![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
CHAPTER 6 Task Monitor and Administration
6.1 Introduction
![]()
From the Administration utility you can queue backups, monitor their progress, and cancel them. Restoring backed up files as well as backup verification is accomplished through the Restore utility.
You can view information about previous backups and even produce reports from old backups. The sections that follow describe each of the options within the Administration utility.
6.2 Initial View
When the Administration utility is realized, you see a screen that contains a menubar (see Figure 25 on page 84). Below the menubar is a list that may or may not contain any queued tasks and tasks in progress! Each task has an associated status that includes:
· Master
· Incremental
· Verify
· Restore
· Backup
You cancel an item in the queue by selecting an item from the list and pressing the [Cancel Task] button. A task may be canceled while its status is Queued, In-Progress, or Active. The [Cancel Task] button is available during these times for a selected job; otherwise it is grayed out. At the bottom of the screen, the task message of the currently selected task is displayed.
FIGURE 25. Administration Main Window![]()
6.3 Task View
Queued tasks are displayed in the main window for the life of the task plus about 20 minutes. Selecting a task in the list will periodically display its status in the Task Message area on the main screen. The [Task Detail] button displays detailed information about the selected item. Once a task has completed, you may need to wait a minute for the database to update before you will see all of the information for the task. Displayed along with the task information is the data for the backup record, as well as any messages created during the task. It is necessary to view these messages to determine the cause of a failed task.
Shortly after the task has completed, the item is removed from the task list. You can, at a later time, view the same information as seen in the Detail dialog by selecting the correct client, date, and task from the Backup History dialog. See "Backup History" on page 116.
6.3.1 Task Detail
The Detail button at the bottom of the main window is used to display information about the currently selected task. This information includes the backup record, task record, and messages generated by the task. This information is the same as that of the Backup History once the task has completed. See "History and Reports" on page 111 for more information on Backup History.
6.3.2 Cancelling and Holding Tasks
You cancel a single task by selecting the task from the list and pressing the Cancel button at the bottom of the form. You cancel all tasks, only verify tasks, or just backup tasks by using the [Task->Cancel] menu (Figure 26).
FIGURE 26. Cancel Task Menu![]()
Holding a task keeps the task from being processed until a time that it is unheld. You may wish to hold certain tasks if you have a task that you wish to have serviced before others that were queued earlier. You can hold one or more tasks using the [Task->Hold] menu (Figure 27). It is only possible to hold tasks that are not in progress. When a task is on-hold, it will not be serviced or removed from the task table until you un-hold it.
FIGURE 27. Hold Task Menu![]()
6.3.3 Viewing Task Files Being Processed
While a selected backup task is in progress, you can view the files being processed. Press the Files button at the bottom of the form to display a window that will scroll the files as they are backed up. This option is for the users that wish to see activity from the backup or to ensure the correct files are being backed up.
6.3.4 Stopping and Starting Tasker
The tasker program runs quietly as a background process and is responsible for monitoring and launching all queued tasks. It also launches the schedules. If tasker is not running, no new tasks will be launched, but the current tasks run to completion.
The tasker menu button is marked when tasker is running. If you do not see the menu button marked, simply select it by clicking and tasker will start.
6.4 Configuration and Setup
The [Setup] menu allows you to configure all of the aspects for Backup Professional. You may schedule backups, configure clients, and set preferences. See "Scheduling Automated Backups" on page 71 for a complete tutorial on scheduling unattended backups and "Adding Clients and Devices" on page 61 for information on configuring clients and devices.![]()
6.4.1 Modify Initialization Files
Most configuration options as well as client schedule profiles can be set and modified through an initialization file (inifile). See "About Backup Profiles" on page 168 to modify client schedule profiles. To make changes to the configuration options, press the [Setup->Settings] menu. A dialog box is displayed that contains, in the top section, a toggle item for each initialization section in the inifile. By selecting one of the toggle buttons, you expand the section, allowing you to change the values of the fields within the section. Selecting the toggle button again collapses the section.
To add an entry to a section, select a section title from the Section combo box in the Add Section Entry form. Once you have selected the section, fill in values for the Field Name and Field Value, then click on the [Add] button.
When you have completed any modifications, use the [OK] button to save your changes or the [Cancel] button to discard any changes. See "Appendix B Settings" for a complete description of the available initialization variables.
6.4.2 Supervisor Override
The Supervisor Override allows the administrator to add some security for backups. Backup Professional always uses the inherent filesystem and user security of the operating system being used. However, an administrator should be aware of certain security factors. Because Backup Professional operates in a heterogeneous environment, it is possible for a backup of one machine to be restored to another. This and a few other issues are the reasons for the Supervisor Override.
The Supervisor Override is set at install time and may be adjusted later through the Administration utility by selecting the [Setup->Supervisor Override] menu. This will display the Supervisor Override dialog (Figure 28).
FIGURE 28. Supervisor Override Dialog![]()
This dialog allows you to set the account and password of the Backup Professional super-user. The Supervisor account must be a valid account on the main server. The password is assigned by you and is NOT the password for the account from /etc/passwd. This affords a level of security for backups and restores without giving away system passwords.
The purpose of asking for the Supervisor Override Password is to enable the System Administrator (SA) to give temporary access to a nonroot user. Users with this password have access to backups other than their own. This enables them to restore files onto any machine from someone else's machine or filesystem.
The Supervisor Override Password is requested when the user is NOT running from the Supervisor account and:
· Machine A's backup is restored to machine B
· User is viewing a backup history for another client machine
· A user wishes to restore files from another user's backup set
If authorization is granted, queued tasks will be run with the privileges of the override account.
