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Manage the backup center

Perform this task to manage the backup files, backup policies, and backup parameters for VMs and

the management platform.

Features

• Manage VM backup

• CDP Backup for VMs

• Configure management platform backup

• NBU backup

Manage VM backup​

Perform this task to manage backup files, backup policies, and backup parameters.

Features

• Manage backup files

• Manage backup policies

• Manage backup pools

Manage backup files​

The system displays the alias, host name, IP, state, backup count, most recent backup location, most

recent backup time, and size for a VM backup file every time the system completes VM backup. You can view VM backup information by running location, backup location, view location, or backup policy. In addition, you can view backup information for unmanaged VMs and VMware VMs.

View the backup history

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup. You are placed on the Backup History tab.

  3. Select By Running Location, By Backup Location, By View Location , or By Backup Policy on the left of the page to view VM backup information. Alternatively, enter the VM alias, then select Alias or IP from the list to filter VMs.

Bulk delete backup files for a VM

If a VM has multiple backup files, you can perform this task to delete the backup files in bulk.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup. You are placed on the Backup History tab.

  3. Select one or multiple backup files.

  4. Click Delete on top of the backup file list.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Bulk delete backup files for multiple VMs

Perform this task to delete incremental backup files for multiple VMs in bulk.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup. You are placed on the Backup History tab.

  3. Click Bulk Delete Backup Files in the upper right corner of the page.

  4. Select the backup files to be deleted.

  5. Click Delete.

  6. In the dialog box that opens, click OK. Click Force Delete to forcibly delete the backup files when necessary. Selecting Force Delete will clear database information for the backup files. If the backup files are saved on a remote server and a connection error has occurred, this operation deletes only database information. The backup files cannot be used to restore VMs even if the connection recovers.

Manage backup policies​

VM backup is a stable disaster recovery functionality. The backup file for a VM will not be lost if the VM

image file is damaged or deleted. When VM data loss occurs because of server or storage device failure, software bug or virus, or misoperations, you can use the backup file to restore a VM. Depending on the backup time, VM backup includes the following types:

• Backup now—Allows for manual data backup in real time. See "Back up a VM."

• Scheduled backup—Backs up data through backup policies. When a backup policy is applied to a VM, the system backs up the VM or VM disk as scheduled and generates a backup file.

Restrictions and guidelines

• The system does not back up permission information, boot priority, automatic migration settings, and GPU settings of VMs.

• For VMs that use block devices as disks or use raw disks, online backup, incremental backup, and differential backup are not supported.

• Snapshots do not support changed block tracking (CBT) backup. If you restore a VM with snapshots by using a CBT backup file, the snapshots of the VM will be lost.

• To avoid backup failure, do not change the running state of a VM during a CBT backup.

Add a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Configure the parameters as described in "Parameters."

  6. Click OK.

Edit a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click Edit in the Actions column for a backup policy.

  5. Configure the parameters as described in "Parameters."

  6. Click OK.

Delete a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click Delete in the Actions column for a backup policy.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Enable a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click On in the Actions column for a backup policy.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Disable a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click Off in the Actions column for a backup policy.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Remove a VM from a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click Delete in the Actions column for a VM in the VMs Using the Backup Policy area.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Remove a disk from a backup policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Policies tab.

  4. Click a backup policy.

  5. Click Delete in the Actions column for a disk in the Disks Using the Backup Policy area.

  6. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Parameters

Basic Info

• Name: Specify a name for the backup policy.

• Description: Specify a description for the backup policy.

• Disk I/O Threshold: Specify the maximum VM disk I/O during backup. If the backup start time is reached, the system starts to back up a VM that uses this backup policy only when the I/O throughput of the VM falls down to or below this threshold. If the I/O throughput of the VM exceeds the threshold, the system does not back up the VM until the next backup time is started. This parameter takes effect only when the VM to be backed up is in running state.

• Backup Pools: Specify the location where the backup file is saved.

• Data: Select the backup type.

○ Full VM—Backs up the disk data and configuration files for a VM. You can restore the entire VM by using the backup file.

○ Disk Level—Backs up only one or multiple disks of a VM. Its configuration files are not backed up. You can restore only the disks by using the backup file.

• CBT Backup: Select whether to enable CBT backup for the VM. CBT backs up only the data that has changed since the last backup, which saves time and system resources. To use CBT backup, make sure the VM is created on NSphere E0525 or later and uses intelligent (QCOW2) disks and single-level image files.

• Take Effect Now: Set whether to enable the backup policy after creation.

Full Backup

• Frequency: Select the execution frequency of full backup.

• Started At: Select the execution start time.

• To: Select the execution end time. If the start time is later than the end time, the backup is finished the next day. If full backup is not completed until the end time is reached, the system stops this backup task after the VM backup is finished and waits for the next backup to start.

• Backups to Save: Specify the number of backup files to retain locally or on the remote server. If the leave this field empty, all backup files are retained.

