Backup3G/User Guide/Appendix A - Installing and Configuring

From Documentation

Backup3G is installed through the COSmanager configuration menu. This appendix describes how to install and configure backup3G for your environment. COSstacker is an add-on module that provides interface routines for jukebox control under backup3G. For details on installing, configuring, and using COSstacker, see the COSstacker User Guide.

See Installing COSmanager Applications in the COSmanager User Guide for full details of how to install COSmanager applications and modules.

What you need

• the COSmanager framework installed on the target platform
• a backup3G Distribution
• a valid license key
• you must be a COSmanager user with the Manager or Config role

Installing backup3G

1. First, load the distribution tape in a drive on the local host or a network drive.
2. From the Product configuration menu, select COSmanager configuration > COSmanager applications.
3. Select Application > Install.
4. Enter the name of the host to which the tape drive is attached. In Install from, enter the no-rewind device name for the tape drive. Press Accept.
5. You will see a list of the applications on the tape. Choose the row titled ‘backup3G version 3.2’.
6. Enter the name of the directory where you want backup3G to be installed and press Accept.

The install procedure now:

• adds an entry for backup3G 3.2 to the COSmanager applications table
• copies the backup3G files from the tape to the target directory
• creates local directories under $FShome/backup_3.2
• creates symbolic links for the FS backup drivers
• creates the backup3G audit trail directory backlog in the system spool area.

This completes the installation phase.

You should now exit COSmanager before configuring backup3G. When you restart COSmanager, the button bar and COSmanager configuration menu will be rebuilt to include the backup3G options.

Configuring backup3G

The next step is to set up backup3G for your environment, by running some or all of the initial configuration tasks. Some of these configuration tasks supply information that is required by backup3G. Other tasks are optional, and extend the basic information in backup3G to include information about your organization’s procedures and computing environment. You can run or rerun these tasks at any time.

Note

We recommend that you review your backup policies and procedures before starting configuration. See Planning Your Backup Policies and Procedures.

Running backup3G initial configuration tasks

1. GUI mode: Select Config from the COSmanager button bar.
   CUI mode: Select Product configuration from the COSmanager main menu.
2. Select backup3G configuration > Initial configuration.
   COSmanager shows the list of configuration tasks.
3. To start configuration, select Perform > All outstanding from the menu bar.

Note In CUI mode, the menu bar is accessible from the function key assigned to the Menu button—usually F8.

For each task you will see a screen offering a number of options, like this:

Figure 40 — Example of an outstanding configuration task

Press Exit to stop the configuration procedure. You can continue the configuration later by selecting Initial configuration from the backup3G configuration menu.

Press Skip to skip to the next outstanding task. Note that some duties later in the configuration require earlier duties to have been run.

Press Accept to execute this task now.

• Work through each task in turn.

The following topics contain some useful information on each task, or a pointer to a detailed description elsewhere in the manual.

Removable Media Drives

This defines a list of available backup drives and drive pools. A backup drive is one that will be used by backup or recovery jobs running on the current host to read or write data. This includes both drives physically connected to this host, and drives accessible via the network.

Any drives that will be used to write to or read media must be defined to backup3G. Auto-loading devices such as tape stackers and jukeboxes should be defined as media locations.

Drives that are accessible but which will not be used for backup and recovery don’t need to be defined to backup3G. For more information see How To Add A New Tape or Disk Drive.

Before you begin

To define a Removable Media Drive you will need to have set up details of:

• all hosts on the network that have a backup drive attached to them. This was probably done when COSmanager was configured. The procedure is described in the COSmanager User Guide, in the chapter Configuring COSmanager. If you need to add a host location now you can do it from this task, through Maintain > Location.
• all media types that will be used for backup. backup3G has a table of standard media types, so you only need to add new or uncommon media types that you use for backup or archive. You can add media types now, through Maintain > Media type. For more information, see Adding a New Media Type.
• all locations from which media are loaded into backup drives, whether short-term (tape stacker, computer-room trolley) or longer-term (jukebox, media library). You can add media and load locations from this task, through Maintain > Location. For more information, see Adding a New Media Location.

Add Media to the Media Library

This task allows you to add details of new media batches to the database. You can also add details of locations where media are stored, and add a new media type.

Media management policies and procedures

This is a good time to review your current media management procedures, to see if you could be using media in a more secure or efficient way. You should consider the following:

• your strategies for routine backup and data recovery (media types, label types, retention periods)
• your media maintenance strategy (media usage types, maintenance procedures)
• where media can be stored and for how long (media locations).

Before you begin

Before you can add backup media, you will need to have set up details of:

• all media types that you use for backup
• all locations where media are stored or used.

These should already have been set up in the previous configuration task, Removable Media Drives, but you can still add them now if necessary.

To add a media type now, use Maintain > Media type (see Adding a New Media Type). To add a media location, use Maintain > Location (see Adding a New Media Location).

To add a batch of backup media

1. Select Maintain > Add batch from the ‘Media Details’ window.

The fields are described in detail in To add a media batch.

Generate Simple Backup Scheme

This task generates a simple weekly schedule of backup jobs to perform full and incremental backups of your main filesystems. For many sites this scheme will be all that is required. Larger organizations can build on this framework by adding other backup jobs.

The task steps through each mountable filesystem and asks which day of the week a full backup is to be performed. All other filesystems are set up to be incremental backups for that day.

Before you begin

You must have defined all your backup drives. See Removable Media Drives.

Backup3G includes several standard retention periods. If you wish to use a different period you must set it up in advance. See To define a retention period.

Steps

1. Backup3G explains what this task is about to do. Press Generate to continue.
2. Choose the backup format (cpio is recommended). This can easily be changed later.
3. Choose the backup drive to use for daily backups.
4. Choose the retention period for each backup. As the backup scheme works to a weekly cycle we recommend that you use a retention period of at least one or two weeks.
5. For each mountable filesystem on this host a confirm screen will display, asking you on which day the full backup is to be run.
   Press the button corresponding to the day of the week. Unless another filesystem is also chosen for this day all other filesystem backups are assumed to be incremental.
   If you don’t want to generate a backup scheme for this filesystem, press Skip.
6. Once all filesystems have been dealt with, a backup job is generated for each working day of the week.

The job for each day is displayed, showing one job step for each full and incremental filesystem backup.

Press Print to print a listing of the generated backups for your records. Press Exit when you are finished.

You may wish to customize the generated filesystem backup jobs and backup items. Examples: change the default scheduled time from 23:00; add in the offsite storage location; add or remove backup steps; add new backup jobs to cater for non-filesystem backups. See the major topics in the chapter Setting Up Backups, in particular:

• How to Define a Backup Job
• How to Define a Backup Item

Add backup3G Duties to duty3G

If you also have the duty3G application, you can add a batch of duties relating to backup3G. duty3G features more advanced options for scheduling backups, and provides a simpler interface for users who only need access to a few backup3G functions.

If duty3G is already installed, you can add the backup3G duties now. If you install duty3G in future, you can run this task afterwards to add the backup3G duties.

The extra duties take up less than 1 KB of disk space.

Steps

1. Press Accept to add the backup duties to the duty table, or press Skip to skip this task.