6.5 Routines
The [Routines] menu allows you to execute the other Backup Professional support utilities. These are stand-alone programs and have a command-line interface. There are chapters in this manual that deal with each program. The support utilities are
Backup
The backup program.
Restore/Verify
The restore program.
Crash Recovery
Generates the media for disaster recovery for BP server and clients. This option is included if you have the SSS and/or IAB features in your license. See "MODULES" on page 225.
6.5.1 Processes
FIGURE 29. Backup Professional Processes![]()
You can at anytime, see the BP processes that are currently running by selecting the [Routines->Processes] menu from the Administration utility. Figure 29 displays the Processes dialog which shows all currently running BP processes and their individual states. It also indicates the user running each utility and its associated Process-ID (pid). If necessary, you can kill (stop), one of the processes by selecting the corresponding process from the list and then pressing the [Kill] button. However, you may not kill tasker or the Administration utility (xpromon) that you are currently running from this dialog. If you want to stop tasker, do so from the [Task->Tasker] menu.
6.6 License Management
Backup Professional is installed by default with a 30 day license. This product must be registered. The 30 days is to give you time to complete the registration. Backup Professional must be registered with the distributor within this period. This registration is generated through the Administration utility on the server, and can be generated at anytime and sent to the vendor via fax or e-mail.
6.6.1 How Is It Licensed?
Backup Professional is licensed on a point scale. A number of points are issued to a particular client. For example, SCO clients weigh 4 points, Sun clients weigh 4 points, and MS Win9x/ME clients weigh 1 point. Upon your purchase, you are issued a certain number of points, and these are checked whenever a client is configured or backed up. If you do not have enough points, you will not be able to continue. Call your distributor if you need more license points.
Backup Professional's license consists of components generated from your system, as well as fields named: user string, feature, and version. These fields are filled in by the distributor, depending on what was purchased with the product.
User string is the number of points for your network (as mentioned above).
Feature allows the add-on modules to work. In feature, J represents the jukebox module, and is licensed per slot, S represents extended technical support, and is licensed to show the month and year support will end, D2D represents support for creating disk-to-disk devices and AB, IAB and CSS represent the disaster recovery module.
Version shows the version number of Backup Professional currently running on your system.
If your needs change for your system, features can be added or changed in the license by contacting the distributor. Any license errors you encounter should be reported to your dealer or distributor.
6.6.2 Registering The Product
You must register the initial license with your vendor prior to the initial demo period expiration. From the Administration utility, select the [Setup->License Management] menu to display the license dialog. This dialog displays the current status of your Backup Professional license. Figure 30 on page 92 illustrates a typical license just after installation. Notice that Type indicates a DEMO license. This is true for an initial install whether you have purchased the product or not. Type will be converted to FULL once the license is registered.
FIGURE 30. License Main Window![]()
When you are ready to register the product, select the [License->Generate Registration To Upgrade License] menu from the License Management dialog. This will display the Request/Register License dialog shown in Figure 31 on page 93. This dialog is separated into tabs allowing you to request or perform a license change. When registering the product, the proper tab will be automatically selected.
FIGURE 31. License Register Request Dialog![]()
If you have not already purchased the product from your vendor (i.e. downloaded from the net), you must call them to indicate how many clients you want to license, and to specify any features that you wish to purchase.
To initiate the registration process, you can simply press [OK] on the dialog in Figure 31. There is no need to enter values into the fields. The license registration request will be generated and shown to you, at which time you can choose to send the registration to your vendor by e-mail, or by printing the sheet and faxing it to them.
6.6.3 Completing The Registration Process
Upon receipt of your registration request, your vendor will generate a license certificate for the product and return it to you by fax or e-mail (depending on how you delivered it to them). You must use this license certificate to complete the registration process and convert the license to type FULL. You must stop tasker before you can complete this process.
Select the [License->Register Received License] menu from the License Management dialog. This displays the Request/Register License dialog (Figure 32), from which you may have to select the [Register Upgrade] tab. At this point you can use the information from your license certificate to enter values into the fields of this form.
FIGURE 32. License Register Dialog![]()
When you have completely entered all requested fields into the dialog, you can press the [Ok] button at the bottom to make your changes permanent. If you receive an error, make sure the information you typed is exactly like that from your certificate. Case is sensitive. If you cannot get the values to work, please call your vendor for assistance.
6.6.4 Future Upgrades To Your License
In the future, you may desire to add more Backup Professional clients, update your version, add extra modules such as jukebox support or crash recovery, or make other additions. In these cases you may need to make license changes as well. Your vendor will make you aware of this. If this happens, you'll be sent a new license certificate and you can follow the process discussed in "Completing The Registration Process" on page 93 to make the license upgrade.
6.7 Remote Control of Administration Utility
Backup Professional XWindow utilities have options to remotely control functionality within the application. Remote control is of interest when you have a script or program that needs to interact with BP. Remote control of a BP XWindow application is accessed from the command-line by running the application with the -remote option. Specify the -remote option as in the following example:
xpromon -remote "NoOp()"
When a BP XWindow application is passed the -remote option, it first checks to see if another application of its type is running on the same display. If found, arguments to the -remote option are formed into an action and passed to the running application. If the application is not found to be running on the display, the current process will start as normal and handle the action(s). You can specify multiple -remote options on the command-line to run multiple actions.
6.7.1 Remote Administration Actions
The remote actions defined for xpromon are as follows:
NoOp()
Simply raises the window of the found application.
SelectTask(task_number)
Causes the Administration Utility to select the task specified by task_number.
TechSupport([file])
Displays a dialog to allow the user to send information to Technical Support. If file is specified, its contents will be used to fill the Problem Description portion of the dialog. This remote action is of debatable use for end-user scripts and such. Its main purpose is for other BP applications to generate their own technical support information during a run-time error.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |