5 1 0:How to use CIFS share (NAS) as data store and how to back up data from CIFS share

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Docs latest icon.png Welcome to the latest SEP sesam documentation version 5.1.0 Apollon. For previous documentation version(s), check documentation archive.

Overview


Quick Start 3.png
Quick setup
  1. Create on the storage/target side a backup user with read/write access on the volumes you want to back up.
  2. Create the same user with the same password on the backup server.
  3. Put this user to the group administrators.
  4. Set SEP sesam service permission. Go to Services.msc, edit the SEP sesam service and set start as <user_name> you created before.
  5. Restart the sesam service.
  6. Configure a data store and a regular media pool for backing up to a CIFS share.
  7. Create local backup tasks, for example, with the source //QNAP/media/* and disable VSS.


SEP Warning.png Warning
Using a CIFS share for Si3 deduplication is not supported!

SEP sesam provides efficient backup to Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, such as QNap and Synology, which support data transmission through the CIFS protocol. You can use SEP sesam to either save your data to CIFS shares (by creating a data store) or to back up your files from CIFS shares to another storage.

As of SEP sesam 4.4.3 Beefalo V2, you can create the data store on a CIFS share without mounting the CIFS share. You will have to define credentials for accessing network resources when specifying a location path for your data store. See section Configuring a data store for backing up to CIFS share.

Using a CIFS share as a backup repository

If you want to use a CIFS share as a data store, follow the configuration steps below.

Prerequisites

  • Make sure that the volume, which is going to be used as a data store, is dedicated exclusively to the SEP sesam data store, and not shared by other users or applications!
  • Ensure maximum network connection stability between the SEP sesam Server and your CIFS share.

Creating a new backup user

  1. Create a new backup user <user_name> on your network-attached storage (NAS) device with read/write access on the volumes you want to back up.
  2. Create the same user <user_name> with the same password at the backup server.
  3. Put the newly created user to the Administrators group.

Setting the SEP sesam service permission

To be able to back up to CIFS or from CIFS shares, the SEP sesam service has to run as a local Administrator account. By default, SEP sesam runs as a local System account that does not have access to network drives.

Information sign.png Note
It might be necessary to use the Domain Admin account (WINDOWS_DOMAIN/Administrator), if the target is a domain member.
  1. Run services.msc to open the Services Manager.
  2. In the details pane, double-click the SEP sesam service to open its Properties.
  3. Switch to the Log On tab to specify the user account which will be used by SEP sesam service and select This account. Then specify the <user_name> account and type the password for this account in the Password and Confirm password fields. Click OK to save the changes.
  4. SEP sesam properties.png
  5. After setting up the service permission, restart the SEP sesam service.

Checking access to the CIFS share

To check the access to the CIFS share, log in with the <user_name> which you have just configured in the service settings. Check if you can access the share by using Explorer via UNC path as shown in the screenshot below. In our example, the storage is represented as \\sepnap.sep.de\winfix.

Backup cifs2.jpg

Information sign.png Note
  • When checking the access via Explorer, you must not be prompted to provide credentials (e.g. username/password). Ensure that no authentication is required to enable SEP sesam accessing the network share without any problems.
  • Sharing a folder for CIFS backup on a newer Windows system requires a user with the same credentials as the SEP sesam service user on the machine that serves the share.
  • The CIFS share should not be mapped as a network drive at the same time!
  • The $ symbols are recommended but not required.

Configuring a data store for backing up to CIFS share

Create a data store which will be able to back up to a CIFS share. Note that an Si3 deduplication data store is not supported for backing up to CIFS shares. For details on how to configure a data store, see Configuring a Data Store.

  1. In the Main selection -> Components, click Data stores to display the data store contents frame.
  2. From the Data stores menu, select New data store. A New data store dialog appears.
  3. CIFS data store Apollon.jpg
  4. In the Name field, enter a meaningful name for the data store, for example, CIFS_DS.
  5. From the Store type drop-down list, select Path.
  6. Make sure that the option Create drive for data store is checked under the Drive parameter properties. The predefined value for the drive is automatically added to the Drive number field.
  7. Depending on your SEP sesam version, specify the location path as follows:
    • In ≥ Beefalo V2: In the Path field, enter the location (network) path for your data store, for example, \\qsbox1\data_stores, or browse for it. You can also use the browse button at the top of the Client File View window.
    • Data store CIFS browsing.jpg
      When browsing for the path and expanding the network node, a new Default Network Access window appears; here you set the default credentials for accessing the network resources. Note that the same window is shown every time if the authentication is configured and required for browsing.
      You can select an existing credential set from the drop-down list or specify a new one. You have to use the DOMAIN\USER format for domain accounts or HOST\USER for local accounts. Clicking Cancel will close the dialog box; in this case, the current OS user credentials will be used.
      Data store CIFS network credentials.jpg
      SEP Tip.png Tip
      When a data store is created, the selected network path is used for the data store drives. All back slashes (\) are converted to forward slashes (/) in SEP sesam.
    • In < Beefalo V2: In the Path field, enter the location path for your data store, for example, \\sepnap.sep.de\winfix$, or use the Browse button to select the relevant folder and click OK.
  8. Under the Drive group properties, select Create new drive group if you want to create a new drive group, for example, DS_group, or select Use existing drive group to add a drive to one of the configured groups, available in the drop-down list.
  9. The predefined number of channels is already displayed in the Max. channels drop-down list. The number of available channels depends on your SEP sesam Server package. The standard license supports 5 concurrent streams, enabling 5 backup processes to run simultaneously. For details on SEP sesam licenses, see Licensing.
  10. Information sign.png Note
    You cannot set this data store capacity during its creation. Upon the first backup to this data store, the free space on the CIFS share will be added to the data store information.
  11. Click OK to configure your data store. You will be prompted to create a new media pool for it immediately.
  12. Click Yes to configure a new media pool.

Configuring a media pool for backing up to CIFS shares

Enter the following information in the New Media Pool dialog. For details, see Configuring a Media Pool.
CIFS media pool.jpg
Enter a media pool name, for example, MP_CIFS_dly, select a preconfigured drive group and set up the Retention time, for which the media from the pool are protected from writing (see Managing EOL).

Backing up data from the CIFS share

You can back up your data from the CIFS share without installing any SEP sesam software. You have to create local backup tasks, for example, //QNAP/media//*, and disable the option Backup with VSS. For more details on backup configuration, see Standard Backup Procedure.


Information sign.png Note
For Linux clients, the CIFS share must be mounted and the backup source is the mount folder, not the share.

CIFS bck task.jpg
If you want to start the newly created task immediately, right-click the name of the task and click Immediate start. If you want to schedule the task, click New schedule under Main Selection -> Scheduling -> Schedules. Once you have configured a schedule, you must create a new backup event for it. For details on how to configure a backup, see Standard Backup Procedure.

Information sign.png Note
If the backup fails with a WIN32 API Error: Access denied, the SEP sesam Server has issues accessing the UNC path correctly.

If your CIFS backup fails, make sure the following conditions are met:

  • The service runs under a user account that has access to the local filesystem (for local backups) and to the CIFS share (rights and same password in Windows and on NAS.
  • You are able to create some files in the CIFS directory by using Explorer.
  • There is enough free space on the CIFS share to store the backed up data.
  • The CIFS share to which you want to back up data is not mapped as a network drive.

See also

Configuring a Data StoreConfiguring a Media PoolStandard Backup ProcedureNetApp CIFS Backup

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