Adding & Managing Network Drives (SMB(CIFS) Share & Windows File Share)

Adding & Managing Network Drives (SMB(CIFS) Share & Windows File Share)

This section provides information on adding and managing network drives as a storage repository in the BDRSuite Backup Server.

Add Network Drives

NAS/SAN as Backup Repository

Add Network Drives (NAS, SAN) as storage volumes to create a Block Storage Repository. Follow the steps below to mount your network drives as storage volumes.
On the 'Create New Block Storage Repository' page, click on 'Add Network Drives' button.
In the Add Network Drive page, Read the given instructions and enable the checkbox “I understand that if the above recommendations are not addressed, it can result in serious data loss”, to proceed.

Step 1: Enter Drive Path

Provide the ‘Drive Path’ – Network path of the drive to be added. Ex: \\[server]\[sharename]\.
Provide a drive letter/name for the network drive in the ‘Display Drive Name’ section. Ex: G.

Step 2: Enter Credentials  

If the network drive requires login authentication provide the Username and Password to authenticate drive addition. [Optional]
Click ‘Save’ to add the network drive as a storage volume.
The added network drive will be listed as a storage volume in the ‘Create New Block Storage Repository’ page and can be used while creating the backup repository.

Important Recommendations;

  1. If you are using Windows File Share, ensure that you enable “SMB Transport Failover”.
  2. If you are using CIFS (SMB) share, ensure that the Storage Appliance/NAS Box supports Continuously Available (CA) SMB share and it is enabled.
  3. If “SMB Transport Failover” or “Continuously Available” SMB share is disabled or if it is not supported then it can result in serious data loss.

Windows File Share or CIFS (SMB) share as Backup Repository

Read the following carefully if you would like to use CIFS (SMB) share as your backup repository in BDRSuite.
  1. If your storage appliance/NAS box does not support the Continuous Availability option, then you can check if it supports iSCSI. If it supports iSCSI, we highly recommend that you use the iSCSi option by creating a LUN. You can then mount the created LUN as a volume on the BDRSuite Backup Server or BDRSuite Offsite DR Server machine and use that volume as the target for your backup repository.
  2. If your storage appliance/NAS box supports continuously available SMB share and you want to configure the SMB share as the backup repository, make sure you enable the “continuous availability” option while creating the SMB share on your storage appliances/NAS box. This option is available in most high-end storage appliances.
  3. If your storage appliance/NAS box does not support the Continuous Availability option, then you can check if it supports iSCSI. If it supports iSCSI, we highly recommend that you use the iSCSi option by creating a LUN. You can then mount the created LUN as a volume on the BDRSuite Backup/Offsite server machine and use that volume as the target for your backup repository.
  4. If you plan to use ‘Windows File Share’ as a backup repository, make sure you enable the ‘SMB Transparent Failover’ feature while creating the SMB share. The SMB Transparent Failover is highly recommended by Microsoft if you want to make your SMB shares continuously available. As per Microsoft’s recommendation to enable the ‘SMB Transparent Failover’ feature while creating the SMB share, you should run ‘Failover Clustering’ on Windows Servers 2012 and above with at least two nodes. Refer the following link for more details, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/clausjor/smb-transparent-failover-making-file-shares-continuously-available
  5. If the BDRSuite Backup Server or Offsite DR Server is deployed in a Linux machine, you can use an NFS share as a backup repository. If NFS is supported by your storage appliance/NAS box, you can mount the NFS share as a volume on the Linux machine and configure it as a backup repository for the BDRSuite Backup Server or BDRSuite Offsite DR Server.

Data Domain as a Backup Repository (Example)

In this section, you will find comprehensive information about utilizing Dell Data Domain as a backup repository. It covers the configuration process of integrating Dell Data Domain with the BDRSuite Backup Server for efficient and reliable backup storage.

How to add Dell Data Domain as a Backup Repository in BDRSuite Backup Server?

