4.2. File Backup¶
File Backup is a service that provides features to store and restore files or folders on the data disk of the Virtual Server (called “Backup file” below”).
Important
- You can use file backup at a Data Center that provides Compute Resource or Compute Resource (Dedicated Device). The services provided differ depending on the Data Center. For details, refer to “1.3.2 Available Data Centers”.
- File backup uses the Service Interconnectivity and the Server Segment.
- Order Form is needed for this service delivery.
4.2.1. Available Features¶
You can use the following features in File Backup.
| Function | Outline | Operation |
| Backup File Storage | A feature for acquiring backup files from and storing backup files in the storage device (called “storage for backup”) provided by NTT Communications. | Customer Portal |
| Backup File Restore | A feature for restoring the backup file* This feature is available from the dedicated application, NetBackup Agent (called “NBU Agent” below), which is installed in the Virtual Server. | Dedicated Application
(Use Remote Console or RDP and SSH.)
|
| Backup and Restore Management | A feature that manages backup. A feature for realizing management of files and folders targeted for backup, schedule management and history management. | Customer Portal |
4.2.2. Backup File Storage¶
Backup files are stored in backup storage at the time of start time. Backup file is stored in the storage for backup during the retention period specified by customer and the file is automatically deleted when the retention period expires.
When specifying the backup file, Virtual Server needs to be selected and the path of the file or folder targeted for backup needs to be entered when configuring the backup job in the Customer Portal.
The backup file is automatically encrypted by using NBU Agent and the file is stored in the storage for backup. The encryption key needs to be generated by using NBU Agent. Encryption cannot be disabled.
If the encryption key is lost, the same encryption needs to be generated again when restoring the backup file. In this case, the encryption key needs to be generated by using the same pass phrase as that of the original encryption key.
Important
- Keep the pass phrase with care because the backup file cannot be restored if you forget the pass phrase.
- Setting the retention period, date and time slot for each schedule type
*1 If the combination between ordinal numbers and day of week is not correct, backup does not start.
*2 Specification of date and time slot is dependent on the preconfigured time zone.
4.2.3. Backup File Restore¶
Backup file can be restored on the Virtual Server from which backup is acquired.
Important
- This function cannot be operated from the Customer Portal. This process can be executed from the NBU Agent installed on the Virtual Server. Refer to the User Guideline for details of how to operate the NBU Agent.
- Restore can be done on the Virtual Server from which backup is acquired. Be careful that no file can be restored if the target Virtual Server is deleted.
- Restore can be done on the same file (or folder) by overwriting or newly another space on the same Virtual Server. Overwriting is recommended in this service. If overwriting is selected, same amount of blank disk is needed to restore.
4.2.4. Backup and Restore Management¶
A feature for managing the schedule and job history relevant to file backup and restore and a feature for managing backup file are provided. After backup job is finished, result E-mail will be delivered.
A feature that manages the backup job. It is possible to create the backup job by specifying the schedule type, retention period and start date, or change or delete the created backup job.
| Name | Description |
| Effective flag (Schedule) | It is possible to enable or disable this backup job. |
| Job history (Scheduled jobs) | It is possible to select the job from the schedule configured in the past or configure a new schedule. If the job is selected from the schedule configured in the past, the configured contents are adopted. |
| Schedule type | It is possible to select the spot (One-Time), daily, weekly and monthly backup time. |
| Incremental backup* | If the weekly backup is selected for the schedule type, combination with daily incremental backup can be selected. |
| Retention period | You can decide the retention period for the acquired backup image. Retention period varies depending on schedule type. |
| Date | You can specify the date from when backup starts. For spot, daily and monthly backup, the start date can be configured. For the weekly backup, the starting day of week can be configured. For the monthly backup, the third Monday can be configured. |
| Time slot | 24 hours can be specified in units of 3 hours. |
| Backup target path | Enter the path of the file or folder targeted for backup. Multiple paths can be described simultaneously by starting new lines.
(Example: /usr/local (for Linux) and c:\Program Files (for Windows), etc.)
* Although the backup schedule is registered even if the path that does not exist in the Virtual Server is entered, please note that backup will not be executed. And if file or folder name is changed after backup job was set, backup job will not be executed.
|
| Backup type | Either image backup or file backup can be selected. |
* Full backup is executed once a week and daily incremental backup is executed for backing up images or files added from the previous day. With combination of weekly full backup and daily incremental backup, usage fee can be saved compared to the fee charged when full backup is executed every day.
Important
- While the effective flag is disabled, backup does not start.
- Time slot is the estimate of the time when backup starts so that time is not guaranteed.
Note
- The backup job can be created as one backup job by combining multiple files and folders existing in a single VM or multiple VMs.
For the Virtual Server registered as the target of file backup, it is possible to check the configurations to confirm whether the backup job is enabled. It is possible to move from this feature to the schedule management feature and then set a new schedule.
