Table of contents
ZMC Work Flow
Amanda Backup server configuration is done in terms of backup sets. The backup set is a grouping mechanism that simplifies and optimizes backing up many systems with different backup requirements. It lets an administrator define and select a set of backup policies (what, how, where and when) to different backup runs.
All ZMC actions (backup, restore, reporting, and monitoring) are performed in the context of backup sets.
Backup sets cannot share target media volumes. For example, two backup sets can use the same tape changer simultaneously, but each should have a separate set of slots.
Multiple backup sets are useful for protecting a large number of systems with different backup requirements, but many organizations with less complex backup requirements can define a single backup set to meet their needs. For example, on a network that includes servers with a high rate of data change along with desktop systems that change more slowly, you would probably want to create one backup set for the servers, and another backup set for the desktops.
All data to be backed up can be organized in backup sets based on:
Backup policy: Backup schedule, how often a full backup is performed and how long the data is retained.
Backup Set window: Data in different backup sets can be backed up at the same time to different devices. There can be parallelism within the backup set from the client to the backup staging area.
Backup Sets
The Backup Sets tab allows you to create, update, configure, clone, and delete backup sets. All Amanda configuration is organized as backup sets.
Backup Server
Select a Backup Server where you want to configure your Backups.
Storage Device
Select a Storage Device where you want to save your backups.
Backup Set Name
Specify a unique name for the backup set. The name can consist of alphanumeric characters. Periods (.) and dashes (-) are also allowed. Backup Set name cannot be more than 255 characters.
Description
Description are optional and are intended to serve as a reminder as to what type of backups included or where it is configured.
Comments
Comments are optional and are intended to serve as a reminder as to why the backup set was created.
View/Update/Delete Backup Sets
The deletion of the backup set removes the given backup set and all the settings associated with it from the ZMC. After deletion, the ZMC will have no record of backups completed by the backup set, but the backups themselves are retained regardless of storage media (staging area, tape, S3, etc.) unless manually deleted. To retrieve backup data from the staging area after the backup set (and hence its catalog) has been deleted, please see this Zmanda Knowledgebase article.
When you click the Delete button, the ZMC prompts for confirmation. Proceed with caution, as there is no way to undo the deletion. Selecting Purge backup images and staging area and Purge vault media options will delete the backup images and vault media permanently from the backup server and storage devices.
You can also abort the backup run for a backup set using the Abort button. Aborting a backup stops the backup job and cleans up all the backup processes on the Amanda server. The following confirmation window is displayed to confirm abort operation.
What a Backup Set Contains?
A backup set is a uniquely named record of backup policies, including:
- Sources include hosts, directories, files to exclude, Databases and Applications.
- The backup target, which can be a tape device, cloud storages, or disk (via holding disk or virtual tape)
- The type of backup to perform (full or incremental); schedules are automatically configured by Amanda.
- Backup Schedule plans.
- Backup Server from which we trigger the backup.
Amanda ensures that two backup sets do not write to the same tape (or to the same directory if disk media is used for backup). Amanda also enforces that it does not accidentally overwrite a tape/ disk belonging to another backup set.
You can create Storage devices for backups on Storages page. Generic information about the devices is configured on this page. All devices supported by Amanda Enterprise can be configured on this page. After creating a device, you can bind the device to the backup set.
Note that while a backup set can include more than one host as a backup source, there can be only one target device per backup set and you can only select the storage device that is shared across the respective server on which you are going to create the Backup set. If you want to send backups from different host systems to different backup media, you must create multiple backup sets to do so.
Configure Backup Sets
The BackupSet page lets you configure and update backup sets. The six sub-tasks under the CONFIGURE let you specify the parameters of the currently selected backup set:
- Backup Whatspecifies what host system directories, databases, Applications and Hypervisor to include in the backup. Select to take a backup of particular source. All sources backup will happen if nothing is selected.
- Backup Where actual device configuration will be done for the device bounded with the BackupSet
- Backup Staging specifies the staging area (Amanda holding disks) for the backup set.
- Backup How define some of the key internal parameters that control how the backup set will run after it has been activated. Mail can be configured to get the backup and restore notifications on emails.
- Backup When specifies the scheduling parameters for Amanda's intelligent scheduling.
- Backup Now specifies the type of backup to be performed (full or incremental) and enables the backup jobs to be activated and the backup can be triggered
