XStudio Recorder

As XStudio Recorder is running, a significant number of database tables, preference and settings files are being created, updated and maintained. These files contain the key elements of your system setup and operating information. As such, a total loss of some or all of the files - as might occur if the host PC fails - can leave you with the formidable task of rebuilding your system configuration manually.

To help prevent having to rebuild the system from scratch, XStudio Recorder has a task (System Backup) that can be executed on a relay-driven or scheduled basis (just like any other XStudio Recorder task). The backup operation occurs in the background and does not affect XStudio Recorder operations.

When executed, the XStudio Recorder system database tables are backed up to a target location defined in the task. Optionally, XStudio Recorder preference and settings files can be backed up. The task also has a option to zip the backed-up files to save disk storage space.

Setting Up a System Backup

Setting up a system backup is fairly simple. There are just a few basic steps:

1.Create a System Backup task. A key property of the task is the Backup Target Folder - the location where backed-up files will be placed. The files could be located on the XStudio Recorder PC, but a better choice might be a server on your local area network (LAN). That way, if the XStudio Recorder PC fails, you will still have access to the backup files.

2.Create an XStudio Recorder Action that contains the System Backup task.

3.Determine when and how you want the backup Action to execute. To have the backup execute on a regularly-scheduled basis, you could create a Scheduled Event and decide what day(s) of the week and time to perform the backup. Typically, a good time to do a backup is sometime overnight like 3:20 AM. If you are located in a time zone that uses Daylight Savings Time, avoid the 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM time period to prevent either doubling up or skipping of a scheduled backup.

What is Backed Up?

When a system backup is performed, XStudio Recorder system database files are always backed up. For additional information on the database tables that are backed up, see the Database Reference topic.

If the "backup non-database system files option" is enabled, the following file types are backed up from the XStudio Recorder application folder only:

1.Preference files. These files have a file extension of ".ini" and include the main XStudio Recorder preferences file (xsRecorder.ini), which contains your registration information and application settings.

2.Settings files. These files have a file extension of ".dat".

Refer to the List of Files topic for details on specific file names in this group of file types.

Restoring Backed-Up Files

To restore some or all of the backed-up files, locate the folder in which the backup data is stored. If your backup was configured for daily backups, you may have as many as seven (7) sets of backup files, one for each day of the week. The daily backup sets are located in individual folders under the base backup folder. If you have multiple backups, you will need to decide which group of files to use, typically the most recent.

Backup files may have been zipped to a single file as part of the backup task (if so configured). You need to have a utility to unzip the backup. Recent Windows operating systems typically have support for zip files built-in, but you may wish to use another utility if you have a preference. If the backup you wish to use is zipped, you should unzip the files to a temporary location as an initial step.

Backup files are grouped together without regard to the folder location they originated from and fall into two (2) categories; a) database files, and b) preference and settings files.  Database files will always be present in a backup while the preference and settings files are optionally included when you create the System Backup task. The two groups of files are handled differently in the restore process, as outlined in the following sections.

Restoring System Database Files

System database files all have a file extension of ".nx1". As a general rule, database files should be restored as a complete set of files as most files are tables that are related to one another (a relational database). Further, XStudio Recorder will fail to operate correctly if a partial set of database files is present at launch of the program. See the Database Reference topic for a list of the files that make up the system database.

Restoring the database files is a matter of copying all of them to the XStudio Recorder system database folder. Typically, this is a folder named "Data" located under the XStudio Recorder application folder. During the copy process, it is likely you will be overwriting files that already exist in the folder, replacing the contents with the backed-up content.

Restoring Preference and Settings Files

All backed-up preference and settings files originated from the XStudio Recorder application folder and must be restored to that same folder. The application folder is determined by the user during the installation of XStudio Recorder.

Backed-up preference and settings files are not interrelated, so you can selectively restore these files depending on your needs. See the section on what is backed up for information on each of the file types that are a part of this group.

Using a Backup to Clone XStudio Recorder

If you are in the process of installing XStudio Recorder in multiple locations or are adding another XStudio Recorder to your operation, you may wish to use an XStudio Recorder backup to speed up the process of setup. This might be desirable if you have created a large number of Tasks and Actions and want to do the same things in another XStudio Recorder installation. The steps to take are as follows:

1.Install and launch XStudio Recorder on your new control room PC. At first launch, XStudio Recorder  will automatically create a new system database. Initially, all database tables are empty.

2.Close down XStudio Recorder.

3.Copy all of the backup system database files to your new installation's "Data" folder. The effect of this step is to have all defined Tasks, Actions, scheduled events and audio switcher definitions from the backup now a part of the new system.

4.Optionally, copy selected preference and settings files to the new installation's application folder. Refer to to the what is backed up section for information on which files you might want to use.

5.Restart XStudio Recorder, register the software and complete the system setup.