How to Run Job Forever Incremental in v11.0.4 or any other backup type besides full backup?

[Apriansyah]

Hello Nakivo Community,

I am trying to set up a "Forever Incremental" backup job on my NAKIVO B&R v11.0.4 installation.

My Goal: My goal is to use the traditional "Forever Incremental" method, where I have one initial Full backup, and all subsequent backups are incremental. The retention policy I want is "Keep [X] last recovery points", which (as I understand it) should merge the oldest incremental into the full backup file as new points are created. This method should not require creating new periodic Full backups.

The Problem: When I create a new backup job, my UI seems to be permanently in the "New Scheduler" mode:

In Step 3: Schedule, my only retention options are the GFS (time-based) settings: Keep backups for [X] days, weeks, or months. The option to Keep [X] last recovery points is completely missing.

Because I am forced to use a time-based GFS policy, Step 4: Options always shows the "Full Backup Settings" section, forcing me to schedule a periodic Synthetic full or Active full (for example, every 3 or 7 Job runs #).

This configuration is not "Forever Incremental" (merge-based); it is "Incremental with periodic fulls".

What I Have Tried: I have searched the documentation and forums, which suggested switching back to the "Legacy Scheduler". However, I have checked Settings > System Settings (under both the Configuration and Processing tabs), and there is no checkbox or button to "Use Legacy Scheduler" or "Disable New Scheduler".

My Questions:

Is it true that in v11.0.4, once the "New Scheduler" is active, it is impossible to revert to the "Legacy Scheduler" to access the "Keep X last recovery points" retention policy?

If so, does this mean the true "Forever Incremental" (merge-based) backup method is no longer available in this version?

If this method is still available, how can I enable it?

Thank you for any clarification you can provide.

[The Official Moderator]

On 11/4/2025 at 6:16 AM, Apriansyah said:

Hello Nakivo Community,

I am trying to set up a "Forever Incremental" backup job on my NAKIVO B&R v11.0.4 installation.

My Goal: My goal is to use the traditional "Forever Incremental" method, where I have one initial Full backup, and all subsequent backups are incremental. The retention policy I want is "Keep [X] last recovery points", which (as I understand it) should merge the oldest incremental into the full backup file as new points are created. This method should not require creating new periodic Full backups.

The Problem: When I create a new backup job, my UI seems to be permanently in the "New Scheduler" mode:

In Step 3: Schedule, my only retention options are the GFS (time-based) settings: Keep backups for [X] days, weeks, or months. The option to Keep [X] last recovery points is completely missing.

Because I am forced to use a time-based GFS policy, Step 4: Options always shows the "Full Backup Settings" section, forcing me to schedule a periodic Synthetic full or Active full (for example, every 3 or 7 Job runs #).

This configuration is not "Forever Incremental" (merge-based); it is "Incremental with periodic fulls".

What I Have Tried: I have searched the documentation and forums, which suggested switching back to the "Legacy Scheduler". However, I have checked Settings > System Settings (under both the Configuration and Processing tabs), and there is no checkbox or button to "Use Legacy Scheduler" or "Disable New Scheduler".

My Questions:

Is it true that in v11.0.4, once the "New Scheduler" is active, it is impossible to revert to the "Legacy Scheduler" to access the "Keep X last recovery points" retention policy?

If so, does this mean the true "Forever Incremental" (merge-based) backup method is no longer available in this version?

If this method is still available, how can I enable it?

Thank you for any clarification you can provide.

To create a "Forever incremental" repository, please disable the option "Store backups in separate files" during the repository creation wizard

https://helpcenter.nakivo.com/User-Guide/Content/Settings/Backup-Repositories/Creating-Backup-Repositories/Local-Backup-Repository.htm

Please note that this option can't be changed for the existing repository. 

To use "Keep last XX backups" retention in the job, set the option "system.job.default.retention.approach" to "Legacy" in Expert mode

https://helpcenter.nakivo.com/User-Guide/Content/Settings/Expert-Mode.htm