Recovery Manager for AD 10.2.2 - User Guide

Default properties for Computer Collections

The default properties for Computer Collections are applied to newly created Computer Collections. Default properties are overridden by Computer Collection properties when Recovery Manager for Active Directory performs backup operations on a Computer Collection.

The default properties are used to specify where to store backups, what to back up, and how many backups to keep for each computer that belongs to a Computer Collection. The default properties include options used for performance tuning, such as bandwidth throttling, CPU usage throttling, parallel backup tuning, and data compression. The default properties also include advanced backup options, such as accessing target computers with a special account, autocorrecting registry quota, and storing a copy of each backup in an additional location. In addition, the default properties include the logging settings that are used by default.

To view and modify the default properties for Computer Collections

• In the Recovery Manager Console tree, click the Computer Collections node, and then click the Action menu and click Collection Defaults or right click on Computer Collections node and Collection Defaults.

The fields you can use in the dialog box that opens are similar to those in the properties dialog box for an existing Computer Collection. For more information, see Properties for an existing Computer Collection.

Properties for an existing Computer Collection

The Computer Collection properties are used to specify what data to back up, where to store backups, and how many backups to keep for each computer that belongs to the Computer Collection.

The Computer Collection properties include options used for performance tuning, such as bandwidth throttling, CPU usage throttling, parallel backup tuning, and data compression.

The Computer Collection properties also include advanced backup options, such as accessing target computers with a special account and storing additional backup copies in an alternate location.

To view and modify properties for an existing Computer Collection

• In the Recovery Manager Console tree, under Computer Collections, select the Computer Collection, and then click Properties on the Action menu.

The properties of a newly created Computer Collection are the same as the current default properties. After a Computer Collection is created, its properties can be modified using the Properties dialog box. All settings in the Properties dialog box are related to the given Computer Collection. Each Computer Collections can have unique settings.

The Properties dialog box for a Computer Collection includes the following tabs:

• Backup tab

• Local Storage tab

• Remote Storage tab

• Agent tab

• Schedule tab

• Alerts tab

• Performance tab

• Advanced tab

• Unpacked Backups tab

Backup tab

On this tab, you can use the following elements:

• Backup type. There are two backup types available:

  • Active Directory (Standard). Select this option to create a standard Active Directory backup.

  • Bare Metal Recovery (Full). Select this option to create Bare Metal Recovery Backup. The storage for BMR backups is specified on the Remote Storage tab. Bare Metal backups require Recovery Manager for Active Directory Disaster Recovery Edition license.

• Encrypt and protect backups with password. Select this option to encrypt backups and protect them with a password. You will be prompted to specify a password for backup protection immediately after you select this check box.

  When restoring data from a password-protected backup, Recovery Manager for Active Directory prompts you to type the corresponding password. The password you specify using this option is case-sensitive and can contain any combination of letters, numerals, spaces, and symbols. If you forget or lose the password, you cannot use the corresponding password-protected backup.

• Set Password. Click this button to modify the password for backup protection.

• Backup description. Provides a space for you to enter an optional description of the backup. The description may include expressions such as %COMPUTERNAME% or %DATETIME%.

Local Storage tab

This tab includes the following elements:

• Save Backups on the Recovery Manager console computer. Select this check box to save backup files on the Recovery Manager for Active Directory (RMAD) computer. Enter the location for backup files in the Primary Backup Path box. If you specify a UNC share, backup files will be streamed to that share via the RMAD computer.

• Primary Backup Path. Use the provided space to specify format for paths and names of .bkf files where to store backups. The path format may include optional expressions that enable the automatic creation of subfolders. The file name format may also include expressions. For example, you might specify C:\DIRNAME\%COMPUTERNAME%\%DATETIME%. As a result, backups for different computers will be saved in separate subfolders. In addition, the file name of each backup will be composed of the date and time of the backup creation.

• Expression. Click this button to specify optional path and file name notations in Backup file name format. You can choose the following expressions:

  • Default backup storage (%BACKUPS%). Path to the default backup storage folder. The default path is as follows: %AllUsersProfile%\Quest\Recovery Manager for Active Directory\Backups.

  • Domain (%DOMAIN%). Name of the home domain of the computer being backed up.

  • Computer name (%COMPUTERNAME%). Name of the computer being backed up.

  • Date and Time (%DATETIME%). Date and time of the backup creation.

• Browse. Click this button to locate the folder where backups are to be stored.

• Sample path and file name matching the specified format. View an example of the path and file name that matches the format string supplied in Primary Backup Path.

• Additional backup path (optional). Select this checkbox to store a copy of each backup in an additional location.

• Sample path and file name matching the specified format. View an example of the path and file name that matches the format string supplied in Additional backup path(optional).

  As a result, copies of backups for different computers will be saved in separate subfolders. In addition, the file name of each backup will be composed of the date and time of the backup creation.

• For each computer, delete all backups except the last <Number>. Select this check box to retain a number of backups for each computer. Specify the number of backups to maintain. It is recommended to configure a backup retention policy to maintain backups created in the last two weeks. If you create backups on a daily basis specify 14 to maintain backups for each domain controller for two weeks.

  This check box can be selected only when RMAD stores backups separately. To ensure that RMAD does so, add the %DATETIME% expression to the path or file name in the Backup file name format box.