Advanced Configuration - SharePoint Server iDataAgent - Farm

Table of Contents

Understanding the CommCell Console

Agent

Facilitates SharePoint database and document discovery.

Farm Backup Set

Defines the entities and information that are required to back up entire farm.

Document Backup Set

Defines all files and folders on the SharePoint server so that you can restore individual SharePoint files without restoring the entire database.

Site Collection Backup Set

Defines all the Site Collections that you can backup without backing up the entire database.

Subclient

Defines the contents of a backup operation, depending on whether the backup set includes databases or documents on the SharePoint server.

Creating User-Defined Backup Sets

You can create user-defined backup sets that contain any farm component that exist within the SharePoint server. You can use a Farm backup set to group SharePoint farm components into separate entities with their own unique backup schedules. For example, this is useful if you need to back up some web applications more frequently than others.

To create a Farm backup set:

1. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers | <Client>.
2. Right-click SharePoint Server, point to All Tasks, and then click Create New Backup Set.
3. In the New Backup Set Name box, type a name.
4. In the Choose Backup Set Type section, select Farm level.
5. From the Storage Policy list, click a storage policy name.
6. Click OK.

   

Creating User-Defined Subclients

In many cases, farm components might contain portions of data that require more frequent backups than others. For example, Web Applications with databases that consist of records that are entered or changed on a daily basis might require nightly backups, whereas some Service Applications might require only weekly backups. You can create different subclients in order to assign different backup schedules to certain entities and to group entities for restore operations. Farm subclients can include the following:

• Configuration database
• Service applications
• Windows SharePoint Services Web applications
• Service application proxies

It is recommended to create separate subclient for Configuration database of the following reasons:

• Configuration database can be very large.
• It can be backed up but cannot be restored.
• It does not support differential backup (as this backup is converted to a full backup).
• It does not support partial backup.

To create a user-defined databases subclient:

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | SharePoint Server.
2. Right-click Databases, point to All Tasks, and then click New Subclient.
3. In the Subclient Name box, type a name for the subclient.
4. Click the Storage Device tab.
5. On the Data Storage Policy sub-tab in the Storage Policy list, select a storage policy name.
6. Click the Contents tab and then click Browse.
7. From the Browsing content for dialog box, select the databases or other entities (like, Web Application), that you want to include in the subclient. Click Add and then click Close.
8. In the Subclient Properties dialog box, click the Content Database Options tab.
9. From the SQL client to protect Content Databases list, select the name of the SQL server client computer where SharePoint content databases reside.
   • You can use a single subclient if you have multiple content databases on a single SQL server.
   • If you have content databases on multiple backend SQL servers, you can create separate subclients for each SQL server.

10. Click OK.

Setting Object Identity for Out-of-Place Restores

By default during an Out-of-Place restore the object identity is not retained. However, you can configure this additional setting to retain the object identity of a SharePoint site's URL. Follow the steps given below to set the additional settings:

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers.
2. Right-click the <Client> and then click Properties.
3. On the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.
4. Click the Additional Settings tab.
5. Click Add.
6. In the Name box, type bSiteImportRetainObjectIdentity. The Category and Type details will be automatically populated.

   Alternatively, you can click Lookup and search for the additional setting using the Find box.

7. In the Value field, enter 1 to enable.
8. Click OK.

   

Configuring Backups for Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) Environments

If you want to back up a SharePoint Database in a Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) environment, where the instance name of the Windows Internal Database is in the format, MachineName\Microsoft##SSEE, set the following options:

1. In SQL Server Configuration Manager|Protocols for <MachineName\Microsoft##SSEE>, change the Hide Instance flag to No.
2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager | SQLServer 2005 Services, run the SQL Server Browser service.
3. In SQL Server Configuration Manager|Protocols for <MachineName\Microsoft##SSEE>, set Named Pipes to active.

Configuring Pre and Post Processing for Backups

A Save As Script file can also be run as a pre/post process, if you include the absolute path of the associated input file in the script file.

See Pre and Post Processes - Commands and Arguments for information on additional arguments that the CommServe sends to the Pre and Post processes.

