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Windows File System Backup Jobs
Plan your backup jobs for this agent by reviewing the following information:
This agent supports the following backup types:
This agent has the following unique functionality and options for protecting Windows File System data:
Distributed File Systems (DFS) consist of both data and configuration information. The data is stored in the file system of several machines participating in the DFS tree, while the configuration is stored in the registry of each machine and/or the Active Directory databases. The software supports backup of DFS data only. You can back up DFS data mapped to a UNC path, but this is not recommended.
Some applications and system programs lock certain files while in use (open), thereby preventing the files from being backed up. This is often the case with some system files that are locked by the operating system. Files that are locked are skipped during the backup process and their file names and paths are logged to the Backup Job History log. You can use the CommCell Console, to examine this log to determine if any files were skipped. The iDataAgent automatically attempts to obtain any skipped files in the next backup.
For the Windows iDataAgents that support VSS, clients can back up locked files using VSS for Windows File System iDataAgents.
QSnap for the Windows File System iDataAgent can also be used to back up locked files for the Windows iDataAgents that support VSS.
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When using one of the Windows iDataAgents that support VSS, you can enable VSS for backup jobs, see VSS for the Windows File System iDataAgent for more information.
When using Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, or Vista, you can install and enable QSnap to back up locked files. See QSnap for the Windows File System iDataAgent for more information.
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| Data Classification Enabler is not supported by the Microsoft Data Protection Manager iDataAgent. |
There are some instances in which the Classic File Scan is always used, including but not limited to:
If the backup set contains both NTFS drives and FAT volumes, and if either the change journal or the Data Classification Enabler is the selected method of scanning, the change journal or the enabler will be used for NTFS volumes and the classic file scan will be used for FAT volumes (because neither the Windows Change Journal nor the Data Classification Enabler supports FAT volumes). If classic file scan is the selected method of scanning, both NTFS and FAT volumes will use the classic file scan.
The options you set for classic file scan will be used whenever classic file scan is called (these appear grayed out unless classic file scan is selected). For example, you can select classic file scan, pick your options, and then select change journal. In this case the change journal will be used, but your selected options for classic file scan will be saved and used whenever the classic file scan is called.
See Use Change Journal, Classic File Scan, or Data Classification Enabler for step-by-step instructions on changing your selection.
If you add files to a folder that was included in a previous backup and if the last backup time is later than modification time on the file then the file will not be picked up during a classic file scan and only a full backup will pick the older files that are included in the subclient content later. However, if you move an older folder it will be included in the next incremental or differential backup.
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For Windows File System iDataAgent, if you are using Change Journal or Data Classification as the scan method, the incremental backup will backup all the new or changed data since the last incremental or full backup, ignoring any differential backups performed prior to the current backup. |
For Windows File System iDataAgent, it is recommended to use the Change Journal for the purpose of determining which files have changed and/or have been backed up. For situations in which you are using this system with other software to manage your data or if you are backing up volumes that do not use the Change Journal (such as a FAT partition) the Check archive bit during backups option is useful. These options effect only the Classic File Scan.
Each file in an NTFS or NWFS file system has a set of attributes managed by the operating system. The archive bit is one of these attributes. If the Check archive bit during backups option is selected, any backup will clear the archive bit setting. A change to the file content or name will set the archive bit, flagging it for backup. Archive Bits and Change Journal do not co-exist because the clearing of the Archive Bit after a backup, would be perceived as a file-change in Change Journal.
If you select the Check archive bit during backups option, then all incremental or differential backups conducted on the selected backup set and its subclients include not only those files whose content has changed, but also any files that have been renamed. This option does not affect the behavior of full backups and the corresponding incremental and differential backups tend to be more comprehensive. In addition, the system resets the archive bit of every file that it backs up.
When this option is cleared, files are considered modified based only on the file modification time. In addition, the system does not change the state of the archive bit of the files it backs up.
If you are using an external application to move data backed up by this system based on file access times and file modified status, it is important to understand how the Use Change Journal and Check archive bit during backups options affect those file attributes. For example, if you select the Use Change Journal option the file access times will not be preserved and the file is marked as modified. If the Check archive bit during backups option is selected, in conjunction with the Preserve File Access Time option, the file access times will be preserved and the file will not be marked as modified. See Set the Archive Bit Attribute for step-by-step instructions.
This option allows you to prevent the file access time from being changed for Windows/Unix/Macintosh File System iDataAgents as a result of running data protection operations on the client. When this option is selected, the file access time will be preserved. See Preserve the File Access Time for step-by-step instructions.
File access times when both File Archiver and File System iDataAgents are installed
Archiving files based on file access times has special considerations. Ordinarily the action of backing up a file using the File System backup agent will cause the file access time to change to the time of the backup. This action may have an undesired effect on the archiver agent if you want to archive files based on access times.
To workaround this situation, you should either use Classic File Scan with the Preserve File Access Time option selected as the scan method OR a software snapshot (VSS or Qsnap) to accomplish the backup. If the software snapshot fails (i.e. VSS service unavailable or unable to quiesce the volume), you can use the Open Files Failure Actions dialog box to select the desired action to be performed.
