ACRONIS DNS-1250-04 User manual

User's Guide

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Table of contents
1Introducing Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM...............................................................6
1.1 Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM overview ...................................................................6
1.2 Getting started...........................................................................................................................6
1.2.1 Using the management console .................................................................................................................... 6
1.3 Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM components............................................................13
1.3.1 Agent for Windows ....................................................................................................................................... 13
1.3.2 Management Console................................................................................................................................... 14
1.3.3 Bootable Media Builder (DM Windows) ..................................................................................................... 14
1.4 Supported operating systems..................................................................................................14
1.5 Supported file systems ............................................................................................................15
1.6 Hardware requirements ..........................................................................................................15
2Understanding Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM........................................................15
2.1 Basic concepts..........................................................................................................................16
2.2 Full backups .............................................................................................................................20
2.3 User privileges on a managed machine...................................................................................21
2.4 Owners and credentials ...........................................................................................................21
2.5 Backing up dynamic volumes (Windows) ................................................................................22
2.6 Tape support............................................................................................................................24
2.6.1 Using a single tape drive ............................................................................................................................... 24
2.7 Proprietary Acronis technologies ............................................................................................25
2.7.1 Acronis Startup Recovery Manager ............................................................................................................. 25
2.7.2 Universal Restore (Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Universal Restore) .................................... 26
3Options ...............................................................................................................................27
3.1 Console options .......................................................................................................................27
3.1.1 Startup page .................................................................................................................................................. 27
3.1.2 Pop-up messages .......................................................................................................................................... 28
3.1.3 Time-based alerts.......................................................................................................................................... 28
3.1.4 Fonts............................................................................................................................................................... 28
3.2 Machine options ......................................................................................................................29
3.2.1 Event tracing.................................................................................................................................................. 29
3.2.2 Log cleanup rules (UMMS) ........................................................................................................................... 31
3.3 Default backup and recovery options......................................................................................31
3.3.1 Default backup options................................................................................................................................. 31
3.3.2 Default recovery options .............................................................................................................................. 46
4Vaults..................................................................................................................................53
4.1 Personal vaults.........................................................................................................................54
4.1.1 Working with the "Personal vault" view ..................................................................................................... 55
4.1.2 Actions on personal vaults............................................................................................................................ 56
4.2 Common operations ................................................................................................................57
4.2.1 Operations with archives stored in a vault.................................................................................................. 57
4.2.2Operations with backups.............................................................................................................................. 58
4.2.3 Deleting archives and backups..................................................................................................................... 59
4.2.4 Filtering and sorting archives ....................................................................................................................... 59

5Direct management .............................................................................................................59
5.1 Administering a managed machine .........................................................................................59
5.1.1 Dashboard...................................................................................................................................................... 60
5.1.2 Backup plans and tasks ................................................................................................................................. 62
5.1.3 Log .................................................................................................................................................................. 71
5.2 Creating a backup plan ............................................................................................................74
5.2.1 Why is the program asking for the password? ........................................................................................... 75
5.2.2 Backup plan's credentials ............................................................................................................................. 75
5.2.3 Source type .................................................................................................................................................... 75
5.2.4 Items to back up ............................................................................................................................................ 76
5.2.5 Access credentials for source ....................................................................................................................... 76
5.2.6 Archive ........................................................................................................................................................... 77
5.2.7 Access credentials for archive location........................................................................................................ 78
5.2.8 Backup schemes ............................................................................................................................................ 78
5.2.9 Archive validation.......................................................................................................................................... 80
5.3 Recovering data .......................................................................................................................81
5.3.1 Task credentials............................................................................................................................................. 82
5.3.2 Archive selection ........................................................................................................................................... 83
5.3.3 Data type........................................................................................................................................................ 83
5.3.4 Content selection .......................................................................................................................................... 83
5.3.5 Access credentials for location ..................................................................................................................... 84
5.3.6 Destination selection .................................................................................................................................... 85
5.3.7 Access credentials for destination ............................................................................................................... 89
5.3.8 When to recover ........................................................................................................................................... 89
5.3.9 Universal Restore .......................................................................................................................................... 90
5.3.10 Bootability troubleshooting.......................................................................................................................... 91
5.4 Validating vaults, archives and backups ..................................................................................92
5.4.1 Task credentials............................................................................................................................................. 93
5.4.2 Archive selection ........................................................................................................................................... 93
5.4.3 Backup selection............................................................................................................................................ 94
5.4.4 Location selection.......................................................................................................................................... 94
5.4.5 Access credentials for source ....................................................................................................................... 94
5.4.6 When to validate........................................................................................................................................... 95
5.5 Mounting an image..................................................................................................................95
5.5.1 Archive selection ........................................................................................................................................... 96
5.5.2 Backup selection............................................................................................................................................ 96
5.5.3 Access credentials ......................................................................................................................................... 97
5.5.4 Volume selection........................................................................................................................................... 97
5.6 Managing mounted images .....................................................................................................97
5.7 Acronis Startup Recovery Manager .........................................................................................98
5.8 Bootable media........................................................................................................................98
5.8.1 How to create bootable media .................................................................................................................... 99
5.8.2 Working under bootable media................................................................................................................. 102
5.8.3 Recovering MD devices and logical volumes ............................................................................................ 104
5.9 Disk management ..................................................................................................................106
5.9.1 Supported file systems................................................................................................................................ 107
5.9.2 Basic precautions......................................................................................................................................... 107
5.9.3 Running Acronis Disk Director Lite............................................................................................................. 107
5.9.4 Choosing the operating system for disk management ............................................................................ 108
5.9.5 "Disk management" view ........................................................................................................................... 108
5.9.6 Disk operations............................................................................................................................................ 109
5.9.7 Volume operations...................................................................................................................................... 115

