Dell Appassure 5 User Guide

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B259 6Click Add.
The dialog box closes, and your account appears on the Clouds page of the Core Console.
Editing a cloud account
If you need to change the information to connect to your cloud account, for example to update the password or 
edit the display name, you can do so on the Tools tab of the Core Console. Complete the steps in the following 
procedure to edit a cloud account.
To edit a cloud account
1 On the AppAssure Core Console, click the Tools tab.
2 In the left menu, click Clouds.
3 Next to the cloud account you want to edit, click the drop-down menu, and then click Edit.
The Edit Account window opens.
4 Edit the details as necessary, and then click Save.
Configuring cloud account settings
The cloud configuration settings let you determine the number of times AppAssure should attempt to connect to 
your cloud account, and how much time should pass for those attempts before they time out. Complete the 
steps in the following procedure to configure the connection settings for your cloud account.
To configure cloud account settings
1 On the AppAssure Core Console, click the Configuration tab.
2 In the left menu, click Settings.
3 On the Settings page, scroll down to Cloud Configuration.
4 Click the drop-down menu next to the cloud account you want to configure, and then do one of the 
following: 
•Click Edit.
The Cloud Configuration dialog box appears. Po we re d b y  
OpenStackUser Name Enter the user name for you OpenStack-based cloud 
account.
API Key Enter the API key for your account.
Display Name Create a display name for this account in AppAssure; for 
example, OpenStack 1.
Tenant ID Enter your tenant ID for this account.
Authentication URL Enter the authentication URL for this account.
Rackspace Cloud 
Block StorageUser Name Enter the user name for your Rackspace cloud account.
API Key Enter the API key for this account.
Display Name Create a display name for this account in AppAssure; for 
example, Rackspace 1.
NOTE: You cannot edit the cloud type. Cloud Type Text Box Description 
						

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B260 a Use the up and down arrows to edit either of the following options:
•Request Timeout. Displayed in minutes and seconds, it determines the amount of 
time AppAssure should spend on a single attempt to connect to the cloud account 
when there is a delay. Connection attempts will cease after the entered amount of 
time. 
•Retry Count. Determines the number of attempts AppAssure should conduct before 
determining that the cloud account cannot be reached.
•Write Buffer Size. Determines the buffer size reserved for writing archived data to 
the cloud. 
•Read Buffer Size. Determines the block size reserved for reading archived data 
from the cloud.
bClick Next.
•Click Reset.
Returns the configuration to the following default settings:
•Request Timeout: 01:30 (minutes and seconds)
•Retry Count: 3 (attempts)
Removing a cloud account
If you discontinue your cloud service, or decide to stop using it for a particular Core, you may want to remove 
your cloud account from the Core Console. Complete the steps in the following procedure to remove a cloud 
account.
To remove a cloud account
1 On the AppAssure Core Console, click the Tools tab.
2 In the left menu, click Clouds.
3 Next to the cloud account you want to edit, click the drop-down menu, and then click Remove.
4 In the Delete Account window, click Ye s to confirm that you want to remove the account.
5 If the cloud account is currently in use, a second window asks you if you still want to remove it. Click Ye s 
to confirm.
NOTE: Removing an account that is currently in use causes all archive jobs scheduled for this 
account to fail. 
						

