Archive:User Manual 3.6

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Icon archived docs.png THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED
SEP AG has discontinued support for obsolete SEP sesam versions. Instructions are still available for these SEP sesam products, however, SEP AG accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies in the instructions or for the incorrect operation of obsolete SEP sesam software. It is strongly recommended that you update your SEP sesam software to the latest version. For the latest version of SEP sesam documentation, see documentation home.

Copyright 2009 by SEP AG. All rights reserved.

Any form of reproduction of the contents, in part or in total, is restricted by copyright. Any use hereof must be granted in writing by SEP AG. During compilation of this documentation SEP AG and its employees used their best effort and diligence to illustrate the functionality of SEP sesam backup software, its utilities and its interaction with other third party software products. However, SEP AG does not guarantee that all information contained herein is free of errors or omissions.

Hint

This user manual describes the SEP sesam features. Some of these features may be restricted by the license agreement between SEP AG and the customer. In addition, some features may be limited by the backup strategy implemented at the customer's site. The limitations may be removed or overcome by purchasing additional licenses or by changing the actual backup architecture. Please contact your distributor or http://www.sepsoftware.com at sales@sep.de for further information.

For a printable version, please click here

Introduction

Welcome to SEP sesam

SEP sesam | Backup - Restore - Disaster Recovery

The SEP sesam backup solution has been specifically designed for Server/Client environments. From a single data server to large, complex heterogeneous data centers with very large data bases and scalable Storage Area Networks (SAN), SEP sesam provides consistent, accurate, reliable and efficient backup and recovery of enterprise critical data. The modular design means that SEP sesam is perfectly adaptable for all companies, regardless of size or backup strategy from centralized to decentralized backup strategies.

To allow backup of large amounts of data in the shortest amount of time SEP sesam offers true, multi-stream/multiplexed backup. From five (5) data streams with our Standard Server offering and up to 64 data streams with the Advance Server license. Opening up multiple streams for backups minimizes the amount of system resources for both planned and unplanned data backup tasks.

Online modules for all popular database and groupware solutions offer the ability to back up while the applications are active, providing the highest data availability possible. Restores are also possible while the applications are running, including the ability to restore single mail boxes and single mail files.

SEP sesam uses extremely efficient, patented algorithms. Their implementation requires only limited processor overhead, and combined with our high transfer rates (over 400GB/hr) we deliver some, if not the best, performance in the industry. SEP sesam is platform agnostic, it runs exactly the same on Linux, Unix or Microsoft. The platform independent GUI allows backup and restore in the Network, or remotely via WAN, VPN, etc.

SEP sesam supports all standard backup devices, disk, tape, tape autoloaders, tape libraries. SEP sesam delivers Virtual Tape Libraries (VTL) as a standard component of the base product. Using economical, high-performance disk drives SEP sesam delivers a lasting, sustainable solution for the backup and recovery of enterprise critical data. Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape (D2D2T) functionality delivers further enduring security for maximum performance by backup and restore.

Overview

SEP sesam is an automatic data backup solution for heterogeneous computing environments. All standard tape drives, disk drives and auto loading devices are supported and can be used for backup. In order to easily and effectively configure your backup topology, a design based on the following six basic components was chosen.

Drive
Local or remote storage device
Loader
Robot loading the media from/to the drive
Client
Computer from which the data is backed up
Media
Repository for the saved Data
Task
Description of a Backup or Restore
Event
Start time of different activities

Additional Features:

  • Backup Server on Linux (including Novell OES), Windows, freeBSD und Unix
  • Clients for Linux, Windows, many UNIX derivatives, NetWare (Client free support) and VMS
  • Fast and easy installation on standard O/S configurations. Less than one minute on SUSE and RedHat!
  • SEP sesam creates a test backup and restore upon installation to verify system is running
  • JAVA based graphical user interface. (GUI)Master GUI design provides full access to clients and servers
  • Support for all automated tape drives or autoloaders
  • Full, Differential, Incremental and Copy (for off-site storage) backups are possible
  • Scheduled backups using user/administrator selected events
  • Media administration and setup via GUI or Master GUI. Allows flexible media strategy and easy task selection.
  • Powerful scheduling tool
  • SEP NEWDAY allows backups to record on the same calendar day, ie. backups started on Friday and finishing on Monday before 8 am can have the same backup day
  • event control can be used for any external applications
  • Scheduler allows development of flexible media strategies to avoid delays and missed backups
  • Selection of optimal data paths throughout the network
  • User configurable Command Line interfaces (Alarm, Pre/Post, Notify, Disaster, etc.)
  • Fast data restore via effective administration of the backup save sets and implementation of well-designed search algorithms
  • Full and selective restore to the original paths or in newly-created directories with or without preserving the original path structure
  • On-line modules for database backup DB2, Informix, Ingres, MS SQL, mySQL, ORACLE, SAP R/3 and others are available performing backup without stopping the database
  • Optimized tape backup using parallel backup streams for multiple clients; sesam Multiplex Streaming allows up to 64 continuous backup data streams
  • Migrate from save sets on disk to tape; DISK-to-DISK-to-TAPE