5.9.8 Pending operations..................................................................................................................................... 121
5.10 Collecting system information...............................................................................................121
6Command-line mode and scripting in Windows ..................................................................122
6.1 Agent for Windows command-line utility .............................................................................122
6.1.1 Supported commands ................................................................................................................................ 122
6.1.2 Common options......................................................................................................................................... 126
6.1.3 Specific options............................................................................................................................................ 129
6.1.4 trueimagecmd.exe usage examples .......................................................................................................... 138
6.2 Scripting .................................................................................................................................143
6.2.1 Script execution parameters ...................................................................................................................... 143
6.2.2 Script structure ............................................................................................................................................ 144
6.2.3 Script usage examples.................................................................................................................................145
7Glossary ............................................................................................................................146

1Introducing Acronis Backup & Recovery Server
OEM
1.1 Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM overview
Based on Acronis’ patented disk imaging and bare metal restore technologies, Acronis Backup &
Recovery Server OEM is the powerful disaster recovery solution.
1.2 Getting started
Direct management
1. Install Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Management Console and Acronis Backup &
Recovery Server OEM Agent.
2. Start the console.
Windows
Start the console by selecting it from the start menu.
3. Connect the console to the machine where the agent is installed.
Where to go from here
For what to do next see "Basic concepts".
For understanding of the GUI elements see "Using the management console".
1.2.1 Using the management console
As soon as the console connects to a managed machine (p. 151), the respective items appear across
the console's workspace (in the menu, in the main area with the Welcome screen, the Navigation
pane, the Actions and tools pane) enabling you to perform agent-specific or server-specific
operations.

Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Management Console - Welcome screen
Key elements of the console workspace
Name Description
Navigation pane Contains the Navigation tree and the Shortcuts bar and lets you navigate to
the different views (see the Navigation pane section.)
Actions and tools pane Contains bars with a set of actions that can be performed and tools (see the
Actions and Tools pane section).
Main area The main place of working, where you create, edit and manage backup plans,
policies, tasks and perform other operations. Displays the different views and
action pages (p. 10) depending on items selected in the menu, Navigation
tree, or on the Actions and Tools pane.
Menu bar Appears across the top of the program window and lets you perform all the
operations, available on both panes. Menu items change dynamically.
1024x768 or higher display resolution is required for comfortable work with the management
console.
1.2.1.1 "Navigation" pane
The navigation pane includes the Navigation tree and the Shortcuts bar.
Navigation tree
The Navigation tree enables you to navigate across the program views. Views depend on whether
the console is connected to a managed machine.

