RESTORE-DC (Data Center) User Manual - Page 3

5 Managing Backups / Snapshots

Overview

Lets face it: Sometimes things go wrong. But thats what Restore is here for. Whether your server suffered a security breach and everything is missing, or you simply want to see what your big presentation looked like last week before you completely re-did it. Restore can help you recover from those big (and not so big) disasters. In this chapter we will discuss such things as how to run a backup, modify it, and restore your files.

5.1 Manually Running a backup

From the Main Restore Dashboard (Figure 5.1), you will see a list of all the filestores you have created. Click on the corresponding filestore you wish to back up. You will see a screen that has a Snapshots, Restore Data, Console, Settings, Permissions, and Schedule Tab. To start your backup, click on the blue arrow to the right of the page to start it immediately.

Figure 5.1 - Filestores Settings

Yes, it really is that simple. With one click, your files are backup up to the Restore system. Can it get any easier? You bet! How about backups starting automatically with virtually any frequency you like?

5.2 Scheduling Backups to Run Automatically

Manually starting backups is great for when you're about to make a major change to yoru system and want protection just in case something goes wrong. But who wants to remember to start one at 4:59 PM every day? That's where scheduling comes in. Restore has 2 different modes in which you can schedule your backups to run. Simple Scheduling and the hour in which to start it. allows you to select the day(s) you want your Filestore to be backed up. Advanced Scheduling allows you to set up extremely complex rules about when to run backups. To set any of these schedules, click on the "Schedule" tab from Figure 1 and you will be take to a screen where you will set up your schedule. (Figure 5.2) Click the + sign next to Snapshot Schedules and create either a Simple or Advanced Schedule.

Figure 5.2 - Schedule

Simple Scheduling
Select on the days you wish your Filestore to be backed up by clicking them. To select multiple days, hold down the CTRL key while selecting. From the drop down, select the hour you wish your schedule to start (see Figure 5.3).

Figure 5.3

Advanced Scheduling
RESTORE utilizes a standard cron syntax for advanced backup scheduling. While RESTORE does allow for simple scheduling, the cron syntax allows for endless possible schedules and gives you more flexibility than most basic scheduling algorithms.

An Example of different expressions in the "hour" field using CRON (Figure 5.4):

Figure 5.4

Name your schedule and hit create. You may then set up a Revision Retention Schedule which we will cover next.
Need to put Revision Retention Info Here

5.3 Checking the status of a backup

It's easy to check on the status of a backup that you are running. Simply click on the "Console" button up in the tool bar of Figure 5.1.This will list for you the current status of the snapshot you have chosen to view. Keep in mind, though, that frequent backups will take place very quickly, and its possible it may be complete before you are even able to click the "Console" button. To Confirm that your backup ran, check the time under the "Snapshots" tab for the correlating filestore.

5.4 Modifying Filestores

One of the new features of RESTORE 4 is the ability to edit your Filestore after you have created it. Lets say the password has changed on the remote machine or you have added a directory that needs to be included in the backup, maybe the IP address of server has changed, or you decide you want to completely rename your Filestore. With a few simple clicks, you can edit any of those things . From Figure 5.1 above, click on the "Settings" tab and it will bring you to a page where you can edit your Filestore. (Figure 5.5)

Figure 5.5 - Edit Filestore

To change the name of a Filestore, simply enter a new name for it and click the "Update" button. The next section enables you to change the IP if need be as well as the username you want to use for the backup. In this example, ssh is used as the protocol and you can install a new Public Key if it changes. Below that, is the option to change the password of the user that you are using to backup. On the right hand side of the screen, you can include or exclude any file or directory in your backup. When you are finished, hit the Update button.

5.5 Restoring Files

This is what its all about, right? Brining back what was once lost. We sincerely hope you never have to use this functionality of Restore, but we also hope you'll enjoy the confidence of knowing its there just in case.

To Restore a file, from the Filestore Dashboard, click on the "Restore Data" tab. This will bring up the hierarchy of files that are backed up by that Filestore. In much the same way as you selected the files when you set the Filestore up, select the files you wish to restore. Also notice that at the top of the screen, there is a drop down menu labled "Choose a Point in time". (Figure 5.6) Just drop down and choose the most recent snapshot form before your files were damaged or lost.