• Backup Type: Enable incremental or differential backup.

○ Incremental—Performs incremental backup on the basis of full backup. This mode only backs up files that have changed since the previous backup.

○ Differential—Performs differential backup on the basis of full backup. This mode only backs up files that have changed since the full backup. Differential backup is not supported when CBT backup is enabled.

• Disk Read Rate Limit: Specify the limit on the read rate of the storage volume that stores the VM disk files.

• Disk Write Rate Limit: Specify the limit on the write rate of the storage volume that stores the backup file.

• Temp Directory: Enter the temporary directory used during backup. If the directory you specify does not exist, the system automatically creates the directory during backup.

• Compress: Set whether to compress the disk image during backup.

Incremental/Differential Backup

• Frequency: Select the backup execution frequency.

• Days: Select the backup execution day.

• Start Time: Select the execution start time.

• End Time: Select the execution end time. If the start time is later than the end time, the backup is finished the next day. If full backup is not completed until the end time is reached, the system stops this backup task after the VM backup is finished and waits for the next backup to start.

Manage backup pools​

A backup pool manages VM backup files. A shared storage pool or remote server provides the path for

saving VM backup files for unified management of the backup files.

Restrictions and guidelines

To ensure a successful backup, you must re-configure the username and password for logging in to the remote server if you have configured a remote server and changed the root SSH permission on CVM.

Add a backup pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Pools tab.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Configure the parameters as described in "Parameters."

Edit a backup pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Pools tab.

  4. Click Edit in the Actions column for a backup pool.

  5. Click OK.

Delete a backup pool

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Pools tab.

  4. Click Delete in the Actions column for a backup pool.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Parameters

• Name: Specify the name of the backup pool.

• Backup Location: Select the location to save VM backup files. Options include Shared Storage and Remote Server.

• Available Storage Space: Available shared storage space in the storage pool or available storage space on the remote server.

○ If you select Shared Storage, you must select a shared storage pool.

○ If you select Remote Server, configure the following parameters:

• IP Address: Enter the IP address of the remote server.

• Username: Enter the username for logging in to the remote server. Make sure the username has read and write access to the server. If you select the FTP mode, you must create the username on FTP server of the remote server. If you select the SCP mode, you must create the username on the OS of the remote server.

• Password: Enter the password for logging in to the remote server.

Configure backup parameters​

After you configure backup parameters, the system will use these parameters as the default values Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > VM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup Parameters tab.

  4. Click Edit.

  5. Edit the parameters as needed.

  6. Click OK.

Parameters

• Disk Read Rate Limit: Specify the limit on the read rate of the storage volume that stores the VM disk files.

CDP Backup for VMs​

About this feature

Continuous data protection (CDP) is a data protection technology that can capture and store every data change in real time or near real time, implementing recovery to an exact time point. Unlike traditional scheduled snapshot or periodic backup, CDP continuously tracks data changes with almost zero data loss.

Operating mechanism

  1. Data capture: When source data changes, the CDP system immediately intercepts and records the changed data blocks or files.

  2. Logging: Records all changes in the log or change queue in the order they occur.

  3. Data storage: Writes changed data to backup storage and retains the corresponding timestamp.

  4. Recovery mechanism: You can select data at any time point for recovery with second-level precision.

Advantages and disadvantages

• High real-time performance: Achieves near-zero restore point objective (RPO) with minimal risk of data loss.

• Fine-grained recovery: Supports rollback by time point, which restores data to any moment before the change.

• Automation: Does not require manually triggering backup tasks, reducing operations workload.

• Version management: Saves multiple history versions to simplify rollback and auditing.

• Less service interruptions: The backup process does not affect the normal operation of application systems.

Features

• CDP details

• CDP policies

CDP details​

Licensing

Before you use the backup feature, first activate the CDP license. CDP licenses are managed based on the number of backed up VMs. Each backed up VM consumes one license. The system does not provide CDP license deduction updates in real time. Instead, a scheduled task is executed every 5 minutes in the backend to collect license statistics. Licenses are calculated based on the backup time point of each VM: If a VM has a backup at that time, one license is used.

Restrictions and guidelines

• Because license statistics are collected at intervals, licenses might be over-allocated, which prevents all VMs from being backed up.

• If over-allocation occurs, remove VMs that do not require backup from the CDP policy, clear backup points of these VMs, and wait for the next scheduled task to recalculate license usage. If no over-allocation occurs, you can continue with the backup operation.

• The license overview page displays the maintenance barcode for the CDP environment. This barcode is empty by default and must be manually entered. You can obtain the maintenance barcode from the CDP software license certificate. The barcode is used to verify whether the maintenance service is still within the valid period. Make sure it is entered correctly.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. On the CDP Details tab, click Licensing.

  4. In the window that opens, a unique machine code of the CDP environment is displayed. A machine code is generated upon deployment of each CDP environment, which must be provided for obtaining licenses.