Views for a managed machine
When the console is connected to a managed machine, the following views are available in the
navigation tree.
[Machine name]. Root of the tree also called a Welcome view. Displays the name of the
machine the console is currently connected to. Use this view for quick access to the main
operations, available on the managed machine.
Dashboard. Use this view to estimate at a glance whether the data is successfully
protected on the managed machine.
Backup plans and tasks. Use this view to manage backup plans and tasks on the managed
machine: run, edit, stop and delete plans and tasks, view their states and statuses, monitor
plans.
Vaults. Use this view to manage personal vaults and archives stored in there, add new
vaults, rename and delete the existing ones, validate vaults, explore backup content, mount
backups as virtual drives, etc.
Log. Use this view to examine information on operations performed by the program on
the managed machine.
Disk management. Use this view to perform operations on the machine's hard disk drives.
Shortcuts bar
The Shortcuts bar appears under the navigation tree. It offers you an easy and convenient way of
connection to the machines in demand by adding them as shortcuts.
To add a shortcut to a machine
1. Connect the console to a managed machine.
2. In the navigation tree, right-click the machine's name (a root element of the navigation tree), and
then select Create shortcut.
If the console and agent are installed on the same machine, the shortcut to this machine will be
added to the shortcuts bar automatically as Local machine [Machine name].
1.2.1.2 "Actions and tools" pane
The Actions and tools pane enables you to easily and efficiently work with Acronis Backup &
Recovery Server OEM. The pane's bars provide quick access to program's operations and tools. All
items of the Actions and tools bar are duplicated in the program menu.
Bars
'[Item's name]' actions
Contains a set of actions that can be performed on the items selected in any of the navigation views.
Clicking the action opens the respective action page. Items of different navigation views have their
own set of actions. The bar's name changes in accordance with the item you select. For example, if
you select the backup plan named System backup in the Backup plans and tasks view, the actions bar
will be named as 'System backup' actions and will have the set of actions typical to backup plans.
All actions can also be accessed in the respective menu items. A menu item appears on the menu bar
when you select an item in any of the navigation views.

Examples of "'Item name' actions" bars
Actions
Contains a list of common operations that can be performed on a managed machine. Always the
same for all views. Clicking the operation opens the respective action page (see the Action pages
section.)
All the actions can also be accessed in the Actions menu.
"Actions" bar on a managed machine
Tools
Contains a list of the Acronis tools. Always the same across all the program views.
All the tools can also be accessed in the Tools menu.
"Tools" bar

Help
Contains a list of help topics. Different views and action pages of Acronis Backup & Recovery Server
OEM provided with lists of specific help topics.
1.2.1.3 Operations with panes
How to expand/minimize panes
By default, the Navigation pane appears expanded and the Actions and Tools - minimized. You might
need to minimize the pane in order to free some additional workspace. To do this, click the chevron
(- for the Navigation pane; - for the Actions and tools pane). The pane will be minimized and
the chevron changes its direction. Click the chevron once again to expand the pane.
How to change the panes' borders
1. Point to the pane's border.
2. When the pointer becomes a double-headed arrow, drag the pointer to move the border.
The management console "remembers" the way the panes' borders are set. When you run the
management console next time, all the panes' borders will have the same position that was set
previously.
1.2.1.4 Main area, views and action pages
The main area is a basic place where you work with the console. Here you create, edit and manage
backup plans, policies, tasks and perform other operations. The main area displays different views
and action pages according the items you select in the menu, Navigation tree, or on the Actions and
Tools pane.
Views
A view appears on the main area when clicking any item in the Navigation tree in the Navigation
pane.

"Tasks" view
Common way of working with views
Generally, every view contains a table of items, a table toolbar with buttons, and the Information
panel.
Use filtering and sorting capabilities to search the table for the item in question
In the table, select the desired item
In the Information panel (collapsed by default), view the item's details
Perform actions on the selected item. There are several ways of performing the same action on
selected items:
By clicking the buttons on the table toolbar;
By clicking in the items in the [Item's name] Actions bar (on the Actions and Tools pane);
By selecting the items in the Actions menu;
By right-clicking the item and selecting the operation in the context menu.
Action pages
An action page appears in the main area when clicking any action item in the Actions menu, or in the
Actions bar on the Actions and tools pane. It contains steps you need to perform in order to create
and launch any task, or a backup plan.

Action page - Create backup plan
Using controls and specifying settings
The action pages offer two ways of representation: basic and advanced. The basic representation
hides such fields as credentials, comments, etc. When the advanced representation is enabled, all
the available fields are displayed. You can switch between the views by selecting the Advanced view
check box at the top of the action page.
Most settings are configured by clicking the respective Change… links to the right. Others are
selected from the drop-down list, or typed manually in the page's fields.
Action page - Controls
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM remembers the changes you made on the action pages. For
example, if you started to create a backup plan, and then for any reason switched to another view
without accomplishing the plan creation, you can click the Back navigation button on the menu. Or, if
you have passed several steps forward, click the Down arrow and select the page where you started
the plan creation from the list. Thus, you can perform the remaining steps and accomplish the
backup plan creation.

