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In February this year, we published a blog post on how to install the Bareos app via the Univention App Center. We explained how to modify the setup by adjusting some UCR variables and how to configure Windows or Linux computers from the UCS domain as Bareos clients. In this second part, we will explain in more detail how to back up a Windows client and how to configure backup jobs and schedules Bareos.
A quick reminder: The Bareos File Daemon is the client program that runs on every computer that you want to back up with Bareos. If you have installed the Bareos app from the Univention App Center, the Bareos Director (the server part of the backup solution) is already up and running on your UCS machine. The directory /etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients
(on the UCS computer) contains automatically created configuration files for all computers in the UCS domain.
All that’s left for you to do, is to install the File Daemon(s) on the client machines. This is how to do it on Windows computers:
/etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients
. It contains an automatically generated configuration file with the name of the Windows computer and the file extension .include
. In here you can find all the information that belongs in the next dialog:
/etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/director/bareos-dir.conf
. If you haven’t changed anything, the default is bareos-dir
/etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients/CLIENT.include
shows the password (in the Client section).C/etc/bareos/bareos-fd.d/director/bareos-mon.conf
on the UCS machine./etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients
) already exists. A FileSet defines the data that Bareos includes and excludes in its backups on the respective clients. If you have installed Bareos via the Univention App Center, you don’t have to worry about creating a FileSet manually – UCS has already taken care of that. All FileSet definitions are stored on the Bareos Director (the UCS machine) in the directory /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/fileset
.
The file created for Windows computers is called Windows All Drives.conf
. The statement File = / defines that Bareos should back up the complete computer – except for removable media such as CD/DVD, USB sticks, etc. (Drive Type = fixed). The Exclude statement makes sure the file pagefile.sys
, the Windows Recycle Bin, and the hidden system folder (System Volume Information) are not part of the backup plan:
FileSet { Name = "Windows All Drives" Enable VSS = yes Include { Options { Signature = MD5 Drive Type = fixed IgnoreCase = yes WildFile = "[A-Z]:/pagefile.sys" WildDir = "[A-Z]:/RECYCLER" WildDir = "[A-Z]:/$RECYCLE.BIN" WildDir = "[A-Z]:/System Volume Information" Exclude = yes } File = / } }
If you want to exclude other files (WildDir = …), or if you prefer to back up specific directories instead of the full disk (File = /), then create your own FileSet definition and place it in the /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/fileset
directory. Please don’t just change the original file (Windows All Drives.conf
), as it is being overwritten with the next UCS update. Of course, you can copy the file and use it as a template for your own configuration. Remember to change the FileSet statement in the client’s configuration file (section Job in /etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients
) if you want to include your own configuration.
Next, we’ll have a look at the backup jobs. UCS makes this easy for you and comes with a default backup job for Bareos.
Bareos relies on backup and restore jobs, normally stored in the directory /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/job
. The UCS app puts the job description together with the rest of the client’s configuration in the file under /etc/bareos/autogenerated/clients
. The so called job resource has a unique name, a FileSet statement, and a schedule:
Client { [...] } Job { Name = "Backup-winsrv-2.bareos-demo.intranet" Client = "winsrv-2.bareos-demo.intranet-fd" JobDefs = "DefaultJob" FileSet = "Windows All Drives" Schedule = "WeeklyCycle" Enabled = "Yes" }
Note the line Schedule = WeeklyCycle. This is the definition for schedule which we will explain in the next section.
The directory /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/schedule
contains configuration files for the various schedules. UCS implements a weekly plan for the Bareos clients (file /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/schedule/WeeklyCycle.conf
):
Schedule { Name = "WeeklyCycle" Run = Full 1st sat at 21:00 # (#04) Run = Differential 2nd-5th sat at 21:00 # (#07) Run = Incremental mon-fri at 21:00 # (#10) }
According to this plan, Bareos creates a full backup every first Saturday of the month at 9 p.m., a differential backup every second, third, fourth and fifth Saturday (9 p.m.), and an incremental backup every Monday to Friday at 9 p.m.
There is a difference between these three backup methods:
If you’d like to generate your own backup plans, then you can store the configuration files in the /etc/bareos/bareos-dir.d/schedule
directory. Please keep in mind that the file extension .conf is mandatory. The Bareos documentation shows some examples that you can use as templates for your own setup.
Tip: Start the Bareos Console (command bconsole
in a terminal on the UCS machine) or access the console via the Web UI (section Director) and enter status scheduler
to view the current schedules. You can also click on Schedules in the Web UI to get an overview of all backup plans.
Maik Außendorf is a graduated mathematician and studied mathematics and informatics at the University of Münster. In his diploma thesis he focused on the implementation of an artificial neural network in C+ under Solaris and Linux. After his studies he worked as a SAP Consultant at Siemens AG in Colombia. Between 1999 and 2003 he was Linux System Consultant and branch manager at Suse Linux AG in St. Augustin. During this period he carried out Linux- based customer projects, starting from conception and implementation to project management. In addition, he is co-author of the Susepress Linux Manager Guide. He was co-founder of the open source services company dass IT in 2004, today he is one of Bareos' managing directors.