AceSafe

Last updated: October, 2015

This version is a complete overhaul that utilizes JSON instead of a SQLite database file. It's much cleaner and simpler, but if you prefer the old version for whatever reason, just look at the sqlite subfolder.

This is a program I built out of the carcass of my horrendously unfashionable batch file backup system. The primary purpose of this program is to send files that are valued the most to your various backup sources. First, AceSafe builds some objects that each correspond with a path on the user's hard drive. Then each path is turned into an class object and customized so that their files can be manipulated with copying methods. Once that is done, the program builds a database file that consists of several tables, with each table containing syncing routines.

The most powerful feature of this program is its copying method, which checks the source directory and then compares its contents to the contents of the destination directory. If there are files that exist only in the destination, they will be deleted. Then new and updated files are copied over. This process ensures a 1-to-1 sync between files and their backups, with no extra files lingering on forever because file names or paths have been changed.

AceSafe has saved me boatloads of time, particularly with the addition of the "check and delete" feature. I used to have to manually delete files every time I changed a filename or something, otherwise I would end up with copies of the same files that only differed in filenames. For example, if I had a file called "readme_old.txt" and then renamed it "readme_new.txt", I would end up with both files. Now, only the "readme_new.txt" will remain.

Instructions

The first step is to open up the test_json.json file. You'll see that there's a sample routine setup for your benefit.

{
  "testRoutine": {
    "0": {
      "src": "/Users/yourUser/test1",
      "dst":"/Users/yourUser/test2"
    },
    "1": {
      "src": "/Users/yourUser/test3",
      "dst":"/Users/yourUser/test4"
    }
  }
}

testRoutine is the name of the routine you want to use, and "0" is the first step within the routine (you can add as many steps as you want as long as the first one is "0"). Within each step, src is the folder you want to backup, and dst is the place where you want your files to be copied to. AceSafe will compare the contents of src with the contents of dst and delete anything that isn't in src while also copying any files that are only in src.

To run testRoutine, you enter the following command into a shell session:

$ ./acesafe.py run testRoutine

This will fire each step sequentially.

You can either use this file or create your own. If you want to use your own, simply drop it into the directory that AceSafe lives in (ensuring that your file has the same formatting as the test_json file) and then define an environment variable called ACESAFE_JSON. When defining this variable, don't include the .json extension.

For example, if you had a file called my_json_file.json, you would create the environment variable like so:

$ export ACESAFE_JSON=my_json_file