Dell Appassure 5 User Guide

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B159 7Click Next.
8 On the Volumes page, select the volumes to export, for example, C: and D:\, and then click Next.
9On the Summary page, click Finish to complete the wizard and to start the export.
Performing a continual (Virtual Standby) VirtualBox 
export
Complete the steps in this procedure to create a Virtual Standby and perform a continual export to VirtualBox.
To perform a continual (virtual standby) VirtualBox export
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, do one of the following:
•On the Virtual Standby tab, click Add to launch the Export Wizard. On the Protected Machines 
page of the Export Wizard, select the protected machine you want to export, and then click 
Next.
•Navigate to the machine you want to export, and, on the Summary tab in the Actions drop-down 
menu for that machine, click Export > Virtual Standby.
2 On the Destination page in the Export Wizard, in the Recover to Virtual machine drop-down menu, select 
VirtualBox, and then click Next.
3 On the Virtual Machine Options page, select Use Windows machine.
4 Enter the parameters for accessing the virtual machine as described in the following table.
5 To specify a user account for the virtual machine, select Specify the user account for the exported 
virtual machine, and then enter the following information. This refers to a specific user account for 
which the virtual machine will be registered in the event there are multiple user accounts on the virtual 
machine. When this user account is logged on, only this user will see this Virtual Machine in VirtualBox 
manager. If an account is not specified, then the Virtual Machine will be registered for all existing users 
on the Windows machine with VirtualBox.
•User name - Enter the user name for which the virtual machine is registered.
•Password - Enter the password for this user account.
NOTE: You can monitor the status and progress of the export by viewing the Virtual Standby or 
Events tab.
Table 84. Virtual machine parameters
Option Description
Virtual Machine 
NameEnter a name for the virtual machine being created.
NOTE: The default name is the name of the source machine.
Target Path Specify a local or remote target path to create the virtual machine.
NOTE: The target path should not be a root directory.

If you specify a network share path, you will need to enter valid logon credentials 
(user name and password) for an account that is registered on the target machine. 
The account must have read and write permissions to the network share.
Memory Specify the memory usage for the virtual machine by clicking one of the following:
• Use the same amount of RAM as source machine
• Use a specific amount of RAM, and then specify the amount in MB
The minimum amount is 1024 MB and the maximum allowed by the application 
is 65536 MB. The maximum amount of memory usage is limited by the amount 
of RAM available to the host machine. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B160 6Select Perform initial one-time export to perform the virtual export immediately instead of after the 
next scheduled snapshot.
7Click Next.
8 On the Volumes page, select the volumes to export, for example, C: and D:\, and then click Next.
9On the Summary page, click Finish to complete the wizard and to start the export.
NOTE: You can monitor the status and progress of the export by viewing the Virtual Standby or 
Events tab. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B
10
161
Managing protected machines
This chapter describes how to view, configure and manage the protected machines in your AppAssure 
environment. It includes the following sections:
•Configuring machine settings
•Accessing protected machine diagnostics
•Managing machines
•Managing snapshots and recovery points
From the Home tab on the AppAssure Core Console, you can view summary information for any machines 
protected by the Core. 
You can view the status, the display name for each machine, which repository it uses, the date and time of the 
last snapshot, how many recovery points exist in the repository for the machine, and the total amount of 
storage space the snapshots use in the repository.
To manage aspects of any protected machine, start by navigating to the machine you want to view, configure, or 
manage. From the Home tab, there are three ways to navigate to a protected machine:
•You can click on the display name of any protected machine. This takes you to the Summary tab for any 
protected machine. For a detailed description of this page, see Viewing the Machines tab for a protected 
machine.
•In the left navigation area, you can click Protected Machines. The Machines tab appears. On the 
Protected Machines pane, you can see summary information about each machine. For a detailed 
description of this page, see Viewing the Summary tab.
•In the left navigation area, under Protected Machines, you can click any protected machine display 
name. This takes you to the Summary tab for any protected machine. For a detailed description of this 
page, see Viewing the Summary tab
The tasks you can accomplish to manage protected machines are broken down into a few categories.