Setting Up Pre and Post Processes

1. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers | <Client> | SharePoint Server, and then click <Backup Set>.
2. In the <Backup Set> tab, right-click the <Subclient>, and then click Properties.
3. In the Subclient Properties dialog box, click the Pre/Post Process tab.
4. To set up a Pre Backup process, next to the PreBackup process box, click Browse, and then select a process.
5. Click OK to save your selection.

   

6. To set up a Post Backup process, next to the PostBackup process box, click Browse, and then select a process.
7. Click OK to save your selection.
8. Click OK.

   

Setting Post Backup Processes to Run during Failures

By default, a specified post process command is executed only on successful completion of the backup operation or if the job is killed.
Use the following steps to run a post process even if the backup operation did not complete successfully. For example, this may be useful to bring a database online or release a snapshot.

1. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers | <Client> | SharePoint Server, and then click <Backup Set>.
2. In the <Backup Set> tab, right-click the <Subclient>, and then click Properties.
3. In the Subclient Properties dialog box, click the Pre/Post Process tab.
4. To set up a Post Backup process, next to the PostBackup process box, click Browse, and then select a process.
5. Click OK to save your selection.
6. Select Run Post Backup Process for all attempts.
7. Click OK.

   

Configuring User Accounts

The SharePoint Server iDataAgent requires a user account that has sufficient privileges for the software to:

• Log on to the file server to access the data.
• Create and modify the SharePoint database.
• Perform backup and restore operations.

The SharePoint Agents require an user account with the following privileges:

• Member of the local Administrator Group.
• Member of the SharePoint Administrator Group.
• SharePoint Server Farm Administrator
• System Administrator role on the SQL Server Instance.
• SP Shell Administrator permissions.
• This account must have "Log on as Service" permissions to ensure the Communication (CVD) Services will start.
  Refer to the Knowledge Base article Galaxy Service Account User Information for Windows 2003 and Window Server 2003 clients available from the Maintenance Advantage web site.

Also, Web Application Pools users must have read access to the following location: [hkey_local_machine]\[software]\[CommVault Systems Registry].

Additional accounts should be established by the SharePoint database administrator.

Initially, the SharePoint Administrator account credentials is provided during the Agent installation. You can subsequently change the user account at the Agent level.

At the Agent Level

You can change the Administrative Account.

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client>.
2. Right-click Sharepoint Server and click Properties.
3. Click Change Account.
4. Type the SharePoint Administrator user name in the SharePoint Administrator Account box.
5. Type the password in Password box and retype it in the Confirm Password box.
6. Click OK.

   

Modifying an Agent, Backup Set, or Subclient

The following table describes the properties that can configured from the agent, backup set and subclient levels.

Deleting an Agent, Backup Set, or Subclient

The following sections describe the steps involved in deleting an agent, instance, or subclient.

Deleting an Agent

You need to uninstall or DeConfigure the agent software from the client computer before deleting from CommCell Browser. After you delete the client software, you can either leave the corresponding data intact for appropriate action or you can remove the data immediately. If you choose to remove the data immediately, you must delete the agent from the CommCell Browser. If you delete the agent, all of the agent's data is irretrievably lost.

• You cannot delete an agent while operations for that agent are running.

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client>.
2. Right-click the <Agent>, and then click Delete.
3. A confirmation message is displayed with the following message:

   This operation will permanently delete the data backed up from this level and it cannot be restored.

4. Click OK to continue with the deletion operation or click No to abort the deletion.

Deleting a Backup Set

Consider the following before deleting a Backup Set:

• You cannot delete a default Backup Set.
• Schedules associated with the Backup Set are also automatically deleted.

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | <Agent>.
2. Right-click the <Backup Set>, and then click Delete.
3. A confirmation message is displayed, asking if you want to delete the Backup Set.

   Click No to cancel the deletion and retain the Backupset, or click Yes to continue the deletion.

Deleting a Subclient

Consider the following before deleting a subclient:

• You cannot delete a default subclient.
• Schedules associated with the subclient are also automatically deleted.

1. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | <Agent> | <Backup Set>.
2. Right-click the <subclient> that you want to delete, and then click Delete.
3. A confirmation message is displayed, asking if you want to delete the subclient.

   Click No to cancel the deletion and retain the subclient, or click Yes to continue the deletion.