Network Infrastructure

With backups being foundational for today’s IT environments, having a robust, reliable and easily managed tool can ensure the recoverability of your IT infrastructure. Being able to address multiple forms of loss also become critical. Is it a workstation or is it a server that needs a restore? Is it a single file or an entire server? Is it a physical device that needs to be brought online quickly in a virtualized environment? All these possibilities should be considered when choosing your backup tools. MissionControl System Backup provides real-time automated disk remote backup, disk imaging, file level remote backup and bare metal restore for Windows servers and workstations. Unlike conventional file-based only products, MissionControl System Backup creates an image of the entire system state—including operating system, business applications, user settings, drivers and data—giving administrators the framework to completely rebuild a downed system in less than an hour.

The solution is part of the MissionControl IT Automation Framework, giving IT professionals the ability to deploy, configure, manage, monitor, secure, backup and restore distributed systems from a single management console. MissionControl Backup provides:

• Fully automated real-time backup
• Fully automated off-site replication
• Fast and easy recoveries

Fully Automated Real-Time Remote Backup Software

MissionControl System Backup takes the backup responsibility out of the hands of the end user and puts it in the hands of a trained IT professional, making sure that backups are done regularly and reliably. The administrator can manage the entire process from a central location, eliminating the need to physically visit each backed-up system. The IT professional can schedule full and incremental backups or conduct them on demand through the intuitive interface. All processes are automated and occur when scheduled.

Complete Disk Imaging

MissionControl System Backup can conduct volume-level, folder-level or file-level backups with multiple partitions in place for easy organization and robust security. Full and incremental images provide granular restoration points for point-in-time recoveries and reduced file-size transfer for quicker and more efficient off-site replication. The solution ensures complete data protection for all programs, settings, configuration and system and user data.

Fully Automated Off-Site Replication

Once a backup is created, replication technology ensures that the images are automatically migrated to a safe and secure off-site facility and separated geographically from the main data center. In case of a major data center loss, such as a flood, fire or natural disaster, the remote backup images can be replicated to replacement equipment quickly to ensure that the business can get back up and running as fast as possible. The process is completely automated, eliminating the need for an administrator or member of the business staff to remember to take media home or drop them off at a storage facility.

Fast and Easy Recovery

MissionControl System Backup allows for fast, efficient recoveries, giving companies the ability to bounce back more quickly following a major event resulting in data loss. The solution enables point-in-time recoveries to the last backup, making sure systems are up to date with the latest settings and data set. Administrators can completely restore a system from the ground up in less than an hour through an intuitive bare-metal restore process. For more granular recoveries, administrators can simply drag and drop selected files and folders or remotely mount drive volumes.

Universal Restores

In a pinch, companies are not always able to find similar replacement equipment. MissionControl Backup allows systems to be restored to dissimilar hardware or even virtual machines, eliminating the procurement and interoperability factors when trying to get the business back up and running quickly.

Flexible Configuration and Control

MissionControl System Backup integrates seamlessly with the MissionControl systems management framework, allowing IT administrators to completely manage, monitor, secure and protect systems from a single Web-based management console. Systems can be configured globally by group (policies can be customized to include location, business unit, OS type, brand, etc.) or locally by individual servers or workstations. Remote backups can be completely automated and left unattended to recover lost files within minutes. The MissionControl client is deployed and updated automatically and remotely, eliminating the need to travel to branch offices or across a campus environment. Unlike other data protection solutions, no additional hardware or software is required. MissionControl System Backup completely automates the remote backup process, allowing administrators to schedule full and incremental backups of selected volumes, folders or files.

MissionControl System Backup Key Benefits

• Complete integrated solution that protects all Windows servers and workstations in a distributed IT environment
• Intuitive management reduces administrator workload and backup costs
• Central Web-based administration of all features, including event scheduling, remote backup status and reporting
• Remote backup administration and automation eliminates on-site visits
• Efficient remote backup software ensures that all backups will be completed in the backup window
• Consolidated and easy-to-read alerts for failed cycles
• Universal restore for recoveries to dissimilar hardware or virtual machines

BACKUP

Backup Status

A dashboard view of the backup status of machine IDs that have the backup client installed. Status includes percent complete of running backups, offsite server status, backup status by machine and off-site server status.

Schedule Volumes

Schedules the backup of volumes for selected machine IDs.

Pre/Post Procedures

Use this page to suspend services that may lock files and prevent volume backup from completing. You may also wish to force a system service, such as Exchange or a database, to write all its data to disk prior to system backup. Typically, this can be done without requiring the service in question to be down during backup. All critical services can be left fully operational at all times. For example, to back up an Exchange Server, a snapshot of the database is needed prior to starting the backup. A procedure will quickly start and stop Exchange to take a snapshot of the database prior to the start of the backup.

