5 2 0:Standard Backup Procedure
Overview
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A backup task defines the scope of the backup. You can select which data to back up, and which data you want to exclude from a backup, you can set backup options and follow-up actions.
A backup task can be executed with the option Immediate start as a standalone, non-recurring instance, or it can be linked to a schedule with a backup event for regular or repeated execution. You can create multiple backup events across different schedules, each event with customized parameters and configurations.
Backup tasks can be added into backup task groups. Task groups provide the ability to combine multiple backup tasks into a single entity, which can be configured and scheduled with a single backup event.
You can simplify the backup of multiple VMs by automatically creating tasks for VMs that are connected to the same host; you can also automatically create clients for VMs to which the created tasks and ACLs can be assigned. It is recommended to use these features when a new hypervisor is added and many new VMs need to be backed up. For details, see Automating Backup Process.
You can browse your backup tasks by clients, or by groups.
Create a backup task
A backup task can be created in Web UI or in GUI. Most backup options are available in the Web UI. However, if the option you need is not available, use the GUI to create the task.
To create a backup task in Web UI, in the navigation menu select Backup Strategy -> Backup Tasks, and then click New backup task. Alternatively, you can select Assistants, and then click Backup Configuration. This opens the Backup Configuration Assistant that will guide you through a series of steps to configure the backup task.
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Note |
| The backup procedure described in this article applies to the task type Local File System (Path backup). For other task types (for example, VMware, Oracle, MS Exchange, etc.), refer to the corresponding articles for that system under SEP sesam Extensions. |
Client selection
In the Client selection window, you can choose the client you want to back up. You can either select an existing client from the drop-down list or create a new one.
To create a new client, click Create new backup client and configure the required options. For detailed descriptions of the available options, see Create new backup client options below.
Create new backup client options
| Type of client | You can select the type of client you want to add:
The available configuration options will vary depending on the selected client type. |
| Physical backup client | |
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| Name of the backup client (hostname, FQDN, IP) | Enter the name of the backup client. This can be the hostname, fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or IP address of the client. |
| Location | Select the location from the drop-down list. Location represents a group of clients based on various criteria (operating system, data type, geographical location...), providing a clear structure for managing clients in complex environments. See also Managing Locations. |
| Platform | Select the platform type of the client from the drop-down list. For certain platforms, you must specify the operating system to further define the client. |
| Operating system | Select the operating system of the client from the drop-down list. This option is not available for all platforms. |
| Do not update this client | Select this option to exclude the client from automatic updates. This applies to all updates, including service packs and other software packages. If enabled, you must update this client manually. |
| Notes | Add any comments or information related to the backup client. |
| Client access options | (NetWare only) Enter the account name and password required to access the NetWare client. |
| Virtual client In addition to the options available for physical backup clients, the following options are also available for virtual clients. | |
| Virtualization server | Select the virtualization server that hosts this client. |
| Name of virtual machine | SEP sesam scans the selected virtualization server to generate a list of available virtual machines (VMs). From the drop-down list, select the VM you want to add as a backup client. |
| Name or IPv4-Address | Specify the name or IPv4 address of the selected virtual machine. This information is used to identify and establish a connection to the virtual backup client. |
| Virtualization server In addition to the options Location and Notes, available for physical backup clients, the following options are available for virtualization server clients. | |
| Type of virtualization server | Select the type of virtualization server from the drop-down list. This option defines the virtualization technology used to host the virtual machines. |
| Name of virtualization server | Specify the name of the virtualization server to identify it and establish a connection. |
| Virtualization server access options | If required by the selected virtualization type, specify the account name and password needed to access the virtualization server. For certain virtualization types, you must also select a data mover, which provides access to the server if it cannot be reached directly from the SEP Sesam Server or RDS. See also SEP sesam DataMover. |
Screenshots
Task type selection
In the Task type selection window, all available task types for the selected client are displayed. Select the task type you want to configure. Note that the settings and available options will vary depending on the selected task type and client configuration.
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Configuration
In the Configuration window, you can define the scope of the backup by selecting which files and directories to include or exclude. Use the Browse file system button to access and navigate the file system of the client, which enables you to select the specific directories and files you want to back up.
For detailed descriptions of the available options, see Configuration options below.
