Cloud Backup：Back up on-premises files

Usage notes

If you only install a Cloud Backup client but do not create a backup plan, you are not charged for using Cloud Backup.

Create a backup plan to periodically back up on-premises files

1. Log on to the Cloud Backup console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Backup > On-Premises File Backup.

3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.

4. Select the version of the Cloud Backup client.

   Important

   If you do not use the old Cloud Backup client, the Old Version and New Version buttons do not appear in the console. In this case, you can skip this step. We recommend that you upgrade the old Cloud Backup client to the new Cloud Backup client in a timely manner.

   • If you use the old Cloud Backup client, click Old Version on the On-Premises File Backup page.

   • If you use the new Cloud Backup client, click New Version on the On-Premises File Backup page.

5. Find the Cloud Backup client that you want to use, and click Back Up in the Actions column.

6. In the Create Backup Plan panel, configure the parameters and click OK. The following table describes the parameters.

   Important

   • If the region that you select supports backup policies, you can set a backup plan only by associating it with a backup policy. Cloud Backup periodically backs up on-premises files based on the backup policy.

   • To view the regions that support backup policies, click Policy Center in the left-side navigation pane of the Cloud Backup console. For more information about how to create a backup policy, see Create a backup policy.

   

   Parameter	Description
   Backup Folder Rule	Specify the directory to be backed up. Cloud Backup backs up all files and subdirectories of the directory. Example: D:\work\local_backup_path or /home/backup_path. Select All Folders or Specified Folders. If you select All Folders, turn on or turn off Exclude System Folders. If you turn on Exclude System Folders, the system folders in Windows and Linux are not backed up. You can move the pointer over the icon to the right of Exclude System Folders to view the system folders in Windows and Linux. If you turn off Exclude System Folders, all folders are backed up. If you select Specified Folders, you must specify the Source Paths parameter. You must specify source paths based on the following rules: If you do not use wildcards (*), you can enter up to eight paths. If you use wildcards (*), you can enter only one path. You must specify the path in the /*/* format. Only absolute paths are supported, such as paths that start with /, \\, C:\, or D:\. If you use Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), you can enter only one path. UNC paths and wildcards (*) are not supported. You cannot exclude files from the backup plan. If you use Universal Naming Convention (UNC), VSS paths and wildcards (*) are not supported. You cannot exclude files from the backup plan. If a UNC path is specified, Cloud Backup does not back up the access control list (ACL) of Windows.
   Exclude System Folders	If you turn on Exclude System Folders, system folders are not backed up.
   Backup File Type	Select All Types or Specified Type. If you select Specified Type, you must select the types of the files you want to back up from the Select File Type drop-down list.
   Source Paths	This parameter is required only if you turn on Advanced Rule Mode and select Specified Folders. You can specify custom source paths. You must specify source paths based on the following rules: If you do not use wildcards (*), you can enter up to eight paths. If you use wildcards (*), you can enter only one path. You must specify the path in the /*/* format. Only absolute paths are supported, such as paths that start with /, \\, C:\, or D:\. If you use Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), you can enter only one path. UNC paths and wildcards (*) are not supported. You cannot exclude files from the backup plan. If you use Universal Naming Convention (UNC), VSS paths and wildcards (*) are not supported. You cannot exclude files from the backup plan. If a UNC path is specified, Cloud Backup does not back up the access control list (ACL) of Windows.
   Backup Rule	This parameter is required only if you turn on Advanced Rule Mode and select Specified Folders. Include All Files: All files are backed up. Include Files or Exclude Files: If you select Include Files, enter the paths to the files that you want to back up. If you select Exclude Files, enter the paths to the files that you do not want to back up.
   Backup Policy	Select a proper backup policy from the drop-down list. Cloud Backup automatically backs up data sources based on the backup policy that you configure. Backup policies help you flexibly manage data sources. A backup policy includes the following settings: backup vault encryption method, backup interval, retention period, cross-region replication policy, automatic archiving of backup data, and virus detection for backup points. If the default backup policy does not meet your requirements, you can click Manage Policy to go to the Policy Center page to create or modify a backup policy. For more information about the parameters in a backup policy, see Manage backup policies.
   Use VSS	Specify whether to use Windows VSS to define a source path. Note If you use VSS, you cannot back up files from multiple paths or UNC paths. You cannot use wildcards (*) or exclude files.
   Enable Bandwidth Throttling	Specify whether to enable bandwidth throttling. You can limit the bandwidth for data backups during peak hours to ensure business continuity. If you enable bandwidth throttling, select the Time Range (Hour) based on your business requirements. Then, configure the Max Bandwidth parameter for backups within the specified time range, and click Add.