Prerequisites:
  1. Install and Configure BDRSuite Backup Server.
  2. Download and Install BoostFS plugin on the machine where BDRSuite Backup Server is hosted.
  3. Check the connectivity between the BDRSuite Backup Server and the Data Domain system.

Notes
Note:
  1. For the installation and configuration of BoostFS agent on Windows, refer to the page number- 14 of the above document.
  2. To mount the BoostFS file-system on Windows machine refer to the page number – 22 of the above-document for more details.
  3. For the installation and configuration of BoostFS agent on Linux-Ubuntu, refer to the page number- 24 of the above document.
  4. To mount the BoostFS file-system on Linux-Ubuntu machine refer to the page number – 28 of the above-document for more details.

Adding as Backup Repository for BDRSuite installed on Windows

Step 1: Check and mount the BoostFS file system as a drive to the Windows machine (Refer to the subtitle- Steps to mount BoostFS file system as drive, in the above guide for more details).
Step 2: Install the BDRSuite Backup Server on the same machine on which the BoostFS file system is mounted. (Refer to the user guide to Install the BDRSuite Backup Server)
Step 3: Login to the BDRSuite Backup Server web-console and click on the Backup Server menu.
Step 4: Next select the Block Storage option under the Backup Repository.
Step 5: In the Backup Repository Configuration – Block Storage page, click on the Manage Network Drive> Add Network Drive as Storage Volume button.
Step 6: In the Add Network Drive page, read through the recommendation and fill the requested fields of (Drive Path, Drive Name, Username, and Password). In the Drive Path field add the UNC path of the mounted BoostFS drive.
Step 7: Once done adding the details on the Add Network Drive page, click Save and the added drive will be listed in the Manage Network Drive page.
Step 8: Now click on Create New Block Storage Repository button on the Backup Repository Configuration – Block Storage page.
Step 9: On this page the added Network drive will be listed as a storage volume, select that respective storage volume and add a Repository Name for identification.
Step 10: Before saving the details make sure you have selected the Disable compression and encryption for this repository option and then create the repository.

Adding as Backup Repository for BDRSuite installed on Linux

Step 1: Check and mount the BoostFS file system as a drive to the Linux Ubuntu machine (Refer to the subtitle­ Installation and configuration of BoostFS agent on Linux application host, in the above guide for more details).
Step 2: Install the BDRSuite Backup Server on the same machine on which the BoostFS file system is mounted. (Refer to the user guide to Install the BDRSuite Backup Server)

Notes
Note: Follow below steps to add the BootFS mount point in “/etc/fstab” to avoid unmounting during system reboot. The below Commands should be entered in Terminal with root privileges.
  1. Open “/etc/fstab” in terminal.  Example:> vi /etc/fstab
  2. Make the entry for the new volume at the end of the file. defaults 1 2  Example: /dev/sdb1 /storage ext4 defaults 1 2

Step 3: Login to the BDRSuite Backup Server web-console and click on the Backup Server menu.
Step 4: Now click on Create New Block Storage Repository button on the Backup Repository Configuration – Block Storage page.
Step 5: In this page the added Network drive will be listed as a storage volume, select that respective storage volume and add a Repository Name for identification.
Step 6: Before saving the details make sure you have selected the Disable compression and encryption for this repository option and then create the repository.
By following the steps, you will successfully add Dell Data Domain as storage to BDRSuite Backup Server. Remember to monitor the backup jobs and the storage usage on the Data Domain system to ensure that the backups are running smoothly and that there is enough storage capacity to accommodate future backups.

Manage Network Drives

This option helps to add, edit, delete network drives which will be listed along with a separate drive letter. You can add ‘n’ number of network drives and manage it via the Manage Network Drives page.
  1. In the Backup Repository Configuration – Block Storage page click on the Manage Network Drive button.
  2. You get to add a network drive as storage volume directly by clicking on the ‘Add Network Drive as Storage Volume’ button.
  3. Under the ‘Action’ section you can click on the ‘Edit’ option to change the Username and Password of the Network volume, and you can also delete an added network drive by clicking on the ‘Delete’ option.