  5. Click Add License Key. Enter the license keys for the primary module for backup and agentless CDP module.

  6. Click Activate to input the activation code corresponding to the license keys.

  7. Click OK.

Expand a VM

You can add a disk for a VM for expansion purposes on the System > Component Management > Components page.

When the capacity of the backup pool no longer meets requirements, you can use the expansion feature to increase the disk size of the component VM.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. On the CDP Details tab, click Expand.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Select the target node and disk on the node, and then click OK.

  6. Click OK.

View protected VMs

The protected VM list displays the VMs protected by CDP policies in the system, as well as the VMs with protection stopped.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

  4. On the lower left of the page, protected VMs are displayed by CDP policy. The VMs with protection stopped are the VMs that were previously protected in the system but are no longer protected due to subsequent policy changes.

Jobs

After a backup is initiated for a CDP backup policy, a backup job is generated in the VM job list, where the first backup is a full backup. When you perform VM restoration, a restoration job is also created.

View jobs

You can view the jobs generated by each VM.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

  4. On the lower left of the page, protected VMs are displayed by CDP policy.

  5. Click a VM name of a CDP policy. The time points and jobs for that VM are then displayed on the right side of the page.

  6. Click the Jobs tab to display the VM-associated jobs on the page.

Stop jobs

A running job can be stopped. You can stop a single job or stop multiple jobs in bulk. After a backup job is stopped, a new job will be created when the policy is triggered at the next interval.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

  4. The lower left of the page displays the protected VMs for by CDP policy.

  5. Click a VM name of a CDP policy. The time points and jobs for that VM are then displayed on the right side of the page.

  6. Click the Jobs tab to display the VM-associated jobs on the page.

  7. You can stop a single job or stop multiple jobs in bulk.

    ○ To stop a single job, click Stop in the Actions column for that job.

    ○ To stop one or multiple jobs in bulk, select the jobs, and then click Stop.

Cancel jobs

When a large number of jobs exist and some are queued, you can cancel the jobs that are in queued state.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the Jobs tab to display the VM-associated jobs on the page.

  4. You can cancel a single job or cancel multiple jobs in bulk.

    ○ To cancel a single job, click Cancel in the Actions column for that job.

    ○ To cancel one or multiple jobs in bulk, select the jobs, and then click Cancel.

Delete jobs

The jobs that are not in running state can be deleted. You can delete a single job or delete multiple jobs in bulk.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

  4. On the lower left of the page, protected VMs are displayed by CDP policy.

  5. Click a VM name of a CDP policy. The time points and jobs for that VM are then displayed on the right side of the page.

  6. Click the Jobs tab to display the VM-associated jobs on the page.

  7. You can delete a single job or delete multiple jobs in bulk.

    ○ To delete a single job, click Delete in the Actions column for that job.

    ○ To delete one or multiple jobs in bulk, select the jobs, and then click Delete.

Time points

A CDP backup point is a specific time point when the system backed up VM data during the continuous data protection process. The CDP backup time points are periodically generated based on the configured CDP policy. You can select any time point to restore VMs, which improves backup flexibility and disaster recovery capability.

Restore a VM

You can select any time point to perform VM restoration. The system supports restoration to a backup time point and to any I/O time point (with second-level precision). If the VM time exceeds the I/O cache

log time range, only full time point restoration is available. If the VM has a running backup task, do not initiate restoration to any I/O time point.

VM restoration supports only specific parameters. If you edit VM parameters during backup, the edited configuration might not be restored on the VM. You can edit the following parameters:

• Memory: Memory size and memory unit.

• CPU: CPU quantity, core count, CPU affinity, CPU operating mode, CPU architecture, CPU reservation, and CPU reservation limit.

• Summary: Automatic migration settings.

• Disk: Cache mode and preprovisioning mode.

To restore a VM:

  1. Click the CDP Details tab.

  2. On the lower left of the page, protected VMs are displayed by CDP policy.

  3. Click a VM name of a CDP policy. The time points and jobs for that VM are then displayed on the right side of the page.

  4. Click the Time Points tab to display the VM-associated time points on the page.

  5. The system supports restoration to a backup time point and to any I/O time point (with second-level precision).

    ○ Restore to a backup time point: The time point list shows backup time points generated by the CDP policy. Click Restore, and then select a VM to restore it by backup time point.

    ○ Restore to any IO time point: When data I/O occurs on the backed-up VM, the system creates a backup restoration point on the I/O curve. Click a backup restoration point, and then select a VM to restore it to the I/O time point.

  6. After restoration completes, view restoration details in the job list. Do not start the VM before the restoration completes.

Clear time points

Time point cleanup is an asynchronous task, which requires first deleting all backup files in the backup pool, so the time points are not reset to zero immediately upon cleanup.

Use the cleanup feature to delete unnecessary time points. You can clear a single time point or clear multiple time points in bulk. You cannot clear the latest time point. To clear it, use the Clear All function.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

  4. On the lower left of the page, protected VMs are displayed by CDP policy.

  5. Click a VM name of a CDP policy. The time points and jobs for that VM are then displayed on the right side of the page.