Principle of SEP sesam

The SEP sesam principle takes into account the interaction of each component of a data backup, server, client, data store (local attached disk, NAS, SAN, USB (note: USB drives should be avoided whenever possible due to their low reliability) disk drives, tapes drives, networks, firewalls, etc. After the installation of a SEP sesam server the System Administrator has full control to set up the software to fit the backup environment. This user must setup of the storage hardware, the configuration of the drive groups and drives and the initialization of media pools with the corresponding physical and/or virtual media has to be accomplished. This overriding design principle gives the administrator the ability to create a backup environment uniquely applicable to the user environment. Flexibility, Performance, Data Availability and Security are the foundations that set the framework for SEP sesam.

The SEP philosophy: Backup all the data required in the shortest possible time, secure it in the safest manner possible, restore it in the shortest window of time. Allow for recovery from an inadvertent file deletion to a full system disaster. One tool for all environments. A tall order - SEP delivers.


Sesam-Philosophy en.png


The red arrows from the media pool to the right (see figure above) shows the direct relationship of the media pools to a drive group. To that drive group, 1-N drives are assigned. Next the storage media (tapes, virtual disk media, removable media etc.) can be assigned to the appropriate media pool. The media pool is used to assign the BACKUP LOCATION. The data source is directly related to a task. By specifying the data source you determine WHAT should be backed up, nothing more. The SEP sesam SEPuler or scheduler connects the media pool to the data. This scheduled timetable specifies WHEN something should be backed up, where the data will be stored and for how long. The final choice is the type of backup to be performed. Let's call it HOW we will backup (e.g. Full, Diff, Inc backups) and we define WHERETO (Media Pool) the backup should take place. All reside in the SEPuler, the heart of the backup environment.

After installing SEP sesam it is recommended to proceed the basic configuration in the following order:

  1. Create the clients. Install client software on target computers to be backed up along with any online modules required.
  2. Define tasks (WHAT should be backed up).
  3. Define timetables (WHEN the backup takes place).
  4. Link the timetable with an event (WHAT will be backed up WHERETO and HOW).


Grouping of SEP sesam Components

Media Strategy

The SEPuler - an event calendar

The Backup

The Restore

Duplication and Migration

Storage Time Limit, Media Cycle

Basic Configuration

This is a step-by-step description how to configure SEP sesam to perform a simple data backup using the components described above. The detailed description of the interface elements can be found below.

Step 1: Locations

Step 2: Clients

Step 3: Storage Hardware - Drives and Loaders

Step 4: Media - Data Carriers

Step 5: Tasks - Select what you want to backup

Step 6: Schedules

Step 7: Starting a Backup

Directory structure of SEP sesam software

A detailed description of the different Sesam directories can be found in the Sesam Administration Guide.

The SEP sesam Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Components

Komponenten en.jpg


Topology

Loaders

Drives

Media pools

Media

Tasks

The tasks tab allows the user to set events for backups, restores and migration of data. For administration there are three tiers of operators: by Client, By Group and Backup Plan (Tree structure is on the left side).

Auftraege en.jpg


By Clients

By Groups

Backup Plans

Migration Tasks

Scheduling

The chapter SEPuler describes Time Management within SEP sesam. Here is a discussion of the user interface for backup schedules, events and calendar attributes with in SEP sesam.


Zeitplanung en.jpg


Schedules

Events

Calendar Sheet

Job State

Jobstatus en 3.6.jpg


Backups are an integral part of the Sesam Information System. Only "completed" backups are displayed, along with a multitude of display, information and filtering possibilities are offered.

Backups by State

Restores by State

Migrations by State

Media Actions

Monitoring

Monitoring shows all running processes/daemons as well as the status of all running disk drives.


Monitoring en.jpg


Processes

Drives

Logging

Protokolle en.jpg


Sesam creates two protocols or log files for each backup day, the status file and the day protocol. This information is stored as files in <SESAM ROOT>/var/prot . It can be utilized for other tasks and can be transmitted in print, email or web forms if desired by using post commands to transmit data for reporting and control if desired.


Caution: A backup day is framed by two NEWDAY events.

The selection of time interval enables restrictions to output. Start this by clicking the Show button.

State

Daily Protocol

Menu Bar and Tool Bar

Menueleiste en.jpg


In the menu bar you can find the menus File, Activities, Configuration, Window and Help. Below the menu bar you will find a toolbar for easy access to these important elements:

In addition, other buttons can be added dynamically, e.g.

  • cyclical Show-Updates for "Job Status" Working Window (e.g. "Job Status->Backups").


File

Activities

Configuration

Window

Help

Appendix

Exclude with Regular Expressions

Exclude with File Patterns