One special common resource is the quorum resource, a physical disk in the common cluster disk array that plays a critical role in cluster operations; it is essential for quorum data to be backed up, as it includes recovery logs as well as cluster configuration and state data.
The quorum data is not backed up by subclients on the virtual server; the Windows File System iDataAgent on a physical node of the cluster includes the quorum data during a system state backup. To back up the quorum data on a regular basis, you must ensure that a data protection operation is scheduled for a Windows File System iDataAgent subclient on the physical nodes, with the Backup System State option selected; a system state backup will automatically include quorum data.
| If you do not back up the system state for the Windows File System iDataAgent on a physical node of the cluster, the quorum data will not be backed up, and you will not be able to restore the quorum data, which is essential to the operation of the cluster. |
You can back up Microsoft Virtual Server and Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines by configuring pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts that use the VSBackupUtil utility. The snapshot scripts enable the system to quiesce and snap the virtual machines. See Back Up Virtual Machines on Microsoft Virtual Server and Back Up Virtual Machines on Microsoft Hyper-V for step-by-step procedures.
Before performing any backup procedures for this agent, review the following information:
When backing up large files and/or system volumes, the Windows memory pool resources may run low and the backup may fail with errors reported in the Windows Event Viewer and the iDataAgent logs. In this case, it is recommended that you review the Microsoft documentation for increasing the maximum memory pool usage and paged memory pool size.
If you are using an unformatted volume or a mount point to an unformatted volume, backup of a subclient may go into the pending state with the following message in the Event Viewer: Cannot scan <path>. To prevent this from happening, add the NSkipDirErrors Registry Key and set the value at 1 (or any value other than 0).
Software Installation, Index Cache, Job Control, and Job Results directories are by default included in the backups performed by the Windows File System iDataAgent. However, if you want to exclude them from being backed up you can add the nFilterGalaxyDirectories registry key to filter them out of Windows File System backups.
The CV_MAGNETIC folder (which is created when a mount path is configured) will by default be excluded from data protection operations if a MediaAgent and the Windows File System iDataAgent is installed in a computer. (The CV_MAGNETIC folder must be associated with the MediaAgent that is installed in the computer.) To include the folder in data protection operations, the nDoNotFilterGalaxyMagneticMountPaths registry key must be created in the computer.
The File System backup will be suspended in a pending stage if the following is not excluded:
For backup - c:\program files\polyserve\matrixserver\conf\mounts
For anti virus scans - c:\program files\polyserve\matrixserver\conf (and other details following)
For Disaster Recovery - It is recommended to open up the Polyserve Configuration Utility and export the configuration to the node that was rebuilt. This will ensure complete synchronization prior to introducing a rebuilt node again into the matrix.
Filters can be used in conjunction with the "Items That Failed" list on the data protection Job History Report to eliminate backup or archive failures by excluding items which consistently fail that are not integral to the operation of the system or applications. Some items fail because they are locked by the operating system or application and cannot be opened at the time of the data protection operation. This often occurs with certain system-related files and database application files.
Also, keep in mind that you will need to run a full backup after adding failed files to the filter in order to remove them.
When configuring Windows File System backup sets, you have the option of using the change journal or a classic file scan to detect which files have changed since the last backup. If you select the classic file scan and the check archive bit option together, then backups on all subclients with VSS or QSnap enabled within the backup set will be converted to full backups.
This is not an issue if you are only using VSS to back up the system state, which is always backed up in full. (There is no option to use QSnap for system state backup.) If you have VSS or QSnap enabled on a subclient that does not include the system state, you must use the change journal or deselect the check archive bit option if you want to perform incremental or differential backups.
If you have a File Archiver Agent on the same client as your File System iDataAgent, and you want to include DataArchiver stubs in the file system incremental backups, see Including DataArchiver Stubs in Backups for more information.
If you plan to do a full system restore on a Windows 2003 Server x64 platform, use an x64 iDataAgent for backup. You cannot do a full system restore on an x64 platform if you are using a 32-bit iDataAgent.
Full system backups of a created ADAM instance cannot be restored using full system restore.
Backup jobs may take more time if anti-virus software is set for “on access” scanning. To address this issue, it is recommended that all files under the <software_install_folder>/Base folder be excluded from anti-virus scanning software.
System State backups will not include the Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Registry. See Backing up System State for more information.
When backing up a snapshot of a client computer, ensure that the operating system of the backup server is either same or higher version than the client computer.
A backup of Mount Points (volume junctions) can back up the data pointed by
the Mount Point using the Advanced Backup option, "Follow Mount Points".
On the other hand a backup of directory junctions do not backup the data pointed
to from the directory junction by design. This is to prevent undesired backup
and recovery results for system created directory junctions.
During a backup when a directory junction point is encountered, only the
junction point will be backed up. When the source directory and data linked to
the junction point is encountered, the data will be backed up To backup the
source data of a junction point that is not part of a subclient contents, the
source data must be explicitly added to a subclient's content.