Backup Overview

This article introduces you to all the moving elements needed to backup your source. Right now, we assume you have the backup server running and the backup agent installed on the source to backup. If you need help understanding Zmanda from a bird's eye view, please refer to the Zmanda Overview guide.

Zmanda groups sources by a virtual entity called backup sets. Backup sets offer more scaffolding by creating an isolated data boundary that groups sources, storage, and timing templates together. Thus, even to back up an individual source, you must create a backup set. This framework simplifies backups of 100's of endpoints, where different groups have different backup requirements. For example, on a network that includes servers with a high rate of data change and desktop systems that change data more slowly, you would probably want to create one backup set for the servers and another backup set for the desktops.

To build a backup set, you must create three components: sources, a storage container, and a schedule plan. Note that a backup set is bound to a single storage container, ensuring that multiple backup sets do not override each other's data. However, a backup set can have numerous sources linked to it and vice versa, forming an n-n relationship. This relationship enables the backup set to group sources based on a shared pattern, like APAC_Production_Servers. It also allows the source to be a part of multiple backup sets.

Backup Scenario

To backup data from 5 production servers to disk and cloud, you must create two backup sets, each with all five sources. While configuring the first backup set, configure its storage endpoint to disk, and while configuring the second backup set, configure its storage endpoint to the cloud.

Building a Backup Set

Over the following guides, we walk through the steps to create a backup set. Before we jump in, below is an overview.

• Step 1: Sources: It helps you define workloads, directories, or applications you want to back up.

• Step 2: Storage: This lets you configure the storage container that a backup set will use. Each storage container can be used by only one backup set.

• Step 3: Schedule Plan: Enables you to modify your backup windows centrally. Scheduled plans can be shared across backup sets.

• Step 4: Backup Set: Connect sources, storage containers, and schedule plans to run your first backup run.

In the next sections, we will see how to configure the steps to run your first backup.