Configuring bare-metal or ShadowProtect backup

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    Bare-metal cloud backup

    Bare-metal cloud backup involves the following:

    • OBRM

      Allows for direct backup to the cloud for files, Exchange and SQL databases.

    • Bare-metal Backup

      In a partnership with build StorageCraft, bare-metal backup capabilities are provided via ShadowProtect, a backup tool that allows users to schedule bare-metal backup jobs for multiple or individual system volumes to on network storage devices (USB, eSATA, NAS).

      For more information and help articles in using ShadowProtect, please visit StorageCraft Knowledge Base.

    • Dashboard

    A web interface wherein the customers can centrally manage, monitor and report on their backups.

    ShadowProtect is an agent-based bare-metal backup tool that allows users to schedule backups allowing for a full system or volume recovery in a short amount of time.

    We recommend that this is used to protect critical systems to an on a network location and then use the OBRM to upload those bare-metal files to the cloud for further coverage in the event of a disaster.

    ShadowProtect integrates directly with Oracle VirtualBox to allow for a one-click boot recovery into a virtual machine. This is terrific for test recoveries and emergency recovery, but not ideal for long-term production.

    ShadowProtect also features a one-click virtual volume recovery to an existing machine.

    To recover an entire machine, use a boot disk and select the SP backup volumes you would like to recover.

    We provide server licenses of the ShadowProtect v5 agent that can be attained by talking to your account management team.

    Overview

    You will need:

    • a valid bare-metal license,

    • access to the Windows machine upon which, you would like to run bare-metal backups,

    • ability to reboot the machine after install, and

    • a valid storage target for the backups (recommended as a separate storage option from the machine you are protecting).

    Step 1. Assign a bare-metal license to your Cloud Backup account

    1. Sign in to your Dashboard account, and then go to Manage › View & Manage Licenses.

    2. Select Assign Licenses.

      You will be presented with a window that will ask to specify the backup account and the license type to be added to said backup account.

    Once assigned, the table will refresh and your 16-character license will be available.

    Step 2. Install ShadowProtect

    ShadowProtect v5 supports Windows 2003–2012 servers.

    1. On the Dashboard home page, scroll down to the Downloads section, and download a ZIP archive with ShadowProtect v5 agent.

    2. Open the archive, and then run the installation file.

    3. Follow the wizard, and then restart your computer.

    Step 3. Configure bare-metal backup job

    1. Run ShadowProtect.

    2. On the Wizard tab, click Setup a Backup.

    3. Select the volume(s) you would like to protect.

    4. Configure a schedule.

      We recommend using a continuous incremental schedule in conjunction with a consolidation schedule set by the free Image Manager software.

      The time between backups should be decided by considering the resources needed to run each incremental (as to avoid user interruption) as well as the acceptable data loss that can be handled in the event of a disaster.

      More frequent backups mean less exposure to loss, but potentially bad for user productivity.

    5. On the next screen, there will be options to:

      • Change the compression ratio

      • Encrypt the backups with a personal key

      • Split the backup jobs into smaller chunks for easier management

      • Name the backup job

    6. Click Next, and you will be presented with a summary screen to review before saving the backup job (with an option to run now).