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Working with Linux machines
This chapter describes how to protect, configure, and manage the protected Linux machines in your AppAssure 
environment. It includes the following sections:
•Working with Linux recovery points
•Exporting data to a Linux-based VirtualBox virtual machine
•Restoring volumes for a Linux machine using the command line
•Performing a bare metal restore for Linux machines
•Managing a Linux boot image
•Managing Linux partitions
•Launching a bare metal restore for Linux
•Verifying the bare metal restore from the command line
The AppAssure Agent software is compatible with multiple Linux-based operating systems (for details, see the 
Dell AppAssure Installation and Upgrade Guide). The AppAssure Core is compatible only with Windows 
machines. While you can manage protected Linux machines from the AppAssure Core Console, several 
procedures for Linux machines have steps that differ from their Windows counterparts. Additionally, you can 
perform some actions directly on a protected Linux machine by using the command line aamount utility.
Working with Linux recovery points
The recommended and supported way to mount and unmount recovery points from a protected Linux machine is 
to use the aamount utility. For more information, see the following procedures:
•Mounting a recovery point volume on a Linux machine
•Unmounting a recovery point on a Linux machine
These procedures specifically address using aamount to mount and unmount Linux recovery points. For 
managing Linux recovery points in any other way, see Managing snapshots and recovery points, as all other 
management can be conducted from the Core Console.
Mounting a recovery point volume on a Linux 
machine
Using the aamount utility in AppAssure, you can remotely mount a volume from a recovery point as a local 
volume on a Linux machine using the aamount utility. 
To mount a recovery point volume on a Linux machine
1 Create a new directory for mounting the recovery point (for example, you can use the mkdir command).
2 Verify the directory exists (for example, by using the ls command).
NOTE: When performing this procedure, do not attempt to mount recovery points to the /tmp folder, 
which contains the aavdisk files. 
						

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B262 3 Run the AppAssure aamount utility as root, or as the super user, for example:
sudo aamount
4 At the AppAssure mount prompt, enter the following command to list the protected machines.
lm
5 When prompted, enter the IP address or hostname of your AppAssure Core server.
6 Enter the logon credentials for the Core server, that is, the user name and password.
A list of the machines that are protected by the AppAssure server will display. Each machine is identified 
by the following: line item number, host/IP address, and an ID number for the machine.
For example: 293cc667-44b4-48ab-91d8-44bc74252a4f
7 Enter the following command to list the recovery points that are available for a specified machine:
lr 
A list of the base and incremental recovery points for the machine appears. The list includes the line 
item number, date and timestamp, location of volume, size of recovery point, and an ID number for the 
volume, which includes a sequence number at the end to identify the recovery point.
For example, 293cc667-44b4-48ab-91d8-44bc74252a4f:2
8 Enter the following command to select and mount the specified recovery point at the specified mount 
point/path.
m   [flag] 
The flag in the command determines how to mount the recovery point. You can use one of the following 
options:
•[r] - mount read-only (default). This flag lets you mount a recovery point but does not let you 
make changes to it.
•[w] - mount writable. This flag lets you mount the recovery point and lets you make changes.
•[v] - mount with previous writes. Mounting with the “v” flag lets you mount the recovery point 
and include any changes that were made during the previous writable mount but are not present 
in the recovery point.
•[n] - do not mount nbd to . A nbd (network block device) makes a socket connection 
between the Core and the protected machine when you perform a local mount. This flag lets you 
mount the recovery point without mounting the nbd, which is useful if you want to manually 
check the file system of the recovery point.
9 To verify that the mount was successful, enter the following command, which should list the attached 
remote volume:
l
NOTE: Note that you can also enter the machine ID number in this command instead of the line 
item number.
NOTE: You can also specify a line number in the command instead of the recovery point ID number 
to identify the recovery point. In that case, you would use the machine line number (from the lm 
output), followed by the recovery point line number and volume letter, followed by the path, such 
as, m    . For 
example, if the lm output lists three protected machines, and you enter the lr command for 
number 2 and you mount the twenty-third recovery point volume b to /tmp/mount_dir, then the 
command would be:
m 2 23 b /tmp/mount_dir 
						

