If you've read any of my other pages about Spotlight Utility (spotutil) or databackup3.0 then you know that creating clone backups can run into problems with SpotLight. I've created a DataBkup script in AppleScript language that becomes an Application (DataBkup.app) using the Script Editor and "Save As..." selecting "application" with Run Only and no Startup Screen options. I've packaged all this in a dmg-file which you can download (see the attachments on this page). After downloading, double-click the DataBkup.dmg icon to open the DataBkup volume (which appears on your Desktop). Open the volume if it doesn't open automatically. There's a DataBkup.Installer, which you double-click to install the DataBkup utility (DataBkup.app). DO NOT drag the DataBkup.Installer out of the volume. You must launch the installer from within the volume. That's how it finds all the other components. And don't try to rename the volume either.
The DataBkup.Installer is designed to run on Tiger and Leopard systems only. It does not work on Panther (eg: 10.3.9). What the DataBkup.Installer does is modify the /Library/StartupItems/Executor folder, created by launching Data Backup at least once. Oh, I forget to mention, you must have installed and launched Data Backup from Prosoft Engineering. That's what DataBkup expects, and the Installer will check that Data Backup and Executor are both installed.
The modified Executor folder should now show a very small (17 byte) version of "Executor"; and something called "OldExecutor", which is the original Executor; and "Backup", which is a shell script run by the DataBkup.app (placed on your Desktop). The Backup script moves the small Executor to NewExecutor, copies OldExecutor to Executor, and runs that original Executor. It then launches Data Backup and allows you to do your backup processing. When you Quit from Data Backup, DataBkup is still running (waiting for Data Backup to quit), and then DataBkup cleans up and finally quits. There can be as much as a 20-second delay after Data Backup quits, so be patient. Let DataBkup finish normally. That's important because DataBkup may place a .metadata_never_index file on your hard disk before it launches Data Backup, and then take it away after Data Backup quits. The idea is that if you are creating a clone backup, you want .metadata_never_index on the clone so that disk doesn't get touched by SpotLight every time you mount it, or regardless of which system you are using when you mount it.
One other important thing: the "Executor" that comes with DataBkup is a small shell-script that immediately exits when called. That's because "launchd" sees Executor in the StartupItems in the folder with the same name, so it launches it at startup. But the Executor that comes with Data Backup does I/O frequently, enough so that your hard disk doesn't get a chance to "sleep". So the DataBkup version of Executor satisfies "launchd", but exits and doesn't do any I/O. When you run the DataBkup.app, the dummy Executor is saved aside as NewExecutor, and OldExecutor (the original Executor) resumes its role as Executor. When started by DataBkup, it starts Executor (which launches ExecutorRunner which launches Executor.app), allowing Data Backup to function properly. Upon quitting Data Backup, DataBkup stops Executor (which stops Executor.app and ExecutorRunner) , and returns it to being OldExecutor, and moves NewExecutor back to be the dummy Executor again.
If you must restore from the clone, you simply boot from the clone. That's easy to do on Mac OS X 10.4 and above by holding down the Option key when you startup. Within a few seconds your choices of which volumes you can use as the Startup Disk will appear on your screen. Release the Option key, and use the Tab key to navigate the selections, and Return to make you choice. I then launch DataBkup on the clone and give DataBackup a new Backup Set (similar to the original Backup Set, but with Source and Target reversed). I can then clone the clone to another volume, especially a newly formatted hard disk just installed because your old hard disk died (and gave up its ghost). When you're done cloning back, you can restart from your (new) internal hard drive. Remember to remove the .metadata_never_index file on your internal drive if you want SpotLight to continue indexing it. That usually takes a "sudo rm -f /.metadata_never_index" command within Terminal (Terminal.app).
A few final things. DataBkup.app is built from the DataBkup.scpt that is included on the DataBkup.dmg. You may wish to modify this script in a few ways. You use the "Script Editor" to do that. Check to see what version of Data Backup you have installed. It is either called "DataBackup" or "Data Backup" (with a space). There are two folders on DataBkup.dmg called "DataBackup" and "Data.Backup" that correspond to your installed Data Backup version. Choose the DataBkup.scpt from the proper folder. There is a maximum-capacity test that compares the used space on the hard drive's boot volume (myUsed) to the capacity of the backup volume (myLimit). If myMount not specified, then myLimit is assumed to be 55GB. If myUsed >= myLimit then DataBkup won't allow Data Backup to run. That's a safety check. You can substitute any GB size you want up to the floor of the capacity of your target backup volume in myLimit. For example, I have 55.7 GB of usable capacity on my backup volumes, which is why I set this to 55. Look for the "set myLimit to 55 as integer" line. The other change might be to check for a particular mounted backup volume. There is a global variable called "myMount" that is set to null. You could set myMount to "Your Backup Volume Name". That way, when DataBkup runs, it checks that your backup volume is already mounted, and checks size limitations. The dialog that is raised when it is NOT mounted can be answered with "OK", meaning to continue anyway. Otherwise, Cancel to quit. If you make any changes to the DataBkup.scpt, be sure to Compile it, Save it, and then use "Save As..." to create an "application" with Run Only and no Startup Screen options. Replace your DataBkup.app with this new version.
Also included in the Attachment are a bash shell-script AND an applescript designed for uninstalling BOTH Data Backup 3.0.x AND 3.1.x on either Tiger or Leopard systems. The shell script also runs on Panther. The applescript can be read by Script Editor, Compiled, and Run directly from inside Script Editor. The shell-script can be "executed" in Terminal.app, once it has been changed to be executable (chmod 777 databackup.uninstaller.txt). If you installed my DataBkup, you can Trash it to eliminate it, but you should also uninstall Data Backup with one of these uninstallers.