Configuration options
| Source Path | If you want to back up individual files, you can either browse for directories and files to include in the backup or enter them manually. This field displays the items selected for backup. To manually specify items, enter the file system path of each directory or file, separated by a comma (e.g., C:/Program Files/SEPsesam/var/db,C:\Users\AA\Documents\references).
If the list of files or directories exceeds the allowed length of 1024 characters, it is recommended to create a separate file that contains the list of sources and reference it using the -f switch in the Backup options field. See How do I include a large number of files/folders for backup? |
| Excluded files/directories | Optionally, specify filenames or patterns you want to exclude from the backup. For details on various exclusion options, see Creating Exclude List.
If the list of files or directories exceeds 1024 characters, create a separate file containing the exclude list, as described in How can I specify a longer exclude list? |
| Task Name | Enter a name for the backup task or click Regenerate task name to create a name in the format <client>_<task type>__<source path>. If you select the source by browsing, a task name is generated automatically. |
| Notes | Add any comments or information related to the backup task. |
| Show advanced options step | Select this option if you want to configure additional backup options. |
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Advanced options
In the Advanced Options window, you can define additional settings for the backup. This section describes all advanced options available for the task type Local File System (Path backup). Note that the available options may vary depending on the operating system of the selected client.
Advanced options
| OS specific options | |
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| Encryption | Select this option to enable encryption for this bckup task. The supported encryption algorithms are AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit and Blowfish (bf64). Data is encrypted before being transferred over the network and stored in the saveset. Note that encrypted savesets cannot be browsed, and single file restore is not possible.
To encrypt the savesets, you must define an encryption password (key). The encryption password must be no longer than 28 characters and cannot contain spaces or special characters (such as underscores, hyphens, etc.). Encrypted savesets cannot be restored without this key. You can enable option Save password for restore to store the encryption key in the SEP sesam database, where it is also encrypted and automatically used during restore. If the key is not stored in the SEP sesam, you will be prompted to enter it manually before starting the restore process. If you change the encryption key, all backups created after the change will use the new key. If the encryption key is not stored in the SEP sesam database, you will need to provide the corresponding password (either the new or the old one, depending on the backup) when restoring the data. |
| Descend directories on other filesystems | (Linux only) Enable this option if you want the backup to include directories that are mounted from other file systems (e.g., different partitions or devices). These directories are accessed through mount points or symbolic links in the main file system. |
| Do not report modified files as error | (Linux only) If frequent file changes are expected, you can enable this option to prevent reporting errors for files that have been modified or deleted during backup. |
| Backup with LVM | (Linux only) Enable this option to ensure consistent backups of open files on Linux by using snapshots with the Logical Volume Manager (LVM). This allows backups to be taken without interrupting file system operations. For details, see SEP sesam Logical Volume Manager (LVM) for Linux. |
| Save data mounted by NFS | (Linux only) Enable this option to include and back up remote files from mount points located on other host systems, accessed via NFS. |
| Backup with VSS | (Windows only) Enabled by default, this option allows backing up running application using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Although you can disable this option, it is not recommended, as it may lead to inconsistent backup data or corrupted files. See also SEP sesam Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) for Windows. |
| Compression | (Windows only) Enable this option to compress data within savesets, reducing storage requirements. SEP sesam provides software compression for backup tasks and 'Path' data stores. Hardware compression on tape devices (if available), is enabled by default and cannot be used simultaneously with software compression.
