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    							Dell AppAssure User Guide
    Version 5.4.3 Revision B49
    Viewing the Recovery Points Only menu
    The Recovery Points Only menu appears in the left navigation area if your AppAssure Core retains some recovery 
    points from a machine that was previously protected.
    You can collapse or expand the view of recovery points-only machines by clicking the arrow on the left side of 
    this menu.
    The menu includes a drop-down menu on the right side which lists functions that can be performed on all 
    recovery points-only machines simultaneously. In this case, the only function you can perform is to remove 
    recovery points from the Core.
    Viewing the Custom Groups menu
    The custom groups menu appears in the left navigation area only if you have defined one or more custom 
    groups.
    You can collapse or expand the view of items in this menu by clicking the arrow on its left side.
    The custom groups menu includes a drop-down menu on the right side which lists functions that can be 
    performed simultaneously on all of the like items in that group.
    For more information, see Understanding custom groups.
    CAUTION: This action removes all of the recovery points-only machines in your AppAssure core, 
    permanently deleting them and precluding you from restoring information from those recovery points 
    from this Core. 
    						
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    Version 5.4.3 Revision B
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    Configuring the AppAssure Core
    This chapter describes how to configure the Core in your AppAssure environment in preparation for initial use, 
    including managing licenses and repositories. This chapter also describes how to view information on the Core 
    based on specific configuration, such as with custom groups, and how to back up and restore your Core 
    configuration settings. It includes the following sections:
    •Managing licenses
    •Understanding repositories
    •Managing a repository
    •About the repository Integrity Check job
    •Understanding custom groups
    Before you can use AppAssure, you must configure the AppAssure Core.Initially configuring the AppAssure Core 
    involves understanding certain concepts and performing certain initial operations. At minimum, this includes:
    •Managing your license. The Core requires a license key or file, which communicates with the Dell 
    AppAssure License Portal. For information on managing your license from the AppAssure Core, see 
    Managing licenses. For more information, see the Dell AppAssure License Portal Guide.
    • Creating and managing your repository. The AppAssure Core uses a repository to store data, which 
    includes defining storage locations to volumes on which your backup data is stored.
    •For general information about repositories, see Understanding repositories.
    •For steps to manage a repository, see Managing a repository.
    •If using replication, and if you want to have different retention policies on source and target 
    cores, then users upgrading from a target core prior to release 5.3.6 must perform an integrity 
    check job. For more information, see About the repository Integrity Check job.
    Optionally, you can also configure a custom group of objects available in your Core. This group, which appears 
    in the Protected Machines menu, can be heterogeneous; it can include one or more protected machines, 
    replicated machines, or server clusters, in any combination. If using a custom group, you can perform group 
    actions that apply to all members of that custom group, as described in Performing group actions. For more 
    information on custom groups, see Understanding custom groups.
    Other configuration tasks may be required, based on your business requirements. For example:
    • Configuring encryption keys. The AppAssure Core can encrypt agent snapshot data within the 
    repository, using encryption keys. For more information securing your data by configuring encryption 
    keys, see Understanding encryption keys.
    • Configure event notification. The AppAssure Core can send notification of specific predefined sets of 
    events using several methods that you can configure. For more information on configuring event 
    notifications, see Managing events. If you want to include email as one notification method, you must 
    configure an email server in the AppAssure Core. For more information, see Configuring an email server.
    You can configure your repository, define event notification, and define encryption keys individually, or you can 
    use the Quick Start Guide to guide you through Core configuration processes. The Quick Start Guide allows you 
    to launch wizards and configuration steps, or just to see the recommended flow to accomplish configuration 
    tasks.
    If configuring using the Quick Start Guide, you first protect a machine using the Protect Machine Wizard. During 
    this step, you are prompted to establish storage locations, including creating and sizing a repository. This guide 
    will also allow you to configure event notification, configure encryption keys, set up replication, export to a 
    virtual machine, and view or change your retention policy. If you have recovery points on the Core, this guide  
    						
