Working with client aliases

You can create aliases for a single client in order to have multiple backup strategies. By adding multiple alias clients, you can configure separate and radically different schedules for the same client.

Note:  Make sure you are using the 7.2 agent or higher when working with client aliases.

Using aliases, you can break apart large data stores, decreasing the time required to perform the backup, and reducing the network traffic caused by large backup transfers. This ability also allows you to see, at a glance, what the system is backing up because the data stores are broken apart, and you can view them separately.

You can also have two or more fulls that you can run at different times. Normally, a full cannot get purged until a new full is created. Separating a large full into smaller fulls and letting them run at different times, increases the available space by allowing separate purging.

There are special considerations when determining whether to include or exclude the system state when running a backup, creating a backup schedule, or creating a selection list. See Note about excluding the system state for client aliases for more information.

Use the following procedures to work with client aliases:

To create aliases for a single client

Follow these steps to create aliases for a client:

Step 1:

Create the alias name. See To create alias names from the host.

Step 2:

Add the alias name as a client. See To add the alias name as a client.

Step 3:

Create selection lists. See To create selection lists.

To create alias names from the host

1

Go to > Settings > Clients, Networking, and Notifications > Networks > Hosts.

2

Click on the client name in the table.

3

Type a name in the Alias Name field.

Note:  Do not enter spaces in the name. You are limited to 15 characters. It is recommended that you write down the alias name so you can enter the exact name when you add it as a new client.

4

Click Add. You see the alias name in the Alias List area.

Note:  To remove an alias name from the Alias List area, click on the alias name and click Remove. To remove all alias names from the Alias List area, click Remove All.

5

Repeat to add more alias names, if necessary.

6

Click Confirm. You see a message that the host entry was successful or failed.

To add the alias name as a client

1

Go to Settings > Clients, Networking, and Notifications > Clients.

2

Click Add Client. You see the Add Client screen.

3

Select the Computer Type from the drop-down list.

4

Uncheck Establish trust in the Authentication area.

5

Uncheck Automatically create a backup schedule for this computer and apply it immediately in the Options area.

6

Enter one of your new alias names in the Computer Name field.

Note:  There is no need to add an IP address, since this defaults to information from the host page.

7

Click Setup. You see a processing message, then a Reload Navigation window instructing you to refresh the system.

8

Click Yes, reload the System or No, reload the System later.

After you reload the system, the new alias name displays in the Navigation pane in the list of clients protected by the system.

To create selection lists

Now that you have set up a client alias, you can differentiate the backups with selection lists.

For example, you have a host that has large directories in a C: drive and a D: drive. You create a client alias of the host. You can now create a selection list to exclude drive C: from the client alias and another selection list to exclude drive D: from the host. This way, you have split the large directories between two different clients. At this point, you can create different full schedules for the host and the client alias and run backups separately.

See Note about excluding the system state for client aliases for information about excluding or excluding the system state when creating a selection list, running a backup, or creating a backup schedule.

See these topics for more information:

•

To exclude files, see About computer selection lists.

•

To specify includes for the selective backup type, see About computer selection lists.

•

To specify includes or a combination of includes and excludes for full, differential, and incremental backups of a Windows client, see