5 1 0:Configuring Clients

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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


SEP sesam Client is a system that has a SEP sesam Client package installed, is added to the SEP sesam environment as a client, and is included in backup plans for data protection. Clients can be workstations, PCs, virtual machines or file servers with gigabytes of data.

The abbreviation SBC (sesam backup client) is used in a more technical sense for programs that execute backup, migration, and restore tasks. SBC collects and consolidates backup data on the client system and delivers it to the Sesam Transfer Protocol Server (STPD – a service that requests backup data from the SMS Server and manages the data flow between the SEP sesam Server and a client). The SBC module can also be controlled directly without other SEP modules by using SEP sesam CLI.

In the SEP sesam GUI you can check if an update is available for your clients. You can simultaneously update all clients in the same location or decide to update only the Linux or Windows clients that belong to the selected location. You can also exclude a specific client from updating or install SEP sesam component(s) on new Windows clients. For details, see Updating client(s).

SEP sesam allows you to configure permissions (ACLs) for a location (group of clients) or a specific client. For details, see section Permissions and access.

Procedure

SEP Tip.png Tip
VMs only

If you intend to back up multiple VMs, you can automate the process by automatically generating tasks for VMs that are connected to the same host; you can also automatically create clients for VMs to which the created tasks and ACLs can be assigned. It is recommended to use these features when a new hypervisor is added and many new VMs need to be backed up. For details, see Automating Backup Process.

  1. In the Main selection -> Components -> Clients, select the desired location (LOCAL is always created by default), and then click New client. Enter the name of the client – this has to be the network host name of the computer. The name has to be resolvable either via DNS or the hosts file. If there is a name server (DNS) in the network, SEP sesam automatically selects the TCP/IP address. Otherwise you have to enter it manually in the etc/hosts file.
  2. Select the Virtual machine check box when adding a VM. For VMs with SEP sesam backup Client installed, also select the check box SEP sesam client. Then select the appropriate host and name from the Virtualization server name (host) and Virtual machine name drop-down lists.
  3. Note that setting these options automatically sets the client access mode. In most cases, you can change the mode at any time to suit your needs.
  4. From the Platform drop-down list, select the relevant platform: LINUX, WINDOWS, UNIX, NDMP, VMS, NETWARE, or STORAGE (HPE-related). In most cases, the Operating system is automatically selected when you select the Platform.
  5. If not set, select the appropriate client operating system from the Operating system drop-down list.
  6. If the client is to be managed as a VM server, select the Virtualization server check box and then select the appropriate VM server type from the drop-down list, e.g. vCenter, Hyper-v Cluster, KVM Server, etc. This allows you to browse the virtual environment when creating backup tasks, for example.
  7. If not already set, select the communication method and access type between the client and the SEP sesam Server from the Access Mode drop-down list. The following access modes are available: CTRL, SMSSH, PROXY, VIRTUAL, SSH, and RSH. For details, see Access Modes.
  8. Information sign.png Note
    In v. 5.0.0 Jaglion, the Access mode was only available if you used the user interface in advanced or expert UI mode (see Selecting UI mode). With 5.0.0 Jaglion V2, the Access mode is visible regardless of the UI mode.
  9. Optionally, you can specify the following fields:
    • The Notes field provides an option to comment your configuration.
    • The Interfaces field is only for specifying additional interfaces for SEP sesam Server or Remote Device Server (RDS).
      • If there is an additional network for backups, you can enter the resolvable and changed DNS name of a second network card of the SEP sesam Server in a new line. If there are several network cards, they need to be known to the DNS, otherwise the connection to the SEP sesam Server will fail.
      • The network protocols for data transfer can be specified with the common prefixes ftp:// (default), http:// or https://.
      • For each protocol one interface has to be added in the interfaces box separated by single spaces. One interface for the HTTP protocol http://<hostname>:11000 and one interface for the HTTPS protocol https://<hostname>:11088.
    • Do not update this client should only be enabled if you want to exclude a specific client from updating.
    • Execution off should only be used in special cases when you want to exclude a client from backups for technical or other reasons. As long as this option is set, the client will be excluded from all scheduled backups.

    Configuring client.jpg

  10. If your client is behind a firewall, you have to configure the communication ports. By default, SEP sesam uses random ports specified by the operating system. However, if you want to back up a client that is behind a firewall, you need to set the ports manually. Switch to the Options tab and set the following:
    • In the Access options field, enter the port over which the client is reachable by using the -p <port_no> command (e.g., -p 17301). The default listen port for the CTRL daemon on clients is 11301 and for SMSSH is 11322.
    • Use STPD options to set up the communication port for transferring data from the backup client to the SEP sesam Server. Note that each backup running simultaneously on a client requires two ports; e.g., three simultaneous backups on the backup client use ports 11002-11007. If HTTP protocol is used for data transfer (SEP sesam Server interface is http://<SEP sesam server>:11000), TCP port 11000 is used.
    • Configuring client-options.jpg
      Information sign.png Note
      Once your client is configured, additional options are available on the Options tab. (Double-click the client to open its properties.) You can change the default listen port and enable Wake-on LAN (WOL) on Windows clients. For details, see Client properties.
  11. In the OS Access tab, you have to enter credentials as an administrator to access the respective systems. Use the format DOMAIN\USER for domain accounts or HOST\USER for local accounts. If set, you can select an existing credential set from the drop-down list.
  12. Configuring client-access.jpg
  13. When you have set all the options, click Create New or OK. Clicking Create New will leave the dialog window open, allowing you to quickly configure multiple clients one after another. Then a new dialog box appears asking whether you want to create a new backup task for this client. Click Yes to create a backup task or No if you intend to configure your backup later. For details, see Standard Backup Procedure.

Your new client is displayed in the Topology content pane.

Permissions and access

In the client properties, additional tabs are available for specifying permissions and access. Double-clicking the client opens its properties and you can specify these additional settings.

The Permissions tab allows you to set the required permissions for your client. For details, see Using Access Control Lists.

Client permissions.jpg

When configuring clients to be backed up by specific task types, you need to specify some additional settings. An additional tab is available for the following task types: Micro Focus Open Enterprise Server (formerly Novell OES), VMware, Citrix XEN, MySQL, PostgreSQL, NetApp, RHV. For example, if you configure vCenter Server as a SEP sesam Client, you need to specify the vCenter credentials with the highest administrator privileges and select the appropriate data mover. For more information on specific task types, see the corresponding wiki articles under Extensions.

Client VMware.jpg

SEP Tip.png Tip
You can generate a report for each client with details of client backup tasks, media pools, and data size by selecting the client, right-clicking it, and then selecting Client Report. You can also use the right-click menu to check client access and update status.


See also

Using Access Control ListsHow to check DNS configurationTopology: Client PropertiesClients OverviewManaging Credential SetsStandard Backup Procedure

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