Folder Backup Utility

A lightweight, resource-optimized Go utility for creating scheduled backups of any folder with automatic retention management.

Overview

This tool creates timestamped ZIP archives of any specified folder and maintains a configurable backup history. Originally created for backing up Obsidian vaults, it works with any directory you need to preserve. The utility is specifically optimized to use minimal system resources, making it ideal for background operation via task schedulers.

Features

Creates ZIP backups of any folder with minimal resource usage
Resource-optimized: Low CPU priority, single-core usage, minimal memory footprint
Names backups with precise timestamps for easy identification
Configurable backup retention (easily adjustable via constants)
Simple configuration through constants at the top of the code
Minimal dependencies
Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Optimized for background operation and task scheduling

Requirements

Go 1.16 or higher

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/binge-coder/Folder-Backup-Utility.git
cd Folder-Backup-Utility

# Install dependencies (automatically fetches required packages)
go mod download

Configuration

All configuration is done through constants at the top of backup-script.go for easy modification:

// Configuration constants - modify these as needed
const (
	SOURCE_FOLDER_PATH = `C:\path\to\your\folder`     // Folder you want to back up
	BACKUP_FOLDER_PATH = `C:\path\to\backup\storage`  // Where backups will be stored
	MAX_BACKUPS_TO_KEEP = 3                           // Maximum number of backup files to keep
)

Simply update these constants to match your requirements:

SOURCE_FOLDER_PATH: The folder you want to backup
BACKUP_FOLDER_PATH: Where backup files will be stored
MAX_BACKUPS_TO_KEEP: How many recent backups to maintain (older ones are automatically deleted)

Building and Running

# Build the executable
go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o backup-script.exe backup-script.go

# Run the backup
./backup-script.exe

Automation

Windows (Recommended for background operation)

Use Task Scheduler for optimal resource management:

Open Task Scheduler
Create a new task
Set the trigger (daily/weekly/etc.)
Action: Start a program
Browse to your backup-script.exe location
In "Conditions" tab, check "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power" (optional)
In "Settings" tab, check "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed"

Note: The script automatically sets itself to low priority and uses minimal resources, making it ideal for background operation.

macOS/Linux

Use cron:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add a line to run daily at 2 AM, for example:
0 2 * * * /path/to/backup-script

How It Works

Resource Optimization: Sets low CPU priority and limits to single core usage
Backup Creation: Creates the backup folder if it doesn't exist
Archive Generation: Generates a timestamped ZIP file with minimal compression for speed
Cleanup: Counts existing backups and removes the oldest ones based on MAX_BACKUPS_TO_KEEP
Resource Management: Uses frequent garbage collection and brief pauses to minimize system impact

Performance Characteristics

CPU Usage: Limited to single core with low priority
Memory Usage: Optimized with frequent garbage collection
Compression: Disabled for faster operation and lower CPU usage
I/O: Throttled with small delays between operations
Background Friendly: Designed to run without impacting system performance

Customization

The script uses the mholt/archiver library for creating ZIP archives. All dependencies will be automatically downloaded when you run go mod download.

Resource Optimization Settings:

Compression is disabled for faster operation
Single CPU core usage to avoid system slowdown
Low process priority on Windows
Frequent garbage collection to minimize memory usage
I/O throttling with small delays between operations

These settings prioritize system responsiveness over backup speed, making it ideal for scheduled background operation.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.