Backup is successful

When the daily backup execution time is reached, Cloud Backup runs a backup job. If the Status of the backup job is Completed, the backup job is completed on the current day. You can view the backup points in the backup history.

Later, you can restore files based on the backup points. For more information, see Restore on-premises files.

Browse and download backup files

• Browse backup files

  You can use the Browse feature to view files that have been backed up. If virus detection has been performed on a backup point, Cloud Backup marks the files that are infected with viruses.

  1. On the Backup Plans tab, find the Cloud Backup client and click the icon.

  2. In the Backup History section, find the backup point that you want to view, click the backup point, and then click Browse.

  

• Download backup files

  You cannot directly download the backup files to your local computer. However, you can restore the backup files to a specified path. For example, if you set Restore Path Type to Specify Path and set Destination Path to D:\work\local_backup_path_new, the backup files are downloaded to the path after the restore job is completed. You must create the path before you start the restore job. Otherwise, the restore job fails.

Virus detection

To prevent virus-infected files from being restored to the production environment, Cloud Backup provides the Backup Point Virus Detection feature. The feature allows you to select a clean and safe backup point for future data restoration. You can click Virus Detection to check for viruses. For more information, see Backup point virus detection.

Cross-region backup

To prevent regional disasters from affecting business continuity, Cloud Backup allows you to create a remote mirror vault for a general-purpose backup vault. Data in the backup vault is automatically replicated to the mirror vault across regions for geo-redundancy. You can create a remote mirror vault for a backup vault that stores the backup data of on-premises files. For more information, see Back up data across regions.

You can also create mirror vaults for general-purpose backup vaults that you create by using the following features: ECS file backup, SAP HANA backup, OSS backup, File Storage NAS, and on-premises NAS backup. In addition, you can use enterprise-class features such as cross-account backup, automatic archiving, KMS-based encryption, and immutable backup.

Troubleshooting

If the Status of the client or backup job is abnormal, you can resolve the issue based on the following instructions.

• Client Status: Stopped

  The Cloud Backup client has lost connection with the Cloud Backup server.

  • If you have uninstalled the Cloud Backup client, you no longer need to continue the backup, and no historical backup data is needed, you can choose More > Delete Backup in the Actions column to delete the backup point. Note that you can restore files from historical backup points.

    Important

    If you delete a backup point, all backup data generated by the Cloud Backup client is deleted and all backup and restore jobs that are being performed by the client fail. Before you delete a Cloud Backup client, make sure that you no longer need the backup data generated by the client and no backup or restore jobs are being performed by the client. Evaluate the potential risks before you proceed.

  • Check the status of the Cloud Backup client on the on-premises server. For more information, see How do I check the status of a Cloud Backup client?

• Status of the backup job: Failed

  • Modify and confirm the configurations as prompted.

  • View the client logs and locate the error code.

    Note

    The Cloud Backup client is installed in one of the following paths by default. The following paths are for reference only. The actual installation path may be different.

    • On Windows, you can view the logs in the C:\Program Files\Aliyun Hybrid Backup Service Client\logs path.

    • On Linux, you can view the logs in the /opt/alibabacloud/hbrclient/logs path.

More operations

• Use HTTPS to transmit data

  If you use HTTPS to transmit data, the performance of data transmission is degraded. If you modify the setting of the Use HTTPS switch, the modification takes effect on the next backup or restore job.

  After data is encrypted and stored in the backup vault, you can choose More > Client Settings in the Actions column and specify whether to use HTTPS to transmit data.

• Configure a backup alert policy

  You can choose More > Alert Settings in the Actions column and then select a backup alert policy. The following table describes the alert policies.

  Alert policy	Description
  Disabled	The Cloud Backup client does not send alert notifications.
  Same as Backup Vault	The Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications by using the same method configured for the backup vault.
  Notify Alibaba Cloud Account	The Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications to the owner of the Alibaba Cloud account by using emails.
  Custom	If you select this option, you must select one or more alert contacts or alert contact groups. If an alert is triggered, the Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications to the selected alert contacts or alert contact groups. For more information, see Manage alert contacts.

• Delete a backup point

  You can delete all backup data generated by the Cloud Backup client.

  Warning

  If you delete a backup point, all backup data generated by the Cloud Backup client is deleted and all backup and restore jobs that are being performed by the client fail. Before you delete a Cloud Backup client, make sure that you no longer need the backup data generated by the client and no backup or restore jobs are being performed by the client.

  You can choose More > Delete Backup in the Actions column and then click OK to delete the backup data that is no longer needed.

References

• Back up files from an ECS instance

• Cloud Backup provides resource plans for various backup scenarios so that you can enjoy higher discounts and minimize your costs. For more information, see Purchase resource plans.