History of execution of backup is displayed. History is displayed in order of time when job starts, job type (backup), status (Success/Failed), execution time and target file/folder. Following 2 display methods: history display for the latest 7 days and all history display. Restore can be executed only from the NBU Agent installed on the Virtual Server. Restore history can be displayed by NBU Agent.
The backup file list (start time, end time disk type (all disks)) can be checked and restored from the NBU Agent. Restore is immediately executed. It is also possible to delete the backup file immediately.
4.2.5. Important Points¶
- A Backup or Restore is failed by use conditions of the foundation. A notice mail is sent in this case, so please try re execution of Backup or Restore.
- To use this service, you must provide information about ID/password with administrator right or root right for the Virtual Server containing file and folder targeted for file backup to NTT Communications. NTT Communications use this information for installing and configuring NBU Agent. Be sure to delete ID or change password immediately after NBU Agent becomes available.
- In addition to installation and configuration of NBU Agent, the work for registering information of the targeted Virtual Server into the NTT Communications’ backup infrastructure is necessary. Even if the customer configures NBU Agent, this service is not available until NTT Communications completes the above registration work.
- NTT Communications set up Server Segment for File Backup. If Customer have already used IP address range below, this service cannot be provided.
- 10.223.112.0/20
- Please permit port 1556 for this service. Please refer to following site in case of Windows Firewall settings.
- Please do not change any Server Segment parameter for Filebackup by Customer Portal.
- In Windows Server Registry Key will be added for this service. Please confirm whether there isn’t influence to the system beforehand.
| Registry Key | Parameter |
| REQESTED_INTERFACE | Host Name (for backup Server Segment) |
| CRYPT_OPTION | REQIRED (Fixed) |
| CRYPT_KIND | STANDARD (Fixed) |
| CRYPT_CIPHER | AES-256-CFB (Fixed) |
Important
- On the delivery process reboot and Guest OS Customization are needed. Some parameters will be changed. For details, refer to “Guest OS Customization”.
- Server Segment for this service is reserved. Please do not use for other uses.
- File backup supports following Guest OS license Virtual Server Templates provided by NTT Communications.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
Windows Server 2012 Standard
|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5.8/6.2 |
- NTT Communications does not support the Guest OS described below.
- The Virtual Server in which NBU Agent is installed requires approximately 1.5GB of free disk capacity and a memory with a minimum of 512MB.
- The backup image storage capacity is the size of the file targeted for backup. It is different from the data capacity written into the backup storage.
- The backup job can be created as one backup job by combining multiple files and folders existing in a single Virtual Server or multiple Virtual Servers. The total size of the Virtual Server targeted for one backup job (this is not the size of the file/folder) is up to 1500GB. If multiple Virtual Servers exceeding 1500GB are selected, 2 or more backup jobs need to be provided.
- The Backup File acquisition process is performed only if the Virtual Server targeted for backup is powered on.
- During backups, the performance of the Disk I/O of the Virtual Server that is being backed up might be reduced.
- The backup begins within the time slot you specify. The backup start time cannot be specified in units of minutes and seconds.
- Backup cannot be configured in the last 5 minutes (55 minutes to 0 minute) of the 3-hour time slot for backup. (The alert message appears.)
- If the number of backup jobs that are performed at the same time in each time slot exceeds the maximum value, we recommend the closest available time slot within the same day or the closest date in the same time slot.
- If the Virtual Server targeted for backup has been deleted at the backup start time, the backup will not be performed.
- Disk of the target Virtual Server cannot be extended while performing the backup process.
- The starting point of the retention period for backup file is the start time of the backup.
- If the target Virtual Server is restored during the backup, inconsistency in backup data may occur so do not perform the restore operation during the backup.
- When backup is acquired periodically, there might be a time period without the backup file due to the gap between the start time of next backup and retention period. In order to avoid this situation, one additional day will be added to the retention period with no charge.
Be careful with the following points when performing the file backup for the Virtual Server used by Compute Resource (Dedicated Device).
- During the backup, the performance of the Disk I/O of the Storage Device that is used by Compute Resource (Dedicated Device) may decrease temporarily.
- Backup of Compute Resource (Dedicated Device) may not be supported depending on usage of disk I/O. In this case, please contact our Support Center.
Configurable date and time slot are set on the Portal window according to the local time (configured time zone). However, fee is charged based on the universal time coordinated (UTC) in consideration of specifications of the service. For Japan, backup process that takes a maximum of 9 hours is charged as the process for the previous day due to a time difference.
Example) Charging when backup is performed at the end of month in the Japanese time zone
Japan Standard Time (JST) is set for time zone; backup date is set to 0:00 on April 1 (Japan Standard Time) and 0 minute is set for the backup period.
If the backup retention period is set to one day, the data retention period is set from 0:00 to 23:59 on April 1 in Japan Standard Time. However, if the period is converted with UTC, the period is converted to (1) 15:00 to 23:59 on March 31 and (2) 00:00 to 14:59 on April 1. Therefore, (1) is processed as the fee for March and (2) is processed as the fee for April.
The file and folder using a half-width kana character cannot be backed up.