Overview - Workstation Backup Agent

Choose from the following topics:

• Introduction
  • Source Computer
  • Destination Computer
• Supported Connection Types
• Supported Data Types
• Tree Levels in the Workstation Backup Agent
• Use of Snapshots
• License Requirement
• Installation
• Configuration
• Operations
  • Data Protection Operations from the Client Console
  • Data Protection Operations from the CommCell Console

Introduction

Workstation Backup Agent is a backup and restore vehicle for protecting and recovering workstation data. Workstation Backup Agent captures the data in incremental chunks using a SmartSync method that identifies just the changed blocks or sub-file segments and transmits across the network to a centralized destination. This results in a highly efficient data movement, which minimizes daily network resource loads. Identifying and transmitting only the changed data at the source avoids sending duplicate chunks of data over the WAN, thus addressing the key concern in protecting Desktop Class and Server Class computers in remote office configurations. The data can be compressed and encrypted for transfer over the network to the destination volume.

The Workstation Backup provides a lightweight console to perform data backup and recovery operations. Backup data can be browsed and restored at the individual file level. Multiple recovery points are available for recovery, allowing data recovery back to specific point in times. Workstation Backup Agent provides operation flexibility by allowing data protection operations from the CommCell Console, typically by a system administrator.

Workstation Backup is specially designed to protect workstations/laptops used in remote offices, outside of the domain network. The Workstation Backup Agent provides the following field-friendly features:

• Sensitive to network usage. Once the initial backup data is transferred to the destination server, subsequent backup operations only contain data that is either new, or has changed since the last backup, thus minimizing the network usage.
• Sensitive to network availability. Provides smart job scheduling options, where the software monitors the network bandwidth availability and transfers the backup data to the destination, only when a successful data transfer is guaranteed.

The Workstation Backup Agent is simple to deploy across heterogeneous and remote environments. A typical Workstation Backup Agent deployment consists of one or more source computers installed with the Workstation Backup Agents, connected to the centralized data center, the destination computer.

Source Computer

The source computer is a computer installed with Workstation Backup Agent Client Console, which is typically a laptop or a workstation. Data from this source computer will be backed up to the centralized Destination Computer.

Workstation Backup Agent and ContinuousDataReplicator cannot be installed on the same computer.

Destination Computer

The destination computer is a computer installed with ContinuousDataReplicator (CDR) that receives the data backed up from the various Workstation Backup Clients. See ContinuousDataReplicator for complete information on CDR.

It is recommended that CDR be configured in a Fan-in configuration in the destination computer.See Replication Scenarios for a detailed discussion on CDR Replication scenarios.

The graphical illustration provides a typical Workstation Backup deployment scenario.

Supported Connection Types

For special considerations, see Manually Resolve a Workstation Backup Client Computer Connection.

Supported Data Types

Workstation Backup Agent supports all types of data on the local NTFS volume. Note that encrypted, compressed, and sparse files are not supported when the destination is a NetApp filer.

Tree Levels in the Workstation Backup Agent

When the Workstation Backup Agent is installed, the following levels are automatically created in the CommCell Browser.

Use of Snapshots

• In the source computer, Workstation Backup uses the Microsoft Volume Shadow Services snapshot technology to capture the backup data.
• In the destination computer, to enable point-in-time data recovery, ContinuousDataReplicator creates snapshots (recovery points) of backup data. See Recovery Points for more information on the use of snapshots in creating CDR recovery points.

License Requirement

To perform a data protection operation using this Agent a specific Product License must be available in the CommServe^® Server.

Review general license requirements included in License Administration. Also, View All Licenses provides step-by-step instructions on how to view the license information.

Installation

Deploying Workstation Backup involves preparing the source computer as well as the destination computer.

Source Computer

The source computer to be protected is installed with the Workstation Backup Agent. Workstation Backup Agent can be installed in one of the following ways, depending upon the deployment scale:

• Custom installation, where the system administrator provides a self-extracting executable installation file that is pre-configured with the installation parameters. This is a silent installation that installs, configures, and leaves the Client Console ready for backup. This option is ideal for mass deployment, where multiple Workstation Backup Clients are configured in a single CommCell. See Workstation Backup Agent Deployment Guide for a detailed deployment procedure.
• Individual installation, where the user must provide the installation options during the installation. This method is suitable for small scale deployment consisting of fewer installations. See Deployment - Workstation Backup Agent for the different installation options available for this method.

Destination Computer

The destination computer backing up data from the Workstation Backup source computers is installed with the ContinuousDataReplicator Agent. See Deployment - ContinuousDataReplicator for installation options to install the ContinuousDataReplicator on the destination computer.

Configuration

Review the following configuration requirements:

1. From the CommCell Console, create the Replication Set and Replication Pair(s) identifying the data to be protected using the Workstation Backup Agent. If you had used the custom installation method, then you might have the Replication Set and Replication Pair(s) configured upon installation.
   • Create a Replication Set for the Workstation Backup Agent.
   • Add a Replication Pair to the replication set.
2. From the destination computer, create or configure the creation of Fan-In recovery points to enable point-in-time data recovery.
   • See Fan-In Recovery Points for details.

Operations

Data protection operations are primarily initiated by the user, from the Workstation Backup Client Console. However, the system administrator can also perform backup and restore operations from the CommCell Console.

Data Protection Operations from the Client Console

See Workstation Backup Client Console for detailed discussions on data protection operations from the Workstation Backup Client Console.

Data Protection Operations from the CommCell Console

See Backup - Workstation Backup for detailed discussions on backup operations from the CommCell Console.

See Restore Data - Workstation Backup for detailed discussions on restore operations from the CommCell Console.