    							Dell AppAssure User Guide
    Version 5.4.3 Revision B51 will allow you to restore data. For information about the Quick Start Guide, including how to launch or hide this 
    feature, see Understanding the Quick Start Guide.
    If performing configuration tasks individually, then you must perform certain initial configuration tasks, such as 
    creating and configuring the repository for storing backup snapshots, optionally defining encryption keys for 
    securing protected data, and optionally setting up notifications for tasks, alerts, and events.IAfter you 
    complete the initial configuration of the AppAssure Core, you can then protect one or more agent machines, 
    and perform recovery. AppAssure includes a default retention policy, which you may want to configure to your 
    custom requirements. If protecting SQL databases, you can configure SQL attachability. You can also create 
    custom groups, 
    Additional configuration of the AppAssure Core includes the following operations:
    • Protect a single agent machine. For more information on protecting an agent machine using the Protect 
    Machine Wizard, see Protecting a machine.
    • Protect multiple agent machines. For more information on protecting multiple agent machines in one 
    step using the Protect Machine Wizard, see Protecting multiple machines.
    • Restoring data from recovery points. For more information on restoring data from recovery points using 
    the Restore Wizard, see Restoring data from recovery points.
    • Configure retention policy. For more information on configuring retention policies, see Managing 
    retention policies.
    • Configure SQL attachability. For more information on configuring SQL attachability, see Configuring SQL 
    attachability settings.
    Understanding repositories
    A repository is used to store the snapshots that are captured from your protected workstations and servers. The 
    repository can reside on different storage technologies such as Storage Area Network (SAN), Direct Attached 
    Storage (DAS), or Network Attached Storage (NAS).
    When you create a repository, the AppAssure Core pre-allocates the storage space required for the data and 
    metadata in the specified location. You can create up to 255 independent repositories on a single core that span 
    across different storage technologies; in addition, you can further increase the size of a repository by adding 
    new file extents or specifications. An extended repository can contain up to 4096 extents that span across 
    different storage technologies.
    Key repository concepts and considerations include:
    •The repository is based on the AppAssure Scalable Object File System.
    •All data stored within a repository is globally deduplicated.
    •The Scalable Object File System can deliver scalable I/O performance in tandem with global data 
    deduplication, encryption, and retention management.
    NOTE: AppAssure repositories should be stored on primary storage devices. Archival storage devices such 
    as Data Domain are not supported due to performance limitations. Similarly, repositories should not be 
    stored on NAS filers that tier to the cloud as these devices tend to have performance limitations when 
    used as primary storage. 
    						
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    Managing a repository
    Before you can use AppAssure, you need to set up one or more repositories on the AppAssure Core server. A 
    repository stores your protected data; more specifically, it stores the snapshots that are captured from the 
    protected servers in your environment.
    When you configure a repository, you can perform a variety of tasks such as specifying where to locate the data 
    storage on the Core server, how many locations should be added to each repository, the name of the repository, 
    how many current operations the repositories support, and so on.
    When you create a repository, the Core pre-allocates the space required for storing data and metadata in the 
    specified location. You can create up to 255 independent repositories on a single core. To further increase the 
    size of a single repository, you can add new storage locations or volumes.
    Managing a repository involves creating, configuring, and viewing a repository and includes the following 
    operations:
    • Access the Core Console. For more information on how to access the AppAssure Core Console, see 
    Understanding the AppAssure Core Console.
    • Create a repository. For more information about creating a repository, see Creating a repository.
    • View repository details. For more information about viewing repository details, see Viewing details 
    about a repository.
    • Modify repository settings. For more information about modifying repository settings, see Modifying 
    repository settings.
    • Add a new storage location. For more information on adding a new storage location, see Adding a 
    storage location to an existing repository.
    • Check a repository. For more information about checking a repository, see Checking a repository.
    • Delete a repository. For more information about deleting a repository, see Deleting a repository.
    Creating a repository
    Complete the following steps to create a repository. 
    To create a repository
    1 From the AppAssure Core Console, do one of the following:
    •On the Home page, in the Repositories pane, click Add New Repository.
    •Click the Configuration tab, and from the Repositories page, click Add new.
    The Add New Repository dialog box displays.
    2 Enter the information as described in the following table.
    Table 26. Add New Repository settings
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Repository Name Enter the display name of the repository.
    By default, this text box consists of the word Repository and an index 
    number, which corresponds to the number of the new repository. You 
    can change the name as needed. You can enter up to 40 characters.
    Concurrent Operations Define the number of concurrent requests you want the repository to 
    support. By default the value is 64.
    Comments Optionally, enter a descriptive note about this repository. You an enter 
    up to 254 characters. 
    						
