Remote Desktop Manager Auto Backup vs Manual (Cloud) Backup — Configuration, Behavior, and Troubleshooting Guide – Bison Knowledgebase

Remote Desktop Manager Auto Backup vs Manual (Cloud) Backup — Configuration, Behavior, and Troubleshooting Guide

📅 31 Dec 2025 📂 General 👁 16 views

Remote Desktop Manager (RDM) provides multiple backup mechanisms to protect connection data, credentials, and configuration settings. Administrators often assume that enabling auto-backup triggers in a SQLite data source will immediately generate backup files. In practice, RDM separates Data Source Auto-Backup and Manual / Cloud Backup, each with different execution logic.

This Knowledge Base article explains the technical differences, why auto-backups may not appear as expected, and how to configure a reliable, production-ready backup strategy for RDM.

Technical Explanation

Backup Engines in Remote Desktop Manager

Remote Desktop Manager internally uses two independent backup engines:

Backup Type Location in UI Trigger Method Typical Output
Data Source Auto-Backup Data Sources → SQLite → Backup Event-based / Interval .rdm file
Manual / Cloud Backup File → Backup Manual execution Timestamped folder + .rdm

Backup Type	Location in UI	Trigger Method	Typical Output
Data Source Auto-Backup	Data Sources → SQLite → Backup	Event-based / Interval	`.rdm` file
Manual / Cloud Backup	File → Backup	Manual execution	Timestamped folder + `.rdm`

These systems do not depend on each other.

Data Source Auto-Backup (SQLite)

Runs silently in background
Executes only when a trigger fires
Creates or updates a .rdm backup file
May not run if RDM does not detect a committed database change

Supported triggers:

On entry modification
On application close
Backup interval (time-based)
Before switching data sources

Manual / Cloud Backup

Runs immediately when executed
Always creates a backup regardless of data changes
Uses a Data Source ID–based folder structure
Designed for:
- On-demand backups
- Pre-upgrade snapshots
- Migration safety copies

Example structure:


D:\Bison\REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER BACKUP\
 └─ <DataSourceID>\
    └─ <Date_Time>\
       └─ bison.rdm

Use Cases

Data Source Auto-Backup

Continuous protection during daily usage
Silent background backups
Scheduled backups without user action

Manual / Cloud Backup

Before software upgrades
Before OS or hardware changes
Before data source migration
One-time verification backups

Step-by-Step Solution / Implementation

A. Configure Reliable Auto-Backup (Recommended)

Open Remote Desktop Manager
Go to File → Data Sources
Select SQLite (Local Data Source)
Click Edit
Open Backup → Settings
Configure:
- Backup type: File backup
- Folder: D:\Bison\REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER BACKUP
- Filename:
```
bison_$DATE$_$TIME$
```
- Set a strong Master Key
Open Backup → Triggers
Enable:
- ☑ Backup interval → 60 minutes
- ☑ On application close
Click Save

B. Force Immediate Backup (Manual)

Go to File → Backup
Click Execute backup
Verify backup creation in the destination folder

Commands or Examples

Example Backup Filenames Using Variables


bison_12-31-2025_11-20-42.rdm
bison_12-31-2025_12-20-42.rdm

Example Auto-Backup Folder (Flat Structure)


D:\Bison\REMOTE DESKTOP MANAGER BACKUP\
 ├─ bison_12-31-2025_11-20-42.rdm
 ├─ bison_12-31-2025_12-20-42.rdm

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue: Backup folder is empty

Cause

No auto-backup trigger executed yet

Fix

Enable Backup interval
Close RDM fully
Wait for interval timer to elapse

Issue: Backup only appears when clicking “Execute backup”

Cause

Manual/Cloud Backup engine is being used
Auto-backup triggers not firing due to no committed DB change

Fix

Use interval-based trigger
Do not rely only on “On entry modification”

Issue: Only one backup file exists

Cause

Static filename without variables

Fix

Add $DATE$ and $TIME$ variables

Issue: Backup not created at all

Possible Causes

Folder permission issues
Antivirus or Defender blocking .rdm file creation
Read-only destination

Fix

Grant NTFS write permissions
Add AV exclusion for backup folder

Security Considerations

Always set a Master Key for backup encryption
Store Master Key securely (password manager / sealed SOP)
Restrict backup folder access using NTFS permissions
Never share .rdm backup files over email or chat platforms
Avoid live cloud-sync folders for active backups

Best Practices

Enable Backup interval (most reliable trigger)
Keep On application close enabled
Use timestamped filenames
Store backups on a non-system drive
Perform a manual backup before upgrades
Test restore process quarterly
Maintain at least 7–14 backup versions

Conclusion

Remote Desktop Manager backup behavior is working as designed, but understanding the separation between Data Source Auto-Backup and Manual/Cloud Backup is critical. Auto-backups rely on trigger execution and database state, while manual backups always run immediately.

For production environments, interval-based auto-backups combined with periodic manual backups provide the most reliable and secure data protection strategy.

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Remote Desktop Manager Auto Backup vs Manual (Cloud) Backup — Configuration, Behavior, and Troubleshooting Guide

Technical Explanation

Backup Engines in Remote Desktop Manager

Data Source Auto-Backup (SQLite)

Manual / Cloud Backup

Use Cases

Data Source Auto-Backup

Manual / Cloud Backup

Step-by-Step Solution / Implementation

A. Configure Reliable Auto-Backup (Recommended)

B. Force Immediate Backup (Manual)

Commands or Examples

Example Backup Filenames Using Variables

Example Auto-Backup Folder (Flat Structure)

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue: Backup folder is empty

Issue: Backup only appears when clicking “Execute backup”

Issue: Only one backup file exists

Issue: Backup not created at all

Security Considerations

Best Practices

Conclusion

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