•You can configure machine settings, access system information, or configure notifications for events 
regarding a particular machine. For more information, see Configuring machine settings.
•You can for access diagnostics for a protected machine. For more information, see Accessing protected 
machine diagnostics.
•You can remove a machine from protection, cancel current operations, or view license information for a 
protected machine. For more information, see Managing machines.
•You can view and manage data saved in the Core. For more information, see Managing snapshots and 
recovery points.
NOTE: A software agent acts on behalf of the user to take specific actions. Protected machines are 
sometimes referred to as agents, since they run the AppAssure Agent software to facilitate data 
backup and replication on the AppAssure Core.  
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B162
Configuring machine settings
Once you have added protection for machines in AppAssure, you can easily modify basic machine configuration 
settings (display name, host name, port, encryption key, and repository), protection settings (changing the 
protection schedule for volumes on the machine, adding or removing volumes, or pausing protection), and 
more. This section describes the various ways you can view and modify machine settings in AppAssure.
Viewing and modifying configuration settings
Complete the steps in this procedure to view and modify configuration settings.
This task is also a step in the Modifying cluster node settings.
To view and modify configuration settings
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the machine for which you want to view and modify 
configuration settings.
2 Click the Configuration tab.
The Settings page displays.
3Click Change to modify the machine settings as described in the following table.
Table 85. Machine settings
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Display Name Enter a display name for the machine.
This is the name that displays for a protected machine in the AppAssure Core 
Console. You can enter up to 64 characters. By default, this is the host name of 
the machine. You can change this to something more user-friendly if needed. Do 
not use prohibited characters or prohibited phrases.
Host Name Enter a host name for the machine.
Port Enter a port number for the machine.
The port is used by the AppAssure Core service to communicate with this 
machine. The default port is 8006.
Encryption Key If you want encryption defined for this AppAssure Core to be applied to the data 
for every volume on this protected machine, you can specify the encryption key 
here. If no encryption keys exist, you can add an encryption key. For more 
information on managing encryption keys, see 
If the volumes on this protected machine are encrypted, you can change to a 
different encryption key. Alternatively, you can disassociate an encryption key by 
selecting (none) from the Encryption key drop-down menu.
NOTE: After you apply an encryption key, change an encryption key, or you 
disassociate an encryption key for a protected machine, AppAssure takes a new 
base image upon the next scheduled or forced snapshot.
Repository Select a repository for the recovery points.
Displays the repository on the AppAssure Core in which to store the data from 
this machine.
NOTE: This setting can only be changed if there are no recovery points or if the 
previous repository is missing. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B163
Viewing system information for a machine
The AppAssure Core Console provides you with easy access to all of the machines that are being protected.
Complete the steps in this procedure to view detailed system information for a protected machine.
To view system information for a machine
1 In the left navigation area of the Core Console, under Protected Machines, select the machine for which 
you want to view detailed system information.
2 Click the Tools tab for that machine, which opens with the System Info page displayed.
The System Information page displays detailed information about the machine, including the following:
•Host Name
•OS Version
•OS Architecture
•Memory (Physical)
•Display Name
•Fully Qualified Domain Name
•Virtual Machine Type (if applicable)
Detailed information about the volumes contained on this machine also displays and includes:
•Name
•Device ID
•File System
•Capacity (including Raw, Formatted, and Used)
Other machine information displayed, includes:
•Pr oce s so rs
•Network Adapters
•IP Addresses associated with this machine
Configuring notification groups for system events
In AppAssure, you can configure how system events are reported for an individual machine by creating 
notification groups. These events could be system alerts, errors, and so on.
To configure notification groups for system events
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the machine you want to modify.
The Summary Tab appears.
2 Click the Configuration tab, and then click Events.
The Notification Groups page displays.
3Click Use custom alert settings.
The Custom Notification Groups screen appears.
4Click Add Group to add new notification groups for sending a list of system events.
The Add Notification Group dialog box displays.
NOTE: To use the default alert settings, select the Use Core alert settings option. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B164 5 Add the notification options as described in the following table.
