Manual backups with the HFS Storage Protect backup client

Back up your local system outside the scheduled backup window

We ask all users to complete a manual backup prior to their first scheduled backup so that we can ensure that both the client-server communication is in place and also that the majority of your data is captured at the first pass.  If you have a large amount of data then it may take several manual backups to complete this process.

When would you need to do a manual backup?

  • First-time backup
  • After missing one or more scheduled backups
  • After experiencing one or more failed backups
  • You have a substantial amount of new data to back up before the next scheduled backup
  • You have changed a substantial amount of data and you want to keep the backup up to date.

Running a manual backup

Manual backup instructions using the graphical user interface (GUI) vary slightly depending on your operating system and are included below.  Details for running a manual backup using the client command line interface are also available.

Windows

There are two types of manual backups that you can choose in Storage Protect client: domain and selective backups.

Domain backup

The manual domain backup is a full backup of all the files that Storage Protect has been configured to back up, and is equivalent to the nightly schedule backups.

To perform a domain backup:

  1. Close any programs that you are running as the backup application will not be able to back up files that currently are in use, such as Word files.
  2. From the Windows Start menu search for backup, then launch Backup-Archive GUI.
  3. In the application, from the top menu, select Actions then Backup Domain.
  4. A Task List window displays the backup process until the completion notification appears.
  5. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up

Selective backup

Selective backup is to back up specific files or directories by your selection, regardless of whether a current copy of those files exists on the server. You may use selective backups when you want to prioritize the backup of certain directories and files over the others when there is a large amount of data to be backed up and they won't be sent to us in a single backup session. Please be aware that it backs up a file even when it hasn't changed, which may lead to the older file copies expiring due to the creation of a new copy.

 

To perform a selective backup in Windows:

  1. Close any programs that you are running as the backup application will not be able to back up files that currently are in use, such as Word files.
  2. From the Windows Start menu search for backup, then launch Backup-Archive GUI.
  3. In the application, select the Backup link
  4. In the resulting Backup window:
    • Leave the backup type as Incremental (complete)
    • Do NOT select the tick box marked Nodes
    • Do NOT select tick box next to your nodename
    • Expand the section under Local
  5. You will see tick boxes next to all the local drives attached to your machine.  Folders are displayed in the left-hand window, and files on the right.  Note that some folders and files are marked with a barred red circle, these are files and folders excluded from backup by default.
  6. You can now select what you want to back up:
    • Select the tick box beside Local to back up all drives (including external ones)
    • Select individual drives
    • Select individual files and folders for backup, for example if you wish to just select your 'Documents' folder (found in C:\Users\<usename>\Documents)
  7. When you are happy with your selection, select the Backup button.
  8. A Task List window displays the backup process until the completion notification appears
  9. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up
macOS

There are two types of manual backups that you can choose in Storage Protect client: domain and selective backups.

Domain backup

The manual domain backup is a full backup of all the files that Storage Protect has been configured to back up, and is equivalent to the nightly schedule backups.

To perform a domain backup:

  1. Run Applications, then IBM Storage Protect > IBM Storage Protect Tools for Administrators > IBM Storage Protect
  2. When prompted, provide your local administrator password.
  3. If prompted to allow dsmagent to accept incoming connections, select Allow.
  4. From the top menu of the client application, select Actions then Backup Domain.
  5. A Task List window displays the backup process
  6. For recent versions of macOS you will also be prompted to allow Storage Protect permission to various files you want to back up.  There may be many of these prompts.
  7. A completion notification will appear when the backup is completed.
  8. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up

Selective backup

Selective backup is to back up specific files or directories by your selection, regardless of whether a current copy of those files exists on the server. You may use selective backups when you want to prioritize the backup of certain directories and files over the others when there is a large amount of data to be backed up and they won't be sent to us in a single backup session. Please be aware that it backs up a file even when it hasn't changed, which may lead to the older file copies expiring due to the creation of a new copy.

To perform a selection backup on a Mac:

  1. Run Applications, then IBM Storage Protect > IBM Storage Protect Tools for Administrators > IBM Storage Protect
  2. When prompted, provide your local administrator password.
  3. If prompted to allow dsmagent to accept incoming connections, select Allow.
  4. In the application, select the Backup link.
  5. A backup window will appear, listing your backup type as Incremental (complete) (this should not be changed):
  6. In the resulting Backup window:
    • Leave the backup type as Incremental (complete)
    • Do NOT select tick box next to your nodename
    • Expand the section under Local
  7. You will see tick boxes next to all the local drives attached to your machine.  Folders are displayed in the left-hand window, and files on the right.  Note that some folders and files are marked with a barred red circle, these are files and folders excluded from backup by default.
  8. You can now select what you want to back up:
    • Select the tick box beside Local to back up all drives (including external ones)
    • Select individual drives
    • Select individual files and folders for backup
  9. When you are happy with your selection, select the Backup button.
  10. A Task List window displays the backup process
  11. For recent versions of macOS you will also be prompted to allow Storage Protect permission to various files you want to back up.  There may be many of these prompts.
  12. A completion notification will appear when the backup is completed.
  13. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up
Linux

There are two types of manual backups that you can choose in Storage Protect client: domain and selective backups.

Domain backup

The manual domain backup is a full backup of all the files that Storage Protect has been configured to back up, and is equivalent to the nightly schedule backups.

To perform a domain backup:

  1. Run dsmj as root.
  2. From the top menu of the client application, select Actions then Backup Domain.
  3. A Task List window displays the backup process until the completion notification appears.
  4. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up

Selective backup

Selective backup is to back up specific files or directories by your selection, regardless of whether a current copy of those files exists on the server. You may use selective backups when you want to prioritize the backup of certain directories and files over the others when there is a large amount of data to be backed up and they won't be sent to us in a single backup session. Please be aware that it backs up a file even when it hasn't changed, which may lead to the older file copies expiring due to the creation of a new copy.

To perform a selective backup in Linux:

  1. Run dsmj as root.
  2. In the application, select the Backup link
  3. In the resulting Backup window:
    • Leave the backup type as Incremental (complete)
    • Do NOT select the tick box marked Nodes
    • Do NOT select tick box next to your nodename
    • Expand the section under Local
  4. You will see tick boxes next to all the local drives attached to your machine.  Folders are displayed in the left-hand window, and files on the right.  Note that some folders and files are marked with a barred red circle, these are files and folders excluded from backup by default.
  5. You can now select what you want to back up:
    • Select the tick box beside Local to back up all drives (including external ones)
    • Select individual drives
    • Select individual files and folders for backup
  6. When you are happy with your selection, select the Backup button.
  7. A Task List window displays the backup process until the completion notification appears.
  8. A Backup Report will now provide useful information such as:
    • Elapsed time, the time it took for the backup to complete
    • Bytes transferred, the amount of data that has been backed up in total
    • Backed up, the total number of files that have been backed up in total
    • View, to see which files were unable to be backed up

You should now have completed a successful backup of your local system!

If this was your first backup and you want to run automatic scheduled backups, then please now see our page on preparing for scheduled backups.  Please note that your selection of drives and folders in this session will not be saved by the backup application, if you wish for certain items not to be included in your scheduled backups please see our section on how to exclude files and folders from backup.

 

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