  6. Click the Time Points tab to display the VM-associated time points on the page.

  7. You can clear a single time point or clear multiple time points in bulk.

    ○ To clear a single time point, click Clear in the Actions column for that time point.

    ○ To clear one or multiple time points in bulk, select the time points, and then click Clear.

Clear all time points

The system supports clearing all time points.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Details tab.

CDP policies​

A CDP policy is the smallest backup unit, similar to a backup group. Each policy includes backup

settings and a list of VMs to back up.

Restrictions and guidelines

• The first backup of a VM is performed as a full backup. Because a full backup generates large amount of data, arrange the full backup times of different policies to avoid performing backups at the same time. In addition, a VM full backup calls many management platform APIs to query virtual machine information. If you start multiple full backups at the same time, access to the management platform might fail.

• A single CDP policy supports protecting a maximum of 10 VMs.

• The number of VMs you can back up at the same time depends on the remaining space in the Jumborca_CBackup storage pool. Backing up each VM requires pre-allocating 90 GB of storage pool space (30 GB per disk + 60 GB log volume). If the pre-allocated space is insufficient, the VM backup might fail.

• VMs enabled with CDP backup do not support QEMU hot upgrade.

• Cross-backup across VMs is not supported.

• You cannot back up VMs that contain internal snapshots.

• You cannot back up VMs that use encrypted disks, block device disks, or local disks.

• You cannot back up VMs whose disk mode is independent persistent.

• Do not change the system time during a backup process or when backup time points exist. Doing so might result in data inconsistency.

• During full backup of a VM, the VM is locked. You cannot edit or start the VM or shut it down until it is unlocked.

• When you perform a CDP backup for a VM, you cannot change its IP address offline. If you change a VM IP offline, the resulting incremental data cannot be restored.

• After you change the VM IP offline, you must access the jobs page in CDP details to stop the that job and trigger a full backup. Subsequent backup data can be used correctly only after the full backup is complete.

Add a CDP policy

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Policies tab.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Configure the CDP policy parameters as follows:

    ○ Policy Name: Configure a globally unique CDP policy name.

    ○ Policy Description: Configure a description.

    ○ IO Log Retention Period: Time range during which you can perform data restoration. The time range is from the first backup time point for IO log retention to the latest time point of IO log record. The system automatically deletes IO logs that exceed the configured retention period at intervals to optimize memory space. Within the IO log retention period, if the system does not trigger an incremental backup, it automatically creates an incremental backup time point to ensure continuity of restoration time points.

○ IO Log Memory Usage: Memory space that temporarily caches IO data that has not yet been written to the storage device during backup. Its purpose is to keep receiving new IO requests while persistently reading and writing data, so the backup process stays efficient and uninterrupted. The default value is 20 MB. If the client has enough memory resources, increase the IO log memory usage to improve real-time backup efficiency for IO-intensive service systems.

○ Backup Schedule: You can specify a backup schedule by hour or by minute. As a best practice, set the backup interval to at least 20 minutes for the backup policy, and generate one incremental backup time point at least every two hours.

○ Speed Limit Policy: Disable backup or perform speed-limited backup in a specific window. You can set each window to at least 30 minutes, and select consecutive windows and windows that span multiple days.

▪ Disable: Restricts protected objects from initiating backups within a specific time range. You can configure multiple disabled windows within which backups are not allowed.

▪ Max Speed: Limits the maximum backup speed for protected objects within a specific time range. You can configure multiple speed-limited windows. If you change the speed-limited window and the system time falls in the new speed-limited time range, the system immediately starts limiting the speed for running backup jobs. If you change the speed-limited window and the system time falls in the previous speed-limited time range but not in the new one, the system immediately cancels speed limit for running backup jobs.

○ Time Point Retention: Disabling this option will retain all created replicas without auto cleanup. Enabling this option will automatically clear replicas as configured. Each VM supports a maximum of 1024 permanent incremental time points.

  1. After completing policy settings, click Next to access the Select VMs page.

    ○ Select VMs: Select the VMs for CDP backup.

    ○ IO Log Buffer Upper Limit: Memory for used to buffer IO data that has not been received. When the upper limit is exceeded, the buffer mode is switched to bitmap mode. You cannot perform any-time-point restoration on data in bitmap mode. When you configure this parameter, follow these restrictions and guidelines:

    ▪ As a best practice, set the IO log buffer size between 2 GB and 10 GB. If you set this value too low, you cannot perform time point-based restoration on incremental data. If you set this value too high, excessive system resources will be consumed.

    ▪ If the VM has joined CDP, shut it down and start it again after changing the IO log buffer upper limit for the configuration to take effect.

