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

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Revision as of 20:58, 9 January 2012 by Jd@sepsoftware.com (talk | contribs) (→‎Check access to the CIFS share: tell the user that $ symbols are optional)

How to backup to CIFS or NAS storages with SEP Sesam

About

This manual shows you how to save your data to remote devices like NAS storages, which can export volumes via CIFS shares.

Prerequisites

Dedicated disk space

The volume, which should be used for storing the data, should not be used for other data. Please make sure to create a fresh volume without any other data for use with SEP Sesam only, especially if you want to use a DataStore for backup!

SEP Sesam service user

In order to be able to backup to CIFS shares the SEP Sesam service has to run as local Administrator account. By default SEP Sesam is started as local system account, which does not have access to network drives.

The user which SEP Sesam uses can be changed in the services settings like shown here:

File:Backup cifs1.jpg

After changing the account please restart the service.

  • It may be necessary to use the Domain Admin account (WINDOWS_DOMAIN/Administrator) if the target is a domain member.

Check access to the CIFS share

Log-on with the user name which you have just configured in the service settings and try accessing the share using the explorer via UNC path like shown in this screen shot:

Backup cifs2.jpg

In this example the storage we want to backup to is represented as "\\sepnap.sep.de\winfix$"

During access with the Internet Explorer no user name or password request for authentication should appear, otherwise sesam has problems accessing the network share.

The CIFS share should not be mapped to some network drive letter at the same time!

The $ symbols are recommended but not required.

Configuration

Configure a DataStore to backup to CIFS share

In order to create a DataStore which can be able to backup to a CIFS share, the drive, which gets configured for a DataStore, has to point to the network share like shown in this screen shot:


File:Backup cifs3.jpg

In this example the DataStore should backup to "\\sepnap.sep.de\winfix$". The capacity cannot be set during creation. Upon the first backup to this DataStore the free space on the CIFS share will be added to the DataStores information!

Configure a regular media pool for backup to CIFS shares

Just like the DataStore, a media pool location simply points to a certain UNC Path, in this example, the location we want to backup to is "\\sepnap.sep.de\winfix$":

File:Backup cifs4.jpg

Troubleshooting

If backup fails, check the following topics:

  • does the service really run as local Administrator account?
  • can you create files in the directory via the systems explorer?
  • enough free space on the CIFS share to store enough data?
  • is the same share you want to backup to mapped to some kind drive name?