Figure 5.6 - Restore Files

When you've selected the files you want to restore and the point in time you would like to restore them from, click the "Restore" button on the right side of the page. Upon clicking the Restore button (Figure 5.7), you will have three options to choose from on how to restore the files.

Figure 5.7 - Restore Options

• The first option, Restore files to original location, will restore the files back to exactly the place they were on the original machine.
  NOTE: If some of these files have been modified on the host computer, Restore may overwrite them with the copy being restored, so use this option with caution.
• The Second option, Restore to original machine in subdirectory, will restore the files to the original machine they came from in a newly-create directory, the name of which you supply in the text field. This is probably a safer method than number one as it prevents the overwriting of existing files, allowing you to later go into the host machine and place the files exactly where you wish.
• The Third option, Download as a ZIP file, will bundle your requested files into a ZIP file and download them to the computer you are using. Note that this does not necessarily have to be the computer from which the files were backed up.

5.6 Deleting a Filestore

If the time has come that a particular Filestore has become unnecessary, you can remove it. On your Filestore Dashboard, you can click on the "Trash" icon (next to the start snapshot button). This will take you to a screen asking you to confirm that you really want to delete the Filestore.

NOTE: Once you delete a Filestore, it is gone permanently. There is no way to bring back either the entry in Restore or the actual files.

NOTE: Upon confirming the removal of a Filestore, you will be returned to the Restore Filestores Main page. The Filestore you just deleted may still be listed. This is nothing to be concerned about. It will disappear in a moment after it has finished removing all the archived files.

6 Managing Permissions

Overview

Whenever you have a massive amount of critical data in one location, security becomes a concern. This is where Restore's ownership and permissions come in. They enable your users to manage their own backups while still keeping their data safe from prying eyes.

6.1 Permissions

Restore handles access to Filestores through the use of groups and roles. As the admin user, you have full rights to every Filestore. Each particular Filestore has the option to change the owner of the Filestore or add roles to it. By adding roles to a Filestore, you are giving either individual users or groups access to it. To get started setting up permissions, click on the Filestore and choose the "Permissions" tab. (Figure 6.1)

Figure 6.1 - Permissions Tab

6.2 Groups

A group of users may be created by the administrator. A group may be give "group permissions", either Read, Read/Write, or Admin. This means that the group permission on that Filestore relates specifically to that group. For example, if Joe and Bob do not own the target, but need read and wright permissions to that Filestore, the administrator can create a group (Chapter 2.3) called "Test Group" and add Joe and Bob to the group. Then, the administrator can grant the group "Test Group" Read/Write permissions and both Joe and Bob will be able to access the Target accordingly. This is done using "Roles" which we will cover in the next section.

6.3 Ownership / Roles

A user can also display ownership of a Filestore. In fact, any time a user creates a Filestore, they are automatically granted ownership of the Filestore. With ownership comes full read, write, and execute permissions on that Filestore. The owner may reassign ownership of the Filestore to another user by selecting a new owner from using the "Target Owner" drop down shown in Figure 6.1. The administrator is also able to reassign ownership using the same method.

Roles are used to assign groups or individual users access to the Filestore. By clicking the + symbol next to roles, you can assign additional roles to users and groups. (Figure 6.2)

Figure 6.2 - Roles

On the "Account" drop down, you may choose either any user or group you have created that need to have rights to the Target. On the next drop down, "Permission", You have the ability to grant Read, Read and Write, or Full Admin privileges. Once you are done, click the create button.

NOTE: At anytime you need to remove a role. You will see a "remove" link next to the role you have created.

7 User Preferences

Overview

You've seen how Restore can be customized to your precise needs. Now we'll take a quick look at how it can be customized to your preferences.

7.1 Setting Preferences

Restore allows you at anytime to set preferences such as changing your password, setting email alerts, and to display the home page at startup. (Figure7.1) To access this, choose the "Preferences" on the main toolbar that is displayed at the top of every page you go to.

Figure 7.1 - Preferences

7.2 Changing Information

Once you are in the Preferences screen, you can edit your First, Last name by typing it into the fields. To change your password, simply type your new one in the fields, (Be sure to type the same password in both fields, Password and Confirm Password).

Restore is able to send you regularly scheduled reporst about the status of your Filestores. In order to have these notifications sent, place a check mark in the according box. Once you are finished updating your preferences, click the "Update" button and you will be notified that your preferences have been updated.

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Created by: Dan Russell and Vivian Souza