Backup files

[Mtn.Marty]

The previous forum survey on back ups prompted me to look at my library for the first time in a long while and I discovered lots and lots of MG of WC backups there. There's one file labelled WeatherCat Data and under location 1 inside are seemingly all my data from 2012 when I started to present. this file is 287 MB. Then there are about 20 other files labelled WC Backup with some portion of my data in each. Each file is labelled with a seemingly random date, like WeatherCatData_Backup_Tue_22_Oct_2013_2105V122B15 and in this folder are partial files for some years. These folders seem to have up to several hundred MB of data each.

My question is, do I need to keep these? My drive is backed up by a time machine drive, so everything is duplicated already.

[Blicj11]

Then there are about 20 other files labelled WC Backup with some portion of my data in each. Each file is labelled with a seemingly random date, like WeatherCatData_Backup_Tue_22_Oct_2013_2105V122B15 and in this folder are partial files for some years. These folders seem to have up to several hundred MB of data each.

I will address one of your questions. These folders are named with the date, time and previous version number when you upgrade WeatherCat versions. This backup allows you to return to the previous version if you have a reason to do so. All of these can be deleted after you know that you do not need to return to the previous version. You may want to keep the most recent one (or two) around, just in case.

[xairbusdriver]

I posted this in another thread and Stu probably didn't see it. I think it applies to the subject of this thread better.

Question for Stu (and "senior" WC users): Is it safe to assume that the ~/Library/WeatherCatData/Location/2014(as an example) could be deleted without problems? I'm a long way from having two year old data, but I'm wondering if most folks use data that old in their PWS's.

[Steve]

Is it safe to assume that the ~/Library/WeatherCatData/Location/2014(as an example) could be deleted without problems? I'm a long way from having two year old data, but I'm wondering if most folks use data that old in their PWS's.

I use all of the historical data I've collected since September 2011, when I set up my station. Folks using other software have more than a decade of data stored. All of this can be used for historical records, year over year trends, station record high and lows, etc.

What's the point of gathering data if not to keep a record of it?

[xairbusdriver]

Unlike people, some data is more important than other. Not even the IRS makes you keep data forever. OTOH, I've 'lost' a lot of data from my past that I'd like to still have...

On the third hand, I wish I could 'delete' some of my past 'data'!

[Randall75]

xAir
 I'm like Steve I have data since 2006 that only data I delete is my imagery for the last year but I put it on disc so I have it it is always my biggest file in there about 6 gigs worth each year the rest are so small they don't take up that much disk space


cheers


 

[elagache]

Dear X-Air, Steve, Randall, and WeatherCat infomaniacs . . . .

What's the point of gathering data if not to keep a record of it?

x2!! . . .

Cheers, Edouard 

[WCDev]

I posted this in another thread and Stu probably didn't see it. I think it applies to the subject of this thread better.

Question for Stu (and "senior" WC users): Is it safe to assume that the ~/Library/WeatherCatData/Location/2014(as an example) could be deleted without problems? I'm a long way from having two year old data, but I'm wondering if most folks use data that old in their PWS's.

There won't be any problems, but you'll obviously lose the data, so you'll no longer have that year in your stats (year over year for example), it won't be available for any tags (ALLTIME for example) and if you regenerate your NOAA style reports because, for example, you've changed heating or cooling base values, the reports won't be generated etc.

If concerned about size on disk, then you can remove the imagery for that year without affecting the data, but if you do this, when you tell WeatherCat to display the data for a given point of time, there'll be no imagery available to display in the viewer for that date.

[xairbusdriver]

Thanks for the details! Early in my use of the data generated and stored by your great app, I've not yet had any of those facts displayed. Closest is the "Min" and "Max" for the station, which doesn't even span 12 months, yet! The question only arose from the questions in this thread and another about problems with historical data. At least I know I can now delete several instances of these files generated during early testing of the app.

[Mtn.Marty]

I'm not thinking of deleting historical data, just duplicated backups. I also have time machine backups as well.

[elagache]

Dear Mtn.Marty and WeatherCat sys-admins, . . .

I'm not thinking of deleting historical data, just duplicated backups. I also have time machine backups as well.

Blick already answered your question earlier in this thread but just to be 100% clear.  Yes, those duplicated backups can and should be deleted.  If you have your machine backed up and are running WeatherCat's backup feature, that should be more than adequate protection.  It just depends on how paranoid you are! 

Cheers, Edouard 

P.S. Usually, a new release WeatherCat will ask if you want your data to be backed up.  If you have no reason to assume your data is in danger, you can decline that backup.  I've done that on more than a few occasions.