Autodesk Vault – Vault Backup Priority

By Chris Turner

Using the Autodesk Data Manager Server (ADMS) Console for Vault backups is very important and as always, I recommend checking that these are running correctly and that you have a good tested procedure in place for disaster recovery.

Due to Vault filestores forever growing and getting larger, it’s quite normal that the time it takes to perform the ADMS backup can get substantially longer over time. It is not unusual for me to hear that the Vault backup in some cases takes 12 to 24 hours to complete.

Most companies use a batch script to run the ADMS backup daily and usually let the Windows Task Scheduler execute it at a preferred time of the day. However, when a Windows Scheduled task is created, it is usually given a relatively low priority in order to save on available server resources.

Although it is not possible to define the priority in the User Interface of the Task Scheduler, you can raise the priority and thus make the backup run faster. However, be careful not to elevate it to such a degree that the CPU starts running at 100% and the server ultimately becomes unusable.

In order to elevate the priority of a Windows Scheduled Task that you have created, first export the Task to an XML and edit it with Notepad.

Find the line in the XML <Priority>7</Priority>

Change the value of the Priority from 7 to a higher Value like 4 or 5. 

Next save the XML file and go back to the Task Scheduler. 

Delete the existing Task that you originally exported and then import the XML file you have just modified. 

The next time the Scheduled Task is run it should complete in a shorter time.

Of course other environment factors play a part with the performance of the Vault backup, such as anti-virus, so please check this if you haven’t already seen this - https://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/202381031-Managing-your-Anti-virus-software-with-Vault-Inventor-2015

Keep in mind that the Vault backup from the ADMS is officially the only supported backup by Autodesk, so if you are not using it and rather a third party type of backup, I suggest looking carefully at https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/Vault-Admin/files/GUID-22E8BB12-21D7-437A-BB9D-516078FADB6B-htm.html 

I also suggest looking at a few other considerations on this topic published on the Autodesk Cracking The Vault webpages - http://crackingthevault.typepad.com/crackingthevault/2011/05/improving-performance-of-vault-server-backup.html