5 2 0:Adding a New Client

Welcome to the latest SEP sesam documentation version 5.2.0 Artemis. For previous documentation version(s), check documentation archive.

Overview

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In SEP sesam, a client refers to any system or computer that is part of the backup environment. A SEP sesam client can be added to the SEP sesam Server either before or after installing the SEP sesam Client package on the target system.

Clients are organized into locations, which help categorize and manage them based on various criteria, such as operating system, data type, physical location, or other properties. The Clients view in SEP sesam provides a comprehensive list of all configured systems, including SEP sesam Clients, Server, RDS, and other components. It displays key information like assigned location, operating system, access mode, and the installed SEP sesam version.

When adding a new client, you have to define its platform. Based on this selection, additional settings become available and can be configured. The Platform option is only available during the initial client configuration. Once configured, platform-specific tabs appear in the client’s properties, allowing you to modify additional settings. After the initial configuration, the platform can no longer be changed.

For environments using hypervisors with multiple virtual machines (VMs), SEP sesam simplifies client management. Instead of manually adding and configuring each VM, SEP sesam can automatically discover and add VMs as clients, saving time and reducing effort. For more details, see Automatic generation of VM clients.

Add a client

A client can be added using either the GUI or the Web UI. In the Web UI, a new client can be created as part of the backup task configuration procedure, allowing you to define and add the client while setting up a backup task. For more details, refer to Creating a backup task - Client selection window.

To add a new client in the GUI, follow these steps:

In the GUI, go to Main selection -> Components -> Clients, select the desired location (default location is LOCAL), and then click New client.
In the drop-down lists select the Platform and Operating system of the client and define the settings and options as required. For detailed explanations of the available options, refer to section Client options. Then click OK to complete the initial configuration and add the new client.
Optionally, configure the additional settings in the platform-specific tab that is available for configured clients.

In Web UI, you can monitor the status of your clients using the available dashboard widgets. Additionally, the Clients view provides quick access to a list of clients that may require your attention.

Client options

When creating or modifying a client, the following options are available to customize its settings and behavior.

Client tab

Client

Name or IPv4 Address	Enter the network host name of the client computer that uniquely identifies the client in the SEP sesam environment. The name must be resolvable either through DNS or the `/etc/hosts` file.
Location	Select the location for this client, which is a logical grouping of clients based on various criteria. Each client must be assigned to a location. The default location is "LOCAL".
Virtual machine	Select this checkbox to identify the client as a virtual machine (VM) in a virtual environment. If selected, additional parameters must be specified, including the Virtualization server name and Virtual machine name, which are used to accurately identify and manage the VM in SEP sesam.
With SEP sesam client installed	This option indicates whether the SEP sesam software is installed on the machine.
Virtualization server name	Select the virtualization server where this VM is located. The list shows all virtualization servers configured in SEP sesam.
Virtual machine name	Select the VM that corresponds to this client. The list shows all VMs discovered on the virtualization server by the REST server. The list is refreshed every 10 minutes (this interval can be customized using the database key `gui.buffer.refresh_time_in_seconds`).
Platform	Select the platform of the client. The selected platform determines which additional options for specific access parameters are displayed. This option is only available during the initial configuration of a new client and cannot be changed later.
Operating system	Select the operating system of your client. The list includes all OS types and versions supported by SEP sesam and is filtered based on the selected platform.
Virtualization server	Select this checkbox to identify the client as a virtualization server. If selected, Virtualization server type must also be specified.
Virtualization server type	Select the type of virtualization server. The list includes all virtualization system types supported by SEP sesam.
Access mode	Select the access mode for communication between the SEP sesam Client and the SEP sesam Server. See also Access Modes.
Notes	Add any comments or information related to the client.
Interfaces	This option defines the client network settings for backup. SEP sesam automatically configures the default interfaces for HTTP and HTTPS protocols based on the client hostname. Edit this field only if you are configuring a SEP sesam Server or Remote Device Server (RDS). If an alternative network is available, you can enter the resolvable and modified DNS names of additional network cards for this system, each on a new line. All network cards must be recognized by DNS, otherwise, connections to the SEP sesam Server or RDS may fail. You can set the network protocols for data transfer using the common prefixes: `http://` (default), or `https://` . For each protocol, add a corresponding interface (for example, `http://<hostname>:11000`, or `https://<hostname>:11088`). Additionally, you can define a default interface for a drive group by navigating to Main Selection -> Components -> Drives. All events without a specified interface that utilize the drives in this group will default to the selected interface.
Do not update this client	Select this option to exclude this client from receiving updates. When this option is checked, it applies to all types of updates, including service packs and other software packages. See also Updating clients.
Execution off	Select this option to exclude this client from backup for technical or other reasons. The client will not be backed up until it is unlocked, even if a backup is scheduled.

Screenshots

Options tab

By default, SEP sesam uses random ports assigned by the operating system for its data connections. However, if you need to back up a client behind a firewall, you must manually define the ports. The available options will depend on the client type. See also List of Ports Used by SEP sesam.

Options

Access options	By default, SEP sesam uses port 11301 for communication. To change this, enter a reachable communication port for the backup client (for example, `-p 17301`). The selected port will be stored in the `sm.ini` file of the client.
STPD options	Optionally, set the communication port for secure data transfer between the backup client and the SEP sesam Server. Note that each parallel backup requires two ports, for example, three simultaneous backups on the backup client use ports 11002-11007. If HTTP protocol is used for data transfer (SEP sesam Server interface is `http://<SEP sesam server>:11000`), TCP port 11000 is used.
Listen port	The default STPD listen port for Remote Device Servers (including the SEP sesam Server) is 11001. To change this, enter a different TCP port for the STPD service. This is required if you are using the TCP port other than default (in `sm.ini` or `stpd.ini`) for SEP Si3 source-side deduplication.
Use WOL (Wake on LAN)	Select this option to enable Wake-on-LAN (WOL) on Windows clients, which allows remote startup of this client. When the backup task is started, the SEP sesam Server sends the WOL signal and starts up the computer before backup. See also WOL - wake-on LAN of a SEP sesam Client.
MAC address	Specify the MAC address of the Network Interface Card (NIC) to be used for Wake-on-LAN option.

Screenshots

OS Access tab

When configuring a client, you can either use a credential set configured for a location (applying to all clients in that location) or specify credentials for the individual client. You must set up an administrator account for either the location or the client. If both are specified, the credentials set for the client take precedence over those set for the location.

The credentials are used for tasks such as remote installations or accessing network resources during backup operations. You can choose to use either a local Administrator account (HOST\USER) or a domain Administrator account (DOMAIN\USER).

The OS Access tab enables you to set the required credentials for the clients in that location. For more information, see also Managing Credential Sets.

OS Access

Credential set	Select the credential set with appropriate user rights for accessing the client. In case the required credentials are not already configured, you can create a new credential set. For details, see Managing Credential Sets.
User	The username in the format DOMAIN\USER for domain accounts or HOST\USER for local accounts.
Password	Password for the selected user account.
Verify password	Repeated password for the selected user account.

Screenshots

Additional tabs

The Permissions tab allows you to set the required SEP sesam permissions (ACLs) for your client. Access Control Lists (ACLs) define the actions that specific users or user groups can perform on a client. For details, see Using Access Control Lists.

Screenshots

Platform-specific tabs are available when configuring clients backed up by specific task type. For example, if you are configuring vCenter Server as a SEP sesam Client, you need to specify the vCenter credentials with the highest administrator privileges and select the appropriate data mover. For more information on available settings for clients with specific task types, see the corresponding articles under Extensions.

Screenshots