    							Dell AppAssure User Guide
    Version 5.4.3 Revision B53 3Click Add Storage Location to define the specific storage location or volume for the repository.
    The Add Storage Location dialog box appears.
    4 In the Storage Location area, specify how to add the file for the storage location. You can choose to add 
    the file on the local disk or on CIFS share.
    •Select Add file on local disk to specify a local machine, and then enter the information as 
    described in the following table.
    •Or, select Add file on CIFS share to specify a network share location, and then enter the 
    information as described in the following table.
    5 In the Storage Configuration area, click More Details and enter the details for the storage location as 
    described in the following table.
    WA R N I N G :  If the AppAssure repository that you are creating in this step is later removed, all files at 
    the storage location of your repository will be deleted. If you do not define a dedicated folder to store 
    the repository files, then those files will be stored in the root; deleting the repository will also delete 
    the entire contents of the root, resulting in catastrophic data loss.
    NOTE: AppAssure repositories should be stored on primary storage devices. Archival storage 
    devices such as Data Domain are not supported due to performance limitations. Similarly, 
    repositories should not be stored on NAS filers that tier to the cloud as these devices tend to have 
    performance limitations when used as primary storage.
    Table 27. Local disk settings
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Data Path Enter the location for storing the protected data.
    For example, type X:\Repository\Data.
    The same limitations to the path apply; use only alphanumeric characters, 
    hyphen, or period, with no spaces or special characters.
    Metadata Path Enter the location for storing the protected metadata.
    For example, type X:\Repository\Metadata.
    When specifying the path, use only alphanumeric characters, the hyphen, 
    and the period (only to separate host names and domains). The letters a to z 
    are case-insensitive. Do not use spaces. No other symbols or punctuation 
    characters are permitted.
    Table 28. CIFS share credentials
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    UNC Path Enter the path for the network share location.
    If this location is at the root, define a dedicated folder name (for example, 
    Repository).
    The path must begin with \\. When specifying the path, use only 
    alphanumeric characters, the hyphen, and the period (only to separate host 
    names and domains). The letters a to z are case-insensitive. Do not use 
    spaces. No other symbols or punctuation characters are permitted.
    User Name Specify a user name for accessing the network share location.
    Password Specify a password for accessing the network share location. 
    						
    							Dell AppAssure User Guide
    Version 5.4.3 Revision B54 6Click Save.
    The Repositories screen displays to include the newly added storage location.
    7 Optionally, repeat Step 3 through Step 6 to add additional storage locations for the repository.
    8Click Create to create the repository.
    The Repository displays in the Configuration tab. Table 29. Storage location details
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Size Set the size or capacity for the storage location. The default is 250 MB. You 
    can choose from the following:
    •MB
    •GB
    •TB
    NOTE: The size that you specify cannot exceed the size of the volume.
    If the storage location is a New Technology File System (NTFS) volume using 
    Windows XP or Windows 7, the file size limit is 16 TB.
    If the storage location is a NTFS volume using Windows 8, 8.1 or Windows 
    Server 2012, 2012 R2, the file size limit is 256 TB.
    NOTE: For AppAssure to validate the operating system, Windows 
    Management Instrumentation (WMI) must be installed on the intended 
    storage location.
    Write Caching Policy The write caching policy controls how the Windows Cache Manager is used in 
    the repository and helps to tune the repository for optimal performance on 
    different configurations.
    Set the value to one of the following:
    •On
    •Off
    •Sync
    If set to On, which is the default, Windows controls the caching.
    NOTE: Setting the write caching policy to On could result in faster 
    performance. If you are using a version of Windows Server prior to Server 
    2012, the recommended setting is Off.
    If set to Off, AppAssure controls the caching.
    If set to Sync, Windows controls the caching as well as the synchronous 
    input/output.
    Bytes per Sector Specify the number of bytes you want each sector to include. The default 
    value is 512.
    Average Bytes per 
    RecordSpecify the average number of bytes per record. The default value is 8192. 
    						
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    Version 5.4.3 Revision B55
    Viewing details about a repository
    Complete the following step to view the details for a repository.
    To view details about a repository
    1 In the AppAssure Core Console, click the Configuration tab.
    The Repositories page displays.
    2 Click the right angle bracket > symbol next to the Status column of the repository for which you want to 
    view the details.
    3 From the Settings icon next to the Compression Ratio column, you can perform the following actions for 
    a repository:
    •Modify Settings
    •Add a Storage Location
    •Check a Repository
    •Delete a Repository
    4 Details also display for the repository to include the storage locations and statistics. Storage location 
    details include:
    •Metadata Path
    •Data Path
    •Size
    The statistical information available for you to view consist of:
    •Deduplication
    •Record I/O
    •Storage Engine
    The level of detail available for Deduplication is reported as the number of block dedupe hits, block 
    dedupe misses, and block compression rate.
    The detail rendered for Record I/O consists of the rate (MB/s), read rate (MB/s), and write rate (MB/s).
    The storage engine details are include the rate (MB/s), read rate (MB/s), and write rate (MB/s), 
    						