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Unmounting a recovery point on a Linux machine
Complete the steps in this procedure to unmount a recovery point on a Linux machine.
To unmount a recovery point on a Linux machine
1 Run the AppAssure aamount utility as root, or as the super user, for example:
sudo aamount
2 At the AppAssure mount prompt, enter the following command to list the protected machines.
lm
3 When prompted, enter the IP address or hostname of your AppAssure Core server.
4 Enter the logon credentials (user name and password) for the Core server.
A list of the machines that are protected by the AppAssure server will display.
5 Enter the following command to list the recovery points that are available for a specified machine:
lr 
A list of the base and incremental recovery points for the machine will display and includes. The list 
includes the line item number, date/timestamp, location of volume, size of recovery point, and an ID 
number for the volume that includes a sequence number at the end, which identifies the recovery point.
For example, 293cc667-44b4-48ab-91d8-44bc74252a4f:2
6Run the l or list command to obtain a list of mounted Network Block Device (NBD)-devices. If you 
mount any recovery point, you will get a path to NBD-device after executing the l or list command.
7 Enter the following command to unmount a recovery point.
unmount 
8Run the l or list command to verify that the unmount of the recovery point was successful.
Exporting data to a Linux-based VirtualBox 
virtual machine
With AppAssure you can export data to a Windows- or Linux-based virtual machine (VM) using VirtualBox. An 
export includes all of the backup information from a recovery point as well as the parameters defined for the 
protection schedule for your machine.
NOTE: Note that you can also enter the machine ID number in this command instead of the line 
item number.
NOTE: Virtual Box Version 4.2.18 or higher is supported. Export to a Linux-based VirtualBox VM requires an 
SSH connection from the Core to the Linux machine.
NOTE: To export to a Windows-based VirtualBox VM, see Exporting data to a VirtualBox virtual machine.
CAUTION: AppAssure does not support exporting machines that have extended partitions. 
						

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Performing a one-time VirtualBox export
Complete the steps in this procedure to perform a one-time export to VirtualBox.
To perform a one-time VirtualBox export
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the Linux machine you want to export.
2 On the Summary tab, in the Actions drop-down menu for that machine, click Export, and then select 
One-time.
The Export Wizard displays on the Protected Machines page.
3 Select a machine for export, and then click Next.
4 On the Recovery Points page, select the recovery point that you want to export, and then click Next.
5 On the Destination page in the Export Wizard, in the Recover to Virtual machine drop-down menu, select 
VirtualBox, and then click Next.
6 On the Virtual Machine Options page, select Remote Linux Machine.
7 Enter information about the virtual machine as described in the following table.
8 On the Volumes page, select the volumes of data to export, and then click Next.
9On the Summary page, click Finish to complete the wizard and to start the export. Table 130. Remote Linux machine settings
Option Description
VirtualBox Host Name Enter an IP address or host name for the VirtualBox server. This field 
represents the IP address or host name of the remote VirtualBox server.
Port Enter a port number for the machine. This number represents the port 
through which the Core communicates with this machine.
Virtual Machine Name Enter a name for the virtual machine being created.
NOTE: The default name is the name of the source machine.
Target Path Specify a target path to create the virtual machine.
NOTE: It is recommended that you create a root folder from root so that the 
virtual machine runs from root. If you do not use root, you will need to 
create the destination folder manually on the target machine prior to setting 
up the export. You will also need to manually attach or load the virtual 
machine after the export.
User Name User name of the account on the target machine, for example, root.
Password Password for the user account on the target machine.
Memory Specify the memory usage for the virtual machine by clicking one of the 
following:
• Use the same amount of RAM as source machine
• Use a specific amount of RAM, and then specify the amount in MB
The minimum amount is 1024 MB and the maximum allowed by the 
application is 65536 MB. The maximum amount of memory usage is 
limited by the amount of RAM available to the host machine.
NOTE: You can monitor the status and progress of the export by viewing the Virtual Standby or 
Events tab. 
						

