How to exclude files in dedicated directories from becomming masters.

[Winfried]

Maybe I have a special workflow.
For RAWs I have two directories:

G:\Bilder\RAWs\Year\Month\Day
and
Q:\Archiv\RAWs\Year\Month\Day
Both files are under IMatch control
Q: is a usb-connected disk and is only switched on during the copying of the RAWs from the sd card to the PC and during the indexing of the files within IMatch.

I use a function "Flash Card Copy/Move" within Qimage to copy the RAWs from the sd card to the PC. So I generate from the beginning a backup of the RAWs.
This function also generates the directory structure year\month\...
The files on the Q:-drive I do not touch or delete, even if I decide to delete a file on the G:-drive.

So for each RAW I have a duplicate in the database. I use this workflow since years and I had no problems with IMatch 3 (ok, no versioning  ).
Since I have for each RAW a duplicate (even with the same file-name),  versioning creates problems.
Sometimes the RAWs from the Q:-drive become master.

My question: Is it possible to exclude the files from the Q:-drive from becoming master? I would like that only the RAWs on the G:-drive become masters.

Winfried

[Mario]

IMatch finds masters by file name and extension. You cannot exclude files in specific folders.
If you keep the copies of your RAW files also indexed by IMatch, they will also considered as masters.

[Winfried]

ok, thanks.
So I will have to rethink my (backup) workflow.
Maybe I just give the files on my Q:-drive  a special prefix A_xxxxxxxx.raw ("A_" like archive). 

Winfried

[Mario]

If you really need to keep the backup copies also indexed in your database (uncommon), you can change their names so they no longer match the "how to find a master" expression you use. But it may be easier to not index your backup copies at all. If you need to restore something in case of a problem, replace the original (indexed) file with the copy from the backup.

[sinus]

ok, thanks.
So I will have to rethink my (backup) workflow.
Maybe I just give the files on my Q:-drive  a special prefix A_xxxxxxxx.raw ("A_" like archive). 

Winfried

Hi Winfried
I do also backups of my files (nefs). Your approach to put a special prefis would work, I think.

But I do not index my backups drive (also on an extern usb-disk) with IMatch. First I have about 200'000 images, and maybe half of it are nefs, so I had 300'000 images.

But aside from this: why should I index the backups in IMatch? In my workflow it makes no sense. The most important thing for me is:
- that I do create backups
- that I KNOW, that I have for all files backups

It was seldom, that I had to use backuped files, very seldom. But if, it is an easy step to find and load them from my backup-system.

I do not know, how others does manage the backup. But is it, in your case, really necessary to index them by IMatch?