On Linux, compression is not supported due to the use of the CPIO archive format, which requires the size of each item to be known in advance and stored in the CPIO file header. |
| Pre/Post Interface settings | |
| Pre/post interfaces run on the selected client and enable performing additional actions before or after backup and restore (see also SEP sesam Interfaces). For restore, pre and post options can also be set in the Restore Assistant. | |
| Execute pre script | Enable this option to run the commands from the pre interface. |
| Start backup/restore despite pre script error | Typically, the backup or restore will not start if the pre commands are not successful. By selecting this option, the backup/restore will ignore the pre command errors. |
| Execute post script | Enable this option to run the commands from the post interface. |
| Execute post script despite backup/restore error | Enable this option to force the execution of post commands even if the backup/restore did not finish successfully. |
| Additional call arguments | |
| For restore, additional options can also be configured in the Restore Assistant. If these options are set in both the backup and restore tasks, the options in the restore task will take precedence. | |
| Backup options | You can define additional options for the sbc command, which will be performed during backup on the target client system. For details, see SBC CLI. |
| Backup options on server side | You can define additional options for the sbc command, which will be performed on the SEP sesam Server. |
| Restore options | You can define additional options for the sbc command, which will be performed during restore on the target client system. |
| Restore options on server side | You can define additional options for the sbc command, which will be performed on the SEP sesam Server. |
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Type of scheduling
In the Type of scheduling window, you can choose whether and how to schedule the task. You can add the task to a backup group (scheduled or unscheduled), schedule it as a standalone task, or skip the scheduling step entirely. The selected option determines the next step in the procedure:
- Add task to a backup group: Select this option to include the task in a backup group. The next step is Backup group configuration, where you can add the task to an existing group or create and schedule a new backup group.
- Schedule the task directly: Select this option to schedule the task independently. The next step is Schedule task, where you can link the task to a schedule by creating a backup event. You can create multiple events if you want to assign the task to more than one schedule.
- Do not schedule the task: Select this option to skip scheduling. The next step is Confirmation, where you can review and save your task. The task will not run automatically but can be executed on demand using the Immediate Start option.
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| In the Web UI, it is not yet possible to create a new schedule. To schedule a task or a backup group, you can either use an existing schedule or create a new schedule in the GUI. |
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Backup group configuration
In the Backup group configuration window, you can add the task to a backup group. Use the drop-down list to select an existing backup group. By default, only scheduled groups are shown in the list. To display unscheduled groups as well, enable the option Also show unscheduled groups (expert option).
You can also create and schedule a new backup group. Click Create new backup group and configure the required options. For detailed descriptions of the available options, see Create new backup group options below.
Create new backup group options
| Backup task group name | Enter the name for the new backup group. |
| Notes | Add any comments or information related to the backup group. |
| Scheduled execution | |
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| Link the backup group to a schedule by creating a backup event. You can create multiple events if you want to assign the group to more than one schedule. To create additional backup events, click the button with the '+' icon. To delete an event, click the 'bin' icon. Note that you have to create at least one event. | |
| Schedule | Select the schedule you want to use. |
| Backup Level | Select the backup level you want to perform. For details, see Backup Levels. |
| Media Pool | Select the target media pool to which the data will be backed up. |
| Follow-up migration | Optionally, you can select a migration or replication task to initiate migration or replication after a backup event is completed. Note that if you also configure a follow-up event, the migration task will be executed first, followed by the configured follow-up task. |
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Schedule task (backup event configuration)
In the Schedule task window, you can link the task to a schedule by creating a backup event. You can create multiple events if you want to assign the task to more than one schedule.
Create new backup group options
| Scheduled execution | |
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| Link the backup task to a schedule by creating a backup event. You can create multiple events if you want to assign the task to more than one schedule. To create additional backup events, click the button with the '+' icon. To delete an event, click the 'bin' icon. Note that you have to create at least one event. | |
| Schedule | Select the schedule you want to use. |
| Backup Level | Select the backup level you want to perform. For details, see Backup Levels. |
| Media Pool | Select the target media pool to which the data will be backed up. |
| Follow-up migration | Optionally, you can select a migration or replication task to initiate migration or replication after a backup event is completed. Note that if you also configure a follow-up event, the migration task will be executed first, followed by the configured follow-up task. |
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Confirmation
In the Confirmation window, a summary of the selected settings and options for the backup task is displayed for your review. Click Create to create the task and, if applicable, the new client and backup group.
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Finish
In the Finish window, the results of the save operations are displayed. You can either close the window or select one of the following options:
- Immediate Start: Select the target media pool and click Immediate Start to run the task directly.
- Create another task: Restart the Backup Configuration Assistant to create another backup task.
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See also
Adding a Task to the Task Group – Creating Exclude List – Follow-up events – Automating Backup Process – SEP sesam Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) for Windows – HSM-aware Backup for Windows – SEP sesam Logical Volume Manager (LVM) for Linux – Backup Strategy Best Practices – Web Restore Assistant