Table 86. Notification options
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Name Enter a name for the notification group.
Description Enter a description for the notification group.
Enable Alerts Select which events to share with this notification group. You can select All or 
select a subset of events to include:
•Exchange
•Auto Update
•Dedupe Cache
•Recovery Point Check
•Remote Mount
•Boot CD
•Security
•Database Retention
•Local Mount
•Metadata
•Clusters
•Notification
•Power Shell Scripting
•Push Install
•Attachability
•Jobs
•Licensing
•Log Truncation
•Archive
•Core Service
•Export
•Pr ote ct io n
•Replication
•Repository
•Rollback (Restore)
•Rollup
NOTE: When you choose to select by type, by default, the appropriate events are 
automatically enabled. For example, if you choose Warning, the Attachability, 
Jobs, Licensing, Archive, CoreService, Export, Protection, Replication, and 
Rollback (Restore) events are enabled. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B165 6Click OK to save your changes.
7 To edit an existing notification group, click Edit next to the notification group that you want to edit.
The Edit Notification Group dialog box displays for you to edit the settings.
Editing notification groups for system events
Complete the steps in the following procedure to edit notification groups for system events.
To edit notification groups for system events
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the machine you want to modify.
The Summary Tab appears.
2 Click the Configuration tab, and then click Events.
3Click Use custom alert settings.
The Custom Notification Groups screen appears.
4 Click the Edit icon under the Action column.
The Edit Notification Group dialog box displays.
5 Edit the notification options as described in the following table.Notification Options Select the method to specify how to handle notifications.
You can choose from the following options:
•Notify by Email. You would need to specify to which email addresses to 
send the events in the To, CC and, optionally, BCC text boxes.
NOTE: To receive mail, SMTP must be previously configured.
• Notify by Windows Event log. The Windows Event log controls the 
notification.
• Notify by syslogd. You would need to specify to which host name and port 
to send the events.
•Host. Enter the host name for the server.
•Port. Enter a port number for communicating with the server.
• Notify by Toast alerts. Select this option if you want the alert to appear 
as a pop-up in the lower-right corner of your screen.
Table 87. Notification options
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Name Represents the name of the notification group.
NOTE: You cannot edit the name of the notification group.
Description Enter a description for the notification group. Table 86. Notification options
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B166 6Click OK. Enable Alerts Select which events to share with the notification group. You can select All or 
select a subset of events to include:
•Exchange
•Auto Update
•Dedupe Cache
•Recovery Point Check
•Remote Mount
•Boot CD
•Security
•Database Retention
•Local Mount
•Metadata
•Clusters
•Notification
•Power Shell Scripting
•Push Install
•Attachability
•Jobs
•Licensing
•Log Truncation
•Archive
•Core Service
•Export
•Pr ote ct io n
•Replication
•Repository
•Rollback (Restore)
•Rollup
You can also choose to select by type, which are: Info, Warning, and Error.
NOTE: When you choose to select by type, by default, the appropriate events are 
automatically enabled. For example, if you choose Warning, the Attachability, 
Jobs, Licensing, Archive, CoreService, Export, Protection, Replication, and 
Rollback (Restore) events are enabled.
Notification Options Select the method to specify how to handle notifications. The options are:
•Notify by Email. You would need to specify the email addresses to which 
to send the events in the To, CC and optionally, BCC text boxes.
NOTE: To receive email, SMTP must be previously configured.
• Notify by Windows Event log. The Windows Event log controls the 
notification.
•Notify by syslogd. You would need to specify the host name and port to 
which to send the events.
•Host. Enter the host name for the server.
•Port. Enter a port number for communicating with the server.
• Notify by Toast alerts. Select this option if you want the alert to appear 
as a pop-up in the lower-right corner of your screen. Table 87. Notification options
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B167
Modifying transfer settings
In AppAssure, you can modify the settings to manage the data transfer processes for a protected machine. The 
transfer settings described in this section are set at the protected machine level. To affect transfer at the core 
level, see Modifying transfer queue settings.
AppAssure supports Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 for normal transfers, both base and incremental, as 
well as with restore, bare metal restore, and virtual machine export.
There are three types of transfers in AppAssure:
•Snapshot. Backs up the data on your protected machine. Two types of snapshots are possible: a base 
image of all protected data, and an incremental snapshot for data updated since the last snapshot. This 
type of transfer creates recovery points, which are stored on the repository associated with the Core. 
For more information, see Managing snapshots and recovery points.
• Virtual Machine Export. Creates a virtual machine (VM) from a recovery point, containing all of the data 
from the backup of the protected machine, as well the operating system and drivers and associated data 
to ensure the VM is bootable. For more information, see Exporting protected data from Windows 
machines to virtual machines.
•Restore. Restores backup information to a protected machine. For more information, see Restoring 
volumes from a recovery point.
Data transfer in AppAssure involves the transmission of a volume of data along a network from AppAssure 
protected machines to the Core. In the case of replication, transfer also occurs from the originating or source 
Core to the target Core.
Data transfer can be optimized for your system through certain performance option settings. These settings 
control data bandwidth usage during the process of backing up protected machines, performing VM export, or 
performing a restore. These are some factors that affect data transfer performance:
•Number of concurrent agent data transfers
•Number of concurrent data streams
•Amount of data change on disk
•Available network bandwidth
•Repository disk subsystem performance
•Amount of memory available for data buffering
You can adjust the performance options to best support your business needs and fine-tune the performance 
based on your environment.
To modify transfer settings
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the machine you want to modify.
2 Click the Configuration tab, and then click Tr a n s f e r  S e t t i n g s.
The current transfer settings are displayed.
3 On the Transfer Settings page, click Change.
The Transfer Settings dialog box displays.
4 Enter the Transfer Settings options for the machine as described in the following table.
NOTE: The entire volume is always rewritten during restore of Windows systems using EFI system 
partitions. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B168 Table 88. Transfer Settings options
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Priority Sets the transfer priority between protected machines. Enables you 
to assign priority by comparison with other protected machines. 
Select a number from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest priority. The 
default setting establishes a priority of 5.
NOTE: Priority is applied to transfers that are in the queue.
Maximum Concurrent Streams Sets the maximum number of TCP links that are sent to the Core to 
be processed in parallel per protected machine.
NOTE: Dell recommends setting this value to 8. If you experience 
dropped packets, try increasing this setting.
Maximum Concurrent Writes Sets the maximum number of simultaneous disk write actions per 
protected machine connection.
NOTE: Dell recommends setting this to the same value you select 
for Maximum Concurrent Streams. If you experience packet loss, set 
slightly lower—for example, if Maximum Current Streams is 8, set 
this to 7.
Use Core Default Maximum 
RetriesSelect this option to use default retries number for each protected 
machine, if some of the operations fail to complete.
Maximum Segment Size Specifies the largest amount of data, in bytes, that a computer can 
receive in a single TCP segment. The default setting is 4194304.
CAUTION: Do not change this setting from the default.
Maximum Transfer Queue Depth Specifies the amount of commands that can be sent concurrently. 
You can adjust this to a higher number if your system has a high 
number of concurrent input/output operations.
Outstanding Reads per Stream Specifies how many queued read operations will be stored on the 
back end. This setting helps to control the queuing of protected 
machines.
NOTE: Dell recommends setting this value to 24.
Excluded Writers Select a writer if you want to exclude it. Since the writers that 
appear in the list are specific to the machine you are configuring, 
you will not see all writers in your list. For example, some writers 
you may see include:
•ASR Writer
•COM+ REGDB Writer
•Performance Counters Writer
•Registry Writer
•Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
•SQLServerWriter
•System Writer
•Ta s k  S c h e d u l e r  W r i t e r
•VSS Metadata Store Writer
•WMI Writer
Transfer Data Server Port Sets the port for transfers. The default setting is 8009.
Transfer Timeout Specifies in minutes and seconds the amount of time to allow a 
packet to be static without transfer.
Snapshot Timeout Specifies in minutes and seconds the maximum time to wait to take 
a snapshot.