Navigation buttons
1.3 Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM components
This section contains a full list of Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM components with a brief
description of their functionality.
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM includes the following main types of components.
Components for a managed machine (agents)
These are applications that perform data backup, recovery and other operations on the machines
managed with Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM. Agents require a license to perform
operations on each managed machine. Agents have multiple features, or add-ons, that enable
additional functionality and so might require additional licenses.
Console
The console provides Graphical User Interface and remote connection to the agents and other
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM components. Usage of the console is not licensed.
Bootable media builder
With bootable media builder, you can create bootable media in order to use the agents and other
rescue utilities in a rescue environment. Availability of the agent add-ons in a rescue environment
depends on whether an add-on is installed on the machine where the media builder is working.
1.3.1 Agent for Windows
This agent enables disk-level data protection under Windows.
Disk backup
Disk-level data protection is based on backing up either a disk or a volume file system as a whole,
along with all the information necessary for the operating system to boot; or all the disk sectors using
the sector-by-sector approach (raw mode). A backup that contains a copy of a disk or a volume in a
packaged form is called a disk (volume) backup or a disk (volume) image. It is possible to recover
disks or volumes as a whole from such backup, as well as individual folders or files.
Other operations
Disk management
Agent for Windows includes Acronis Disk Director Lite - a handy disk management utility. Disk
management operations, such as cloning disks; converting disks; creating, formatting and deleting

volumes; changing a disk partitioning style between MBR and GPT or changing a disk label, can be
performed either in the operating system or using bootable media.
1.3.1.1 Universal Restore
The Universal Restore add-on enables you to use the restore to dissimilar hardware functionality on
the machine where the agent is installed, and create bootable media with this functionality.
Universal Restore handles differences in devices that are critical for Windows start-up, such as
storage controllers, motherboard or chipset.
1.3.2 Management Console
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Management Console is an administrative tool for remote or
local access to Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM agents.
1.3.3 Bootable Media Builder (DM Windows)
Acronis Bootable Media Builder is a dedicated tool for creating bootable media. The media builder
that installs on Windows can create bootable media based on either Windows Preinstallation
Environment.
The Universal Restore (p. 14) add-on enables you to create bootable media with the restore to
dissimilar hardware functionality. Universal Restore handles differences in devices that are critical for
Windows start-up, such as storage controllers, motherboard or chipset.
1.4 Supported operating systems
Components for a managed machine
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Agent for Windows
Windows 2000 Professional SP4/XP Professional SP2+
Windows 2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/Server 2003/Server 2008
Windows SBS 2003/SBS 2008
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003/2008 x64 Editions
Windows Vista - all editions except for Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium
Windows 7 - all editions except for the Starter and Home editions
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Management Console
Windows 2000 Professional SP4/XP Home Editions/XP Professional SP2+
Windows 2000 Server/2000 Advanced Server/Server 2003/Server 2008
Windows SBS 2003/SBS 2008
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003/2008 x64 Editions
Windows Vista - all editions
Windows 7 - all editions

1.5 Supported file systems
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM can back up and recover the following file systems with the
following limitations:
FAT16/32
NTFS
Ext2/Ext3
ReiserFS3
ReiserFS4
XFS - volume recovery without the volume resize capability;
JFS
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM can back up and recover corrupted or non-supported file
systems using the sector-by-sector approach.
1.6 Hardware requirements
This section lists the minimum and recommended hardware requirements to install and run Acronis
Backup & Recovery Server OEM components.
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Management Console
Item Minimum requirements Recommended
Computer processor Modern processor, 800 MHz or faster
Itanium platforms are not supported
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)
processor
System memory 128 MB 512 MB or more
Screen resolution 800*600 pixels 1024*768 pixels or higher
Installation disk space 50 MB
Other hardware Mouse
Network interface card or a virtual
network adapter
CD-RW, DVD-RW, drive for bootable
media creation
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM Agent for Windows
Item Minimum requirements Recommended
System memory 256 MB 512 MB or more
Installation disk space 100 MB
2Understanding Acronis Backup & Recovery
Server OEM
This section attempts to give its readers a clear understanding of the product so that they can use
the product in various circumstances without step-by-step instructions.