    1. Click OK.

Edit a CDP policy

When you edit a CDP policy, you can edit backup parameters and VM list. When you edit the VM list, if you remove a VM from the policy, move it to the list of VMs with protection stopped on the CDP Details tab, and stop its backup. The backup time point will not be deleted.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

  3. Click the CDP Policies tab.

  4. Click Edit in the Actions column for a CDP policy to edit it.

Delete a CDP policy

After you delete a CDP policy, move all VMs in that policy to the list of VMs with protection stopped and stop their backups. The backup time points will not be deleted.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the navigation pane, select Backup Center > CDP Backup for VMs.

Configure management platform backup​

In RBAC mode, only the system administrator can configure this feature.

Management platform backup enables you to perform automatic scheduled or manual backup for the management platform data and configuration files, view the backup history records, download the backup files, and restore management platform by using the backup files.

• Automatic backup—The system automatically backs up the management platform data and configuration files to random three hosts managed by management platform every day. Each host retains the most recent seven backup files even though the system has upgraded after the backup files are generated.

• Scheduled backup—The system automatically backs up the management platform data and configuration files at the specified frequency. To configure scheduled backup, see "Configure management platform backup parameters."

• Manual backup—To perform manual backup, see "Back up management platform settings."

Features

• Configure management platform backup parameters

• Manage management platform backup files

Configure management platform backup parameters

Perform this task to specify the directory for saving the management platform backup files and configure automatic backup parameters. Backup files for automatic backup and manual backup are saved in the same directory.

Restrictions and guidelines

Follow these restrictions and guidelines before management platform data backup and restoration:

• If CPU EMC mode is enabled for clusters before you back up system data, after you restore the system data, manually edit the CPU EMC mode of the clusters to maintain configuration consistency between the clusters and VMs.

• Before you perform a remote backup, plan the backup path on the remote server and create a backup directory.

• If the management platform has been incorporated by another platform (such as NCloud), you must undo the incorporation on that platform before you execute back up or restore the management platform.

• During the recovery, do not perform any operations on the management platform and make sure no any other tasks are running on the management platform.

• If you delete a VM and its image file after data backup, the VM cannot be restored after management platform data restoration.

Follow these restrictions and guidelines during management platform data restoration:

• If the port mirroring configuration for VMs has been edited before you restore the management platform data, the information displayed in the Web interface will be inconsistent with the actual configuration in the host back-end. To ensure port mirroring configuration consistency between the front-end and back-end, access the host back-end, manually check the port mirroring configuration in the VM XML file, and then synchronize the

Configure management platform backup parameters​

Configure management platform backup parameters

Perform this task to specify the directory for saving the management platform backup files and configure automatic backup parameters. Backup files for automatic backup and manual backup are saved in the same directory.

Restrictions and guidelines

Follow these restrictions and guidelines before management platform data backup and restoration:

• If CPU EMC mode is enabled for clusters before you back up system data, after you restore the system data, manually edit the CPU EMC mode of the clusters to maintain configuration consistency between the clusters and VMs.

• Before you perform a remote backup, plan the backup path on the remote server and create a backup directory.

• If the management platform has been incorporated by another platform (such as NCloud), you must undo the incorporation on that platform before you execute back up or restore the management platform.

• During the recovery, do not perform any operations on the management platform and make sure no any other tasks are running on the management platform.

• If you delete a VM and its image file after data backup, the VM cannot be restored after management platform data restoration.

Follow these restrictions and guidelines during management platform data restoration:

• If the port mirroring configuration for VMs has been edited before you restore the management platform data, the information displayed in the Web interface will be inconsistent with the actual configuration in the host back-end. To ensure port mirroring configuration consistency between the front-end and back-end, access the host back-end, manually check the port mirroring configuration in the VM XML file, and then synchronize the configuration to the management platform.

• To prevent cluster HA failover from interrupting management platform data restoration, disable cluster HA before you restore management platform data. To prevent cluster HA failover from interrupting management platform data restoration, disable cluster HA before you restore management platform data.If cluster HA is enabled after management platform data restoration, disable cluster HA, connect all hosts, and then enable cluster HA as needed. If cluster HA is disabled after management platform data restoration, connect all hosts directly and then enable cluster HA as needed.

Follow these restrictions and guidelines after management platform data restoration:

• After management platform data restoration, if the network priority in a port profile is different from that before management platform data restoration, you must change the network priority in that port profile to be the same as that before management platform data restoration..

• After management platform configuration restoration, please connect all hosts to ensure data consistency for management platform and CVK hosts.

• If invalid information such as invalid template and vSwitch information occurs in the system after data recovery, delete the information.

• If you edit system parameters after backing up system data, the value displayed for an edited system parameter might be inconsistent with the value that actually takes effect when you restore the system. You must manually set such a parameter to its actual value. For example, the shared storage fault action is changed from Do Not Restart Host to Restart Host after system backup. After the system is restored, that parameter is displayed as Do Not Restart Host, and the action that takes effect is Restart Host. You must set that parameter to Restart Host to maintain configuration consistency.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Configure the data backup parameters as described in "Parameters".

