User Defined list.
   
6. Click on the Add Inclusion Filter button to add a new file filter. File filters to exclude files/folders are created using the same procedure except that the Add Exclusion Filter is used to create the filter. Note: Files/folders to be excluded must be a subset of an existing Inclusion file filter.
   
    
   
   
7. Enter the path to the file/folder or click on the Browse button to navigate to the file/folder location. The filter can be specified either by giving their complete path, or by specifying a pattern containing wildcards. The two forms of wildcards available are '*', which matches all files in the current folder or  '**', which matches all files, subfolders, and the files in the subfolders of the current folder.
8. Click on OK to accept the entry.
9. File filter entries may be edited by clicking on the rows filter definition and clicking on the Edit button.
10. File filter entries may be individually removed from the table by selecting its row entry and clicking the Remove button. 

Applies To

Neverfail Engine

Related Information

Knowledgebase article #399 - 'Attempting to Protect the Root of Any Microsoft Windows Drive Using a File Filter (e.g. C:\** or D:\**) Is Not Recommended'

KBID-2042