2.1 Basic concepts
Please familiarize yourself with the basic notions used in the Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM
graphical user interface and documentation. Advanced users are welcome to use this section as a
step-by-step quick start guide. The details can be found in the context help.
Backup under operating system
1. To protect data on a machine, install Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM agent on the
machine which becomes a managed machine (p. 151) from this point on.
2. To be able to manage the machine using Graphical User Interface, install Acronis Backup &
Recovery Server OEM Management Console on the same machine or any machine from which
you prefer to operate. If you have the standalone product edition, skip this step since in your
case the console installs with the agent.
3. Run the console. To be able to recover the machine's operating system if the system fails to start,
create bootable media.
4. Connect the console to the managed machine.
5. Create a backup plan.
To do so, you have to specify, at the very least, the data to be protected and the location where
the backup archive will be stored. This will create a minimal backup plan consisting of one task
(p. 151) that will create a full backup (p. 147) of your data every time the task is manually started.
A complex backup plan might consist of multiple tasks which run on schedule; create full
backups; perform archive maintenance operations such as backup validation (p. 152) or deleting
outdated backups. You can customize backup operations using various backup options, such as
pre/post backup commands, network bandwidth throttling, error handling or notification
options.
6. Use the Backup plans and tasks page to view information about your backup plans and tasks and
monitor their execution. Use the Log page to browse the operations log.
7. The location where you store backup archives is called a vault (p. 152). Navigate to the Vaults
page to view information about your vaults. Navigate further to the specific vault to view
archives and backups and perform manual operations with them (mounting, validating, deleting,
viewing contents). You can also select a backup to recover data from it.

The following diagram illustrates the notions discussed above. For more definitions please refer to
the Glossary.

Backup using bootable media
You can boot the machine using the bootable media, configure the backup operation in the same
way as a simple backup plan and execute the operation. This will help you extract files and logical
volumes from a system that failed to boot, take an image of the offline system or back up sector-by-
sector an unsupported file system.
Recovery under operating system
When it comes to data recovery, you create a recovery task on the managed machine. You specify
the vault, then select the archive and then select the backup referring to the date and time of the
backup creation, or more precisely, to the time when the creation has started. In most cases, the
data will be reverted to that moment.
Examples of exceptions to this rule:
Recovering a database from a backup that contains the transaction log (a single backup provides multiple
recovery points and so you can make additional selections).
Recovering multiple files from a file backup taken without snapshot (each file will be reverted to the moment
when it was actually copied to the backup).
You also specify the destination where to recover the data. You can customize the recovery
operation using recovery options, such as pre/post recovery commands, error handling or
notification options.

The following diagram illustrates data recovery under the operating system (online). No backup can
proceed on the machine while the recovery operation is taking place. If required, you can connect
the console to another machine and configure a recovery operation on that machine. This ability
(remote parallel recovery) first appeared in Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM.
Recovery using bootable media
Recovery over a volume locked by the operating system, such as the volume where the operating
system resides, requires a reboot to the bootable environment which is a part of the agent. After the
recovery is completed, the recovered operating system goes online automatically.

If the machine fails to boot or you need to recover data to bare metal, you boot the machine using
the bootable media and configure the recovery operation in the same way as the recovery task. The
following diagram illustrates the recovery using the bootable media.
2.2 Full backups
Acronis Backup & Recovery Server OEM provides the capability to create custom backup schemes. All
backup schemes are based on full backup method. The term "scheme" in fact denotes the algorithm
of applying these methods plus the algorithm of the archive cleanup.
Comparing backup methods with each other does not make much sense because the methods work
as a team in a backup scheme. Each method should play its specific role according to its advantages.
A competent backup scheme will benefit from the advantages of all backup methods and lessen the
influence of all the methods’ shortcomings.
Full backup
A full backup stores all data selected for backup. An archive can contain multiple full backups or
consist of only full backups. A full backup is self-sufficient - you do not need access to any other
backup to recover data from a full backup.
It is widely accepted that a full backup is the slowest to do but the fastest to restore.
A full backup is most useful when:
you need to roll back the system to its initial state
this initial state does not change often, so there is no need for regular backup.
Example: An Internet cafe, school or university lab where the administrator often undoes changes
made by the students or guests but rarely updates the reference backup (in fact, after installing