  4. Click Save.

  5. To back up the management platform data immediately, click Back Up Now. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Parameters

• Backup Location: Select the location to save management platform backup files. Options include Local Directory and Remote Server. If you select Local Directory, enter the local directory path where the backup files are saved. If you select Remote Server, configure the following parameters:

○ IP Address: Enter the IP address of the remote server.

○ Username: Enter the username used to access the remote server. The username must have read and write permissions to the remote server. If you select the FTP connection mode, the username must be created on the remote FTP server. If you select the SCP connection mode, the username must be created on the operating system of the remote server.

○ Password: Enter the password of the username.

○ Connection Mode: Select a connection mode. Options include FTP and SCP. The default is FTP. If you select FTP, only Server-U, VsFTP, and IIS FTP servers are supported. Due to compatibility issues, you cannot use FTP or SCP servers running Windows operating systems for data backup or restoration.

○ Backup Directory: Enter the directory path where the backup files are saved on the remote server. Make sure the directory already exists on the remote server.

○ Test Connectivity: Click this button to check the connectivity between the management platform and the remote server.

○ Server Port: Specify the port number used to access the remote server.

Manage management platform backup files​

The system records information about each management platform backup, including the backup file

name, creation time, version number, backup location, and backup directory.

Restrictions and guidelines

• When you restore management platform by using a backup file, follow the steps below to ensure the availability of the restored data: a. Disable HA for all clusters. b. Restore the management platform by using the backup file. c. Connect to all hosts. d. Enable HA for the clusters.

• To restore management platform by using a backup file, make sure the host, VM, and shared storage quantities are the same as those at the time when the backup file was generated.

• Only one operator can restore management platform at a time.

• Make sure the version of the backup file is the same as the current management platform version when you upload or import a backup file.

• To ensure a successful backup, you must re-configure the username and password for logging in to the remote server if you have configured a remote server and changed the root SSH permission on the management platform.

Display backup file information

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

Download a backup file

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

  4. Click Download in the Actions column for a management platform backup file.

Restore management platform by using a backup file

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

  4. Click Restore in the Actions column for a management platform backup file.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Upload a backup file

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

  4. Click Upload.

  5. Click the dotted box, select the file to be uploaded and drag it into the dotted box. Configure the parameters as described in "Parameters."

  6. Click Start to start uploading the file. After the file is uploaded, click OK.

Import backup files

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

  4. Click Import.

  5. Configure the parameters as described in "Parameters."

  6. Click OK.

Delete a backup file

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > CVM Backup.

  3. Click the Backup History tab.

  4. Click Delete in the Actions column for a backup file.

  5. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.

Parameters

• File Name: Name of the management platform backup file.

• Created At: Time when the management platform backup file was generated.

• Version: Management platform version at the time when the backup was performed.

• Backup Location: Select the location where the backup files are stored. Options include Local Directory and Remote Server.

• Backup Location: Select the location where the backup files are saved. Options include Local Directory and Remote Server. If you select Local Directory, enter the local directory path where the backup files are saved. If you select Remote Server, configure the following parameters:

○ IP Address: Enter the IP address of the remote server.

○ Username: Enter the username used to access the remote server. The username must have read and write permissions to the remote server. If you select the FTP connection mode, the username must be created on the remote FTP server. If you select the SCP connection mode, the username must be created on the operating system of the remote server.

○ Password: Enter the password of the username.

○ Connection Mode: Select a connection mode. Options include FTP and SCP. If you select FTP, only Server-U, VsFTP, and IIS FTP servers are supported. Due to

NBU backup​

About this feature

NBU backup integrates CVM with NetBackup (NBU) to provide centralized, agentless backup for VMs and storage. The following features are available:

• VM-level backup

○ Uses the snapshot and consistency APIs on the virtualization platform to perform image-level backups of entire VMs.

○ Full-system recovery quickly restores an entire VM to its original location or to a different host or cluster.

• Incremental/differential backup leverages block-level change tracking to back up only modified virtual disk data, reducing backup windows and network traffic.

• Unified multi-host and cluster management uses the virtualization management platform to centrally discover hosts and VMs. Backup policies can then be configured in NetBackup to automate bulk backups under a unified policy.

Prerequisites

You must first install the NBU backup plug-in on the management platform. Ensure network connectivity among the system where the plug-in is installed, the virtualization platform, and the NBU backup system.

Restrictions and guidelines

• ARM hosts do not support NBU backup.

• NBU backup is available only for VMs that support external snapshots.

Features

• VM backup and restoration

• Manage tasks

• Backup policies

• Parameters

VM backup and restoration​

About this feature

This feature provides agentless, centralized management of VM data protection through the management platform. By using platform snapshots and changed block tracking, it supports both full-system image-level backups and file-level backups. It also supports full, incremental, and differential backups, as well as data deduplication and secure disk-based storage. For data restoration, the feature supports rapid full-system recovery and cross-cluster recovery, significantly shortening recovery time and helping meet the high-availability and disaster-recovery requirements of production environments.