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Performing a continual (Virtual Standby) VirtualBox 
export
Complete the steps in this procedure to create a Virtual Standby and perform a continual export to VirtualBox.
To perform a continual (virtual standby) VirtualBox export
1 In the AppAssure Core Console, do one of the following:
•On the Virtual Standby tab, click Add to launch the Export Wizard. On the Protected Machines 
page of the Export Wizard, select the protected machine you want to export, and then click 
Next.
•Navigate to the machine you want to export, and, on the Summary tab in the Actions drop-down 
menu for that machine, click Export > Virtual Standby.
2 On the Destination page of the Export Wizard, in the Recover to a Virtual Machine drop-down menu, 
select VirtualBox.
3 On the Virtual Machine Options page, select Remote Linux Machine.
4 Enter information about the virtual machine as described in the following table.
5Select Perform initial one-time export to perform the virtual export immediately instead of after the 
next scheduled snapshot.
6Click Next.
7 On the Volumes page, select the volumes of data to export, and then click Next.
8On the Summary page, click Finish to complete the wizard and to start the export. Table 131. Remote Linux machine settings
Option Description
VirtualBox Host Name Enter an IP address or host name for the VirtualBox server. This field 
represents the IP address or host name of the remote VirtualBox server.
Port Enter a port number for the machine. This number represents the port 
through which the Core communicates with this machine.
Virtual Machine Name Enter a name for the virtual machine being created.
NOTE: The default name is the name of the source machine.
Target Path Specify a target path to create the virtual machine.
NOTE: It is recommended that you create a root folder from root so that the 
virtual machine runs from root. If you do not use root, you will need to 
create the destination folder manually on the target machine prior to setting 
up the export. You will also need to manually attach or load the virtual 
machine after the export.
User Name User name of the account on the target machine, for example, root.
Password Password for the user account on the target machine.
Memory Specify the memory usage for the virtual machine by clicking one of the 
following:
• Use the same amount of RAM as source machine
• Use a specific amount of RAM, and then specify the amount in MB
The minimum amount is 1024 MB and the maximum allowed by the 
application is 65536 MB. The maximum amount of memory usage is 
limited by the amount of RAM available to the host machine.
NOTE: You can monitor the status and progress of the export by viewing the Virtual Standby or 
Events tab. 
						

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Restoring volumes for a Linux machine 
using the command line
In AppAssure, you can restore volumes on your protected Linux machines using the command line aamount 
utility.
To restore volumes for a Linux machine using the command line
1 Run the AppAssure aamount utility as root, for example:
sudo aamount
2 At the AppAssure mount prompt, enter the following command to list the protected machines.
lm
3 When prompted, enter the IP address or hostname of your AppAssure Core server.
4 Enter the logon credentials, that is, the user name and password, for this server.
A list displays showing the machines protected by this AppAssure server. It lists the agent machines found 
by line item number, host/IP address, and an ID number for the machine (for example: 293cc667-44b4-
48ab-91d8-44bc74252a4f).
5 Enter the following command to list the currently mounted recovery points for the specified machine:
lr 
A list displays that shows the base and incremental recovery points for that machine. This list includes a 
line item number, date/timestamp, location of volume, size of recovery point, and an ID number for the 
volume that includes a sequence number at the end (for example,
”293cc667-44b4-48ab-91d8-44bc74252a4f:2”), which identifies the recovery point.
6 Enter the following command to select a recovery point to restore:
r  
This command restores the volume image specified by the ID from the Core to the specified path The 
path for the restore is the path for the device file descriptor and is not the directory to which it is 
mounted.
NOTE: This process was previously referred to as Rollback.

When performing this procedure, do not attempt to mount recovery points to the /tmp folder, which 
contains the aavdisk files.

Restoring volumes is also supported for your protected machines within the AppAssure Core Console. See 
Restoring volumes from a recovery point for more information.
CAUTION: To restore the system or root (/) partition or entire operating system, see Performing a bare  
metal restore for Linux machines.
NOTE: Note that you can also enter the machine ID number in this command instead of the line 
item number. 
						

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B267 7 When prompted to proceed, enter y for Yes.
Once the restore proceeds, a series of messages will display to notify you of the status.
8 Upon a successful restore, the aamount utility will automatically mount and re-attach the kernel module 
to the restored volume if the target was previously protected and mounted. If not, you will need to 
mount the restored volume to the local disk and then should verify that the files are restored (for 
example, you can use the sudo mount command and then the ls command.)
NOTE: You can also specify a line number in the command instead of the recovery point ID number 
to identify the recovery point. In that case, you would use the agent/machine line number (from 
the lm output), followed by the recovery point line number and volume letter, followed by the 
path, such as, r    
. In this command,  is the file descriptor for the actual volume.

For example, if the lm output lists three agent machines, and you enter the lr command for 
number 2, and you want to restore the 23 recovery point volume b to the volume that was 
mounted to the directory /mnt/data, the command would be:

r2 23 b /mnt/data

It is possible to restore to /, but only when performing a Bare Metal Restore while booted with a 
Live DVD. For more information, see Launching a bare metal restore for Linux. 
						

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Performing a bare metal restore for Linux 
machines
In AppAssure you can perform a Bare Metal Restore (BMR) for a Linux machine, including a restore of the system 
volume. When you restore a Linux machine, you will roll back to the boot volume recovery point. BMR 
functionality is supported using the command line aamount utility and from within the Core Console UI.
To perform a bare metal restore for Linux machines, perform the following tasks.
• Manage a Linux boot image. This Linux Live DVD boot ISO image is used to start up the destination drive, 
from which you can access the Universal Recovery Console to communicate with backups on the Core. 
See Managing a Linux boot image.
•If you require physical media to start up the destination Linux machine, you will need to transfer 
the ISO image to media. See Transferring the Live DVD ISO image to media.
•In all cases, you will need to load the boot image into the destination server and start the server 
from the boot image. See Loading the Live DVD and starting the target machine.
• Manage Partitions. You may need to create or mount partitions before performing a BMR on a Linux 
machine. See Managing Linux partitions.
•The Linux system on which you are performing a BMR must have the same partitions as the source 
volumes in the recovery point. You may need to create additional partitions on the target system, 
if required. See Creating partitions on the destination drive.
•If you are performing a manual BMR, you must first mount partitions. See Mounting partitions 
from the command line. Steps to mount partitions are included in the process to perform a BMR 
from the command line. See Launching a bare metal restore for a Linux machine using the 
command line.
If you are using auto-partitioning for BMR within the Core Console, you do not need to mount 
partitions. AppAssure will restore the same partitions as those included in the recovery point(s) 
being restored.
• Launch a Bare Metal Restore for Linux. Once the destination machine is started from the Live DVD boot 
image, you can launch the BMR. The tasks required depend on whether you will perform this from the 
AppAssure user interface or from the command line using the aamount utility. See Launching a bare 
metal restore for Linux.
•If using the Core Console, you will need to initiate a restore from a recovery point on the Core. 
See Selecting a recovery point and initiating BMR.
•If using the Core Console, you will need to map the volumes from the UI. See Mapping volumes 
for a bare metal restore.
•Optionally, if restoring from the command line, you can start the screen utility to enhance your 
ability to scroll and see commands in the terminal console. For more information, see Starting 
the Screen utility.
•If using aamount, all tasks will be performed at the command line. For more information, see 
Launching a bare metal restore for a Linux machine using the command line.
CAUTION: Before you begin the BMR process, be sure that any Linux machine you want to restore 
does not include an EXT2 boot partition. Any BMR performed on a machine with this type of partition 
results in a machine that does not start. To perform a BMR in this case, you would have needed to 
convert any EXT2 partitions to EXT3 or EXT4 before you began protecting and backing up the 
machine.
CAUTION: When you boot a restored Linux machine for the first time after a BMR, AppAssure takes a 
base image of the restored machine. Depending on the amount of data on the machine, this process 
takes more time than taking an incremental snapshot. For more information about base images and 
incremental snapshots, see Understanding protection schedules.