Schedule Folder

This section of System Backup allows users to schedule individual folders for backup for selected machine IDs.

Backup Sets

Displays a list of the current backup sets you have stored, for both volumes and folders.

Backup Logs

Displays a list of all backups you have performed, for both volumes and folders, up to the number of days specified. Clicking a machine ID will display a log containing the date, type, duration, result and description of each backup operation performed.

RECOVERY

Explore Volumes

The Explore Volumes page mounts a volume backup as a new read-only drive letter on the same machine or on a different machine. The backup volume can be browsed, just like any other drive, with Windows Explorer. Individual files or folders can be copied from mounted backup volumes to any other folder on your local machine you have write access to. Mounted volume backups remain available for browsing unless the computer is rebooted or the drive is unmounted by clicking the “Unplug All” button.

Explore Folders

The Explore Folders page restores folder backups to a specified directory on a target machine, maintaining the same structure they had in the backup. Unlike Explore Volumes, this page cannot mount the data as a new drive letter. Manually delete restored backup folders to remove them.

Verify Images

Performs a one-time verification of any selected volume or folder backup. Use this function to spot-check that backups are completed and can be used to restore from successfully. Verification does not involve comparing the backup to the original source files, so any other machine with an agent can be used to perform the verification of the backup file, as long as the machine has read/access to the image location.

Image to VM

Converts an existing backup file to one of three types of virtual machine file formats: Virtual PC, VMware and ESX. This enables you to install a backup to a virtual machine environment.

Auto Recovery

Page restores any volume backup image to the same machine the backup was created on.

CD Recovery

CD Recovery restores volume backup images to the same machine or same type of machine that the backup was created on.

Universal Restore

Enables you to restore the backup image of a system. The restore can be to a different hardware platform or to a virtual machine. Universal Restore requires someone at the machine to boot from the CD and navigate through the recovery wizard to restore the backup image.

OFFSITE REPLICATION

Offsite Servers

The Offsite Servers page safely and securely transfers backup images from a LAN to a remote location. Offsite replication transfers all changes to files and subdirectories in the Local Server directory to a specified offsite server directory.

Local Servers

This page defines the machine ID and directory on the local LAN used to transfer all new files to an Offsite Server. Offsite replication transfers all changes to files and sub-directories in the Local Server directory to a specified offsite server directory. Files transfers can be scheduled so that even this can be automated.

Offsite Alerts

The Offsite Alerts page creates an alert when the specified local server cannot connect to its offsite server. Alarms are only generated during the times allowed by Schedule Transfer for each local server. Once defined, you can apply this alert immediately to any machine ID displayed on this page.

Schedule Transfer

Specifies the time of day each local server sends files to the offsite server, based on the time zone. You may set different start and end times for each day of the week.

CONFIGURE

Install/Remove

Installs or uninstalls MissionControl System Backup software on selected machine IDs. Each Backup installation on a managed machine uses up one Backup license. The number of licenses available depends on the total number of licenses purchased and allocated to each group ID using System > License Manager. Backup licenses are purchased and allocated separately for workstations and servers.

Image Location

The Image Location page specifies the folder on a local network or local drive where volume backups and folder backups are stored. Typically, this is a path to a LAN-based file server such as \\LAN_Server\Backups\. It can also be as simple as another physical drive on the machine, such as a USB drive or a shared network drive. Writing data to a tape drive is supported as long as the tape drive is recognized by the Windows OS as a removable storage device.

Image Password

Sets the passwords to access backup files. Folder backup and volume backup .tib files are all password-protected using a unique password for each machine ID. This password remains constant for each machine ID. You may set the password to anything you like and the same password may be set on multiple machines.

Folder Backup

The Folder Backup page specifies files and folders backed up by Schedule Folders for each machine ID. You may back up any number of files and folders.

Backup Alert

This page triggers an alert for backup events on managed machines.

Compression

Specifies the compression level used to back up. Higher compression takes longer to complete a backup. Lower compression produces larger backup file sizes. The compression setting effects both folder and volume backup.

Max File Size

This setting applies to volume backups only. When a volume backup runs, image files of the volume get created. The file size specified in this option is the maximum size of each image file. The smaller the max file size, the more files that get created to complete a volume backup.

Max Log Age

This page specifies the number of days to retain log data for backups. Entries older than the specified maximum are automatically deleted. A log is created for each machine every time a backup operation runs. The log contains the date, type, duration, result, and description of the backup operation performed.

Secure Zone

The Secure Zone page installs a 56MB hidden boot partition on managed machines. Secure Zones are used by Auto Recovery to boot the managed machine and restore backup volume images without any user interaction.

Contact Tim at 614.336.4699 or tim.james@careworkstech.com.