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    Version 5.4.3 Revision B56
    Modifying repository settings
    After you add a repository, you can modify the repository settings such as the description or the maximum 
    concurrent operations. You can also add a new storage location for the repository. For more information on 
    adding a new storage location, see Adding a storage location to an existing repository.
    To modify repository settings
    1 In the AppAssure Core Console, click the Configuration tab.
    The Repositories page displays.
    2 Click the Settings icon next to the Compression Ratio column below the Actions button, and then 
    Settings.
    The Repository Settings dialog box displays.
    3 Edit the repository information as described in the following table.
    4Click Save. Table 30. Repository information
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Repository Name Represents the display name of the repository. By default, this text box 
    consists of the word Repository and an index number, which corresponds 
    to the number of the repository.
    NOTE: You cannot edit the repository name.
    Description Optionally, enter a descriptive note about the repository.
    Maximum Concurrent 
    OperationsDefine the number of concurrent requests you want the repository to 
    support.
    Enable Deduplication Clear this checkbox to turn off deduplication, or select this checkbox to 
    enable deduplication.
    NOTE: Changing this setting only applies to backups taken after the 
    setting has been made. Existing data, or data replicated from another 
    core or imported from an archive, will retain the deduplication values in 
    place at the time the data was captured from an agent.
    Enable Compression  Clear this checkbox to turn off compression, or select this checkbox to 
    enable compression.
    NOTE: This setting applies only to backups taken after the setting has 
    been changed. Existing data, or data replicated from another core or 
    imported from an archive, will retain the compression values in place at 
    the time the data was captured from an agent. 
    						
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    Opening an existing repository
    Complete the following procedure to open an existing repository. 
    To open an existing repository
    1 On the AppAssure Core Console, click the Configuration tab.
    2 On the Repositories page of the Configuration tab, click Open existing.
    3 On the dialog box, enter the following information for the repository you want to open:
    •Path. The path for the repository (for example, D:\work\machine for a local path, or 
    \\servername\sharename for a network path).
    •User name. If the repository has a network path, enter the user name for logging in to the 
    network share.
    •Password. If the repository has a network path, enter the password for logging in to the network 
    share.
    4Click Open.
    Adding a storage location to an existing repository
    Adding a storage location lets you define where you want the repository or volume to be stored. Complete the 
    steps in the following procedure to specify the storage location for the repository or volume.
    To add a storage location to an existing repository
    1 Click the Settings icon next to the Compression Ratio column below the Actions button and then Add 
    Storage Location.
    The Add Storage Location dialog box displays.
    2 Specify how to add the file for the storage location. You can choose to add the file on the local disk or on 
    CIFS share.
    •Select Add file on local disk to specify a local machine and then enter the information as 
    described in the following table.
    •Or, select Add file on CIFS share to specify a network share location and then enter the 
    information as described in the following table. Table 31. Local disk settings
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Metadata Path Enter the location for storing the protected metadata.
    For example, type X:\Repository\Metadata.
    When specifying the path, use only alphanumeric characters, the hyphen, and 
    the period (only to separate host names and domains). The letters a to z are 
    case-insensitive. Do not use spaces. No other symbols or punctuation characters 
    are permitted.
    Data Path Enter the location for storing the protected data.
    For example, type X:\Repository\Data.
    The same limitations to the path apply; use only alphanumeric characters, 
    hyphen, or period, with no spaces or special characters. 
    						
    							Dell AppAssure User Guide
    Version 5.4.3 Revision B58 3 In the Storage Configuration pane, click More Details and enter the details for the storage location as 
    described in the following table.
    4Click Save. Table 32. CIFS share credentials
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    UNC Path Enter the path for the network share location.
    If this location is at the root, define a dedicated folder name (for example, 
    Repository).
    The path must begin with \\. When specifying the path, use only alphanumeric 
    characters, the hyphen, and the period (only to separate host names and 
    domains). The letters a to z are case-insensitive. Do not use spaces. No other 
    symbols or punctuation characters are permitted.
    User Name Specify a user name for accessing the network share location. 
    Password Specify a password for accessing the network share location.
    Table 33. Storage location details
    Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
    Size Set the size or capacity for the storage location.The default size is 
    250 MB. You can choose from the following:
    •MB
    •GB
    •TB
    NOTE: The size that you specify cannot exceed the size of the 
    volume.
    If the storage location is a New Technology File System (NTFS) 
    volume using Windows XP or Windows 7, the file size limit is 16 TB.
    If the storage location is a NTFS volume using Windows 8, 8.1 or 
    Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, the file size limit is 256 TB.
    NOTE: For AppAssure to validate the operating system, Windows 
    Management Instrumentation (WMI) must be installed on the 
    intended storage location.
    Write Caching Policy The write caching policy controls how the Windows Cache Manager 
    is used in the repository and helps to tune the repository for 
    optimal performance on different configurations.
    Set the value to one of the following:
    •On
    •Off
    •Sync
    If set to On, which is the default, Windows controls the caching.
    NOTE: Setting the write caching policy to On could result in faster 
    performance. If you are using a version of Windows Server prior to 
    Server 2012, the recommended setting is Off.
    If set to Off, AppAssure controls the caching.
    If set to Sync, Windows controls the caching as well as the 
    synchronous input/output.
    Bytes per Sector Specify the number of bytes you want each sector to include. The 
    default value is 512.
    Average Bytes per Record Specify the average number of bytes per record. The default value 
    is 8192. 
    						
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