Features

• VM backup

• Restore a VM

VM backup​

VM backup supports both manual and policy-based methods. Manual backup is initiated by

administrators for immediate needs, offering flexibility for scenarios like pre-change system protection or temporary data coverage. Policy-based backup runs automatically on a schedule, following preset rules for timing, frequency, and retention. This approach provides standardized, automated, and continuous protection for large-scale VM environments.

Features

• Manual backup

• Attach backup policies

Manual backup​

About this feature

Use this feature to perform a one-time backup of a specific VM. Select the backup type, full, incremental, or differential, and specify the retention period and target storage. Manual backups are suitable for temporary data protection, critical recovery points, and other on-demand backup requirements.

Prerequisites

Before you perform a manual backup, make sure the following conditions are met:

• Network connectivity: The host running the VM must have network connectivity to the NBU Datamover service.

• Storage configuration: Specify valid backup storage. Make sure the storage is configured in the NBU environment and has sufficient available space.

• Backup network: If the backup network feature is enabled, make sure the network is correctly configured and can connect to the Datamover service network. Otherwise, backup operations will fail.

• Permissions: Users must have the permissions required to perform backup operations.

Restrictions and guidelines

• Network dependency: The backup process relies heavily on network connectivity. Before starting a backup, verify that the network connection between the host and the NBU Datamover service is stable.

• Backup network: If you enable the backup network, configure it in advance and make sure it can communicate with the Datamover service network. Otherwise, the backup will fail.

• Storage space: When selecting backup storage, make sure it has sufficient free space for the backup data.

• Backup type: A full backup copies all VM data. It requires more storage space but provides faster recovery. An incremental backup stores changes made since the previous backup, and a differential backup stores changes made since the most recent full backup. These backup types save storage space but might require multiple backup sets during recovery.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore. You are placed on the VM Backup tab.

  3. Select the VMs you want to back up, and then click Manual Backup on top of the list.

  4. Configure the parameters.

  5. Click OK.

Parameters

• Backup Type: Select the backup type.

○ Full Backup: Backs up all VM data.

○ Incremental Backup: Backs up only new or modified data since the last backup.

○ Differential Backup: Backs up data that is new or has changed since the last full backup.

Attach backup policies​

About this feature

Associate a backup policy with a VM to enable automatic backups. The policy runs scheduled backup tasks based on predefined rules, such as the backup time, frequency, and retention period, providing standardized and automated continuous data protection for the VM.

Prerequisites

You must first create a backup policy on the Backup policies page before you can then attach backup policies to VMs on the VM Backup page.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore.

Restore a VM​

About this feature

Use this feature to restore backed-up VM data from backup storage to the virtualization environment. The following recovery methods are supported:

• Restore to the original VM: Restores backup data to the original VM and its source environment.

• Restore to a new VM: Restores backup data to a new VM without relying on the original VM or its disks.

During restoration, you can select an appropriate Datamover and restoration network to optimize the data transmission path and performance. The system also allows you to filter and manage backup records, extend the retention periods of backups, and delete backup records. These capabilities provide unified lifecycle management for VM backup and restoration.

Features

• Restore VM data to the original VM

• Restore the data to a new VM

• Backup records

• Extend the retention period

• Delete VM backup records

Restore VM data to the original VM​

About this feature

This feature allows you to restore backed-up VM data to its original virtualization platform.

• Automatic deletion of the original VM: During restoration, the system deletes the original VM to prevent data conflicts. This operation permanently removes the current VM.

• Restoration to the original location: The VM is restored with the network configuration and storage location recorded at the time of backup.

• High-risk operation: Make sure the target VM is completely shut down before starting the restoration. Otherwise, data loss or system errors might occur.

Use this feature to fully restore a VM to its backed-up state, such as after a configuration error or system failure, or when rebuilding an environment from a clean backup.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore.

  3. Click the VM Restore tab.

Restore the data to a new VM​

About this feature

This feature restores backup data as a new VM. It does not depend on the original VM or its disks. Instead, it restores the data to a specified host and storage environment, creating an independent VM instance.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore.

  3. Click the VM Restore tab.

  4. Click Restore as New in the Actions column for a VM.

  5. Configure the parameters.

Backup records​

Backup records provide historical details about backup tasks for specific VMs. Use the list to locate the

desired backup record and then choose to restore data to the original VM or to a new VM based on the status of the backup data to complete the restoration.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore.

  3. Click the VM Restore tab.

Extend the retention period​
Delete VM backup records​

Perform this task to remove completed or no longer needed VM backup records from the management

platform.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click HA Service.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Backup Center > NBU Backup > VM Backup and Restore.

  3. Click the VM Restore tab.

  4. Select the target records, and then click Delete on top of the list.

Manage tasks​

About this feature

Task management provides centralized monitoring and scheduling for NetBackup backup and restoration tasks, enabling you to track task progress in real time and manage resources flexibly.

Features

• Manage running tasks

• Manage task queues

• Manage all tasks

Manage running tasks​

View the running task list

The running task list enables you to monitor and manage active backup and restoration tasks in real time. You can view task status, progress, and details for efficient monitoring and troubleshooting.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Tasks.

  3. Click the Running Tasks tab.

  4. The page displays running backup or restoration tasks. It shows information such as the object name, operation type, and completion progress.

  5. To view details of a task, click View in the Actions column for that task.

Manage task queues​

When the number of concurrent tasks exceeds the limit, excess tasks are placed in the task queue

instead of running immediately. If more than two VMs on the same host are backed up, the system automatically queues the additional VM backup tasks. Use the task queue to control when queued tasks run. After verifying that the backup plan is correct, you can start selected tasks in batches or start all tasks at a time, helping prevent unnecessary resource consumption and redundant data.

Enable or disable a task queue

After you enable a queued task, Datamover automatically executes it when resources become available. Before a queued task is enabled, it remains a configured plan and does not send a backup request to the NBU server. Once the task is enabled, the system begins transferring and backing up the specified object’s data to the NBU server.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Tasks.

Manage all tasks​

The All Tasks page provides a centralized view for browsing, filtering, and managing all tasks. Its

advanced filters and clear status information help you quickly locate tasks and monitor their execution status.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

Backup policies​

About this task

Perform this task to configure and manage data backup policies and apply them to specific VMs.

Features

• Add or edit a backup policy

• Disable or enable a backup policy

• Delete a backup policy

• Add VMs to a backup policy

• Remove VMs from a backup policy

Add or edit a backup policy​

About this task

Perform this task to create or edit a backup policy. A backup policy defines how, when, and where data is backed up. You can configure the backup type, retention period, destination storage, network settings, execution frequency, and schedule to help ensure data security and compliance.

Procedure

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Backup Policies.

  3. Click Add.

  4. Configure backup type, retention period, and other parameters as needed.

  5. Click OK.

  6. To edit a backup policy, click Edit in the Actions column for that backup policy.

Parameters

• Description: Specify a description for the backup policy for easier management and identification.

• Backup Type: Select a backup type.

○ Full Backup: Copies all selected data during each backup, providing maximum data integrity. However, it requires more storage space and takes longer to complete.

Disable or enable a backup policy​

You can flexibly manage backup operations by enabling or disabling backup policies. This eliminates

the need to delete and recreate policy configurations while preserving the continuity and recoverability of backup data.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Backup Policies.

Delete a backup policy​
Add VMs to a backup policy​

Perform this task to add multiple VMs to a backup policy in bulk. You can select multiple VMs from the

existing list and assign the same backup policy to all of them in a single operation.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Backup Policies.

  3. Click a backup policy name in the list. The VMs with Backup Policy Applied list will display the VMs that use this backup policy.

  4. Click Add to the right of VMs with Backup Policy Applied.

Remove VMs from a backup policy​

Parameters​

About this feature

Parameter management allows you to configure and maintain the core connection settings and storage resources of the NBU system. Complete these settings before performing backup or restore operations.

Features

• Configure the NBU backup service

• Configure NBU settings

• Configure backup storage

Configure the NBU backup service​
Configure NBU settings​

Configure the NetBackup client to connect to the remote backup service by specifying the server

address, authentication credentials, and access method. This configuration is required for the system to connect to NetBackup and run backup tasks.

Configure backup storage​

Configure backup storage to manage storage devices in the NetBackup system.

Add backup storage configuration

Perform this task to configure a DataMover service. Datamover acts as a bridge or proxy, enabling NetBackup to efficiently transfer backup data between locations. You can configure key information such as the Datamover network address, connected NetBackup storage server, communication protocol, and shared storage path. NetBackup can then use the Datamover service for data migration, backup, and recovery operations.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Parameters.

  3. Click the NBU Settings tab.

  4. Configure the NBU backup service according to your environment:

    ○ Proxy Service Name: Specify a Datamover service name.

    ○ Proxy Service IP: Enter the IP address of the host running the Datamover service. Clients and servers use this IP address to connect to the Datamover for data transfer.

    ○ NetBackup Storage Server: Select a configured NetBackup storage server from the list.

    ○ Proxy Service Port: Enter the port on which the Datamover listens. The default is

    1. Change it if required by your deployment.

    ○ NetBackup Storage Element: Select a configured storage element from the list. A storage element is a logical NetBackup storage area used to organize and manage backup data.

    ○ Proxy Service Access Method: Select the communication protocol used to access the Datamover.

    ○ NetBackup Storage Client: Select a configured NetBackup storage client from the list.

Edit backup storage settings

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security

  2. From the left navigation pane, select Data Security > NBU Backup > Parameters.

  3. Click the NBU Settings tab.

  4. Click Edit to edit backup storage settings.

Delete backup storage settings

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Security.