[rdiff-backup-users] rdiff-backup, hard links, and multiple configs

[meeotch]

I'm new to rdiff-backup, and I've got a couple questions about a potential 
backup scheme.  Background:  I'm using a package (snapraid) on my server that 
protects its data against bit-rot & drive failure.  I periodically rsync my 
(windows) laptop to that (linux) server in order to have a bit-rot protected 
clone of the laptop.  However, snapraid isn't really meant for use on files 
that are constantly changing (for instance, mail files, Firefox profile, etc.), 
so these snapshots don't happen that frequently.

I'd like to use rdiff-backup to do nightly backups of the laptop, for the 
versioning & accidental delete protection.  The backup target would be a 
non-snapraid-protected area on the same server.  But rather than maintain two 
full copies of all the data, it would be great if the overlaps were 
consolidated using hard links.  So the plan would be:  rdiff-backup nightly to 
a "master" archive (non-snapraid), then snapshot the rdiff-backup master 
weekly, using rsync --link-dest, into a snapraid-protected area.

The actual question:  Does this make sense, or is there some danger in 
hardlinking into an active rdiff-backup archive?

Second question:  is it possible to run rdiff-backup on a subset of the total 
more frequently, but with the same target archive?  For instance, a nightly 
backup of everything, then an hourly backup of certain critical files/dirs.  My 
grasp of rsync --include/exclude filters is marginal, but my gut says that some 
special magic is required to keep the hourly backup from blowing away excluded 
files (while correctly deleting files removed from the "hourly" areas).

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