BACKUP DIRECTHow do I select files and schedule backups?

This tutorial will guide you through the process of selecting files for backup and scheduling automatic backups using the Livevault 7 server backup software.

In order to begin backing up you will have need to have completed the registration and installation process. If you have not already done this then please see the relevant tutorial.

• Configuring backups is done on the web portal. Click and open an internet browser (such as Internet explorer)
• Click in the address bar to enter the web portal address: https://backupdirect.onlinebackup.com
• Once you have typed the address in exactly as seen here click to navigate to the page
• Click to enter your login name which was provided in your registration email
• Click to enter your custom password which you will have created during the registration process
• Click here to login
• You will then see the home page for the Livevault administration portal. Here you can administer your account including backing up and restoring data
• You should see a list of computers which you have installed the agent upon in the left hand box
• Click on the computer name and icon to administer an individual machine
• You are given the option to change the computer name in the box to the left, however we recommend you retain the default which is populated from your local computer name
• There are a range of subscription options which we will now explain:

1. Use the first option if you are using Livevault to just backup online and will not be backing up a database from the server
2. Use the second option if you are using Livevault to backup online and using a Turbo Restore Appliance (TRA) onsite and will not be backing up a database from the server
3. Use the third option if you are using Livevault to just backup online and will be backing up a database from the server
4. Use the fourth option if you are using Livevault to backup online and using a Turbo Restore Appliance (TRA) onsite and will be backing up a database from the server

• If you are unsure which option to select please contact our support team
• Once you have made your selection click Save
• The web portal will then communicate with the agent installed on the server
• To start selecting and backing up your data you need to create a policy
• We recommend that you break up your backup selection into logical chunks, each backed up by its own policy (e.g exchange or 15GB of image files would each have their own policy) This allows greater ease when you are adminstering or running your backup process.
• Click on Add new standard policy to start creating a policy
• You will need to rename your policy to something meaningful for future reference.
• Click in the field to edit the name
• Once you have changed the name to something related to the data it will be protecting click Change Name
• You now need to select the files which you wish to protect with this policy
• Use the folder structure tree in the left hand pane to navigate through files on the computer
• Once you reach the desired level click on the folder name to bring up its contents in the central window
• You can then view and individually select or deselect files by using the tick boxes next to the individual files or folders in the central pane
• Notice the symbols key which explains the various icons associated with individual files and how they relate to backup behavior
• Click on the names in the folder structure to move back up the tree or make alternative selections
• By ticking the files you want to backup you can build a custom, item-by-item backup selection to protect only the desired files
• Click on the computer name in the left hand pane to return to the overview level
• You can also select whole drive for backup if you wish, however we do not recommend backing up the whole drive if it contains a large amount of data (50GB+)
• Please use seperate policies to segment and break up your backup selection. This will make your backup and restores far more reliable.
• We will now examine scheduling of backups for the data which we have selected
• Click Schedule
• As explained on this page you can specify times during which you want the backup to run.
• The default option is continuous backup, this will process backups on a 15 minute basis which provides near real-time protection but may consume considerable bandwidth depending on your data selection.
• Click on the drop-down list to see available options
• Click on Nightly Backup
• As you can see a Nightly backup specifies that the backups should complete during the default hours of 8pm and 6am.
• This can be useful if you want to limit use of bandwidth during working hours when other people are likely to be using your network
• Also notice the number of scheduled backups per week which is automatically calculated and listed
• Click again on the drop-down list to see available options
• Click Custom
• Using the custom option you can manually specify when you want backups to be processed
• To toggle a 30 minute window click on it
• As a default this option is checked meaning that backups will be allowed to complete provided they started within a permitted time slot
• Click other 30 minute slots as desired and build your custom backup schedule
• You can also click and drag to select a block of times during which you wish backups to occur
• Once you have completed your scheduling you can move onto configuring additional options
• Click the Options tab
• Use this drop-down menu to select the appropriate retention policy for your selected data
• The option for running a program before and after backups can be used if you are confident with its function and understand how it may affect your server and backups. Otherwise please leave this blank or contact our support team if you are unsure
• Click Save to process your changes
• Check the summary of the policy which you have created, including the details of your retention.
• If you wish to make any changes click the Previous button
• Click Done
• You can then see a summary of all your policies as well as details of how they are configured and when they last ran.
• From this point you can edit existing policies or create new ones using the method we have just demonstrated.

This concludes the tutorial on selecting files and scheduling backups using the Livevault Server backup technology.

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