Getting started with IBM Cloud Backup for Classic

Before you begin

You must have a valid license to use IBM Cloud Backup for Classic. You can provision the service when you order a server or you can provision the service as an upgrade. For more information, see Provisioning IBM Cloud Backup for Classic.

Each server must have its own IBM Cloud Backup for Classic Account. One IBM Cloud Backup for Classic license cannot be used for multiple servers.

Installing the IBM Cloud Backup for Classic agent

IBM Cloud Backup for Classic Agent is supported on the following Operating Systems.

Windows - Oldest supported version of the backup agent is 8.32.

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2008

Windows 2019 does successfully back up with the Windows agent version 8.60. However, the server shows up in the Backup Portal as Windows 2016. Full backup functions were tested with version 8.60. Do not upgrade to a higher version such as 8.70 because it disables the management of the agent until the Backup Portal is upgraded. The customer can also install Central Control to manage the backup agent. The newest version of Central Control is available to download from here. You must install .NET 3.5 before you install the Central Control application. .Net can be installed by using the Add Roles and Features Wizard from the Server Manager. Multiple.NET can be installed at the same time.

Linux - Oldest supported version of the backup agent is 8.50. BMR backups are not supported.

• CentOS 8.x (It requires backup agent version 8.83.)
• CentOS 7.x
• Debian GNU/Linux® 9.x
• Debian GNU/Linux® 8.x
• RHEL 8.x (It requires backup agent version 8.83.)
• RHEL 7.x
• Ubuntu Linux® 18.04 (It requires backup agent version 8.62 or newer.)
• Ubuntu Linux® 16.04
• Ubuntu Linux® 14.04

Follow the instructions appropriate for your OS,

• Linux Installing the backup client in Linux®
• Windows Installing the backup client in Windows®

Installing the plug-ins

After the agent is installed, you can add plug-ins at any time. To install a plug-in, run the Agent installation kit. The plug-in appears as an option on the Custom Setup page.

1. Run the IBM Cloud Backup for Classic Software Agent - installation program.
2. At the welcome screen, click Next.
3. Select Modify.
4. Select to leave the logon credentials for the agent services unchanged. Click Next.
5. From the list of plug-ins, select the one that you want to install. Then, select the option to install the feature on the local hard disk. Click Next.
6. Select Keep my current registration. Click Next.
7. Click Install.
8. When the installation is complete, click Finish.
9. Check to make sure that the services are enabled and running.

For more information about the available plug-ins, see the following topics.

• Bare Metal Server plug-in
• Exchange plug-in
• SQL Server plug-in
• Oracle plug-in
• vSphere Recovery Agent

Accessing the Cloud Backup Portal

Cloud Backup Portal is used to interact with the IBM Cloud Backup for Classic service that is offered by IBM Cloud®. The Portal is a browser-based client that runs on the IBM Cloud® private network and allows full control of any IBM Cloud Backup for Classic service, including configuration and restores.

1. Access the Private Network over IBM Cloud® VPN. The Cloud Backup Portal can't be accessed over the public network. A VPN connection must be established first.
2. Log in to the IBM Cloud console. From the menu , select Infrastructure > Classic Infrastructure.
3. Click Storage > Cloud Backup to display the backup services.
4. Select the instance name of the IBM Cloud Account.
5. Click View backup portal to start the portal in your browser.

Configuring the backup job and the backup schedule

After you ordered your IBM Cloud Backup for Classic and the agent is installed on the server, you can start creating backups of your data. Through the IBM Cloud Backup for Classic portal, you can manage and monitor your backups. You can choose between manual or automatic backup job configuration methods.

• The automatic configuration creates a backup job of the complete C Drive in Windows or ./ <root> directory in Linux with Monthly and Daily Retention schemes.

  This job can be modified after it was configured.

  1. Create a password.
  2. Confirm the password.
  3. Add a password hint.
  4. Click Configure automatically.

• If you choose to configure the job manually, the automatic settings are ignored. Then, you can specify the folders and files to be kept with a retention scheme of your choice. For more information, see Configuring a simple file-level backup.

For more information about Retention Schemes, see the FAQ.

Archiving is not supported. When you create a retention scheme, or modify an existing scheme, make sure that the Archiving option is not selected.

Running your first backup job

1. The new job is displayed on the Computers tab. To start the job, click Select Actions, and click Run Job.
2. Verify that the destination and retention scheme appear correctly and click Start Backup. The Progress Detail page shows the job progress. This window can be closed if needed, and the backup job keeps running in the background.
3. When the backup job is complete, the Process ID Status shows "Finished". You can view the job history and logs of existing backup jobs on the Computer tab. Select the job that you want to view, click Select Action, and choose History/Logs.

Accessing and viewing IBM Cloud Backup for Classic storage details in the Console

The storage details of your service can be viewed in the IBM Cloud console at any time. Details that can be viewed include the password, storage address, and usage that is associated with the selected IBM Cloud Backup for Classic service.

1. Log in to the IBM Cloud console. From the menu , select Infrastructure > Classic Infrastructure.
2. Click Storage, and select Backup from the list.
3. Click anywhere on the row of the vault that you want to view its storage details. From this view, the password isn't visible.
4. Click the Show checkbox next to the Password field to view the password for the selected IBM Cloud Backup for Classic service.

Changes that are made to the IBM Cloud Backup for Classic password within the IBM Cloud console are made to the service itself. To reset your password, follow the steps in Managing the username and password for the Cloud Backup service.

Next steps

For redundancy and peace of mind, consider adding a second vault to your account. You can set up and manage multiple vaults for the same server through the Cloud Backup Portal. For more information, see Multi-vaulting.

Cloud Backup Portal's systems are fully documented, and support for the application is accessible within the Portal. Click the question mark in a blue circle for Help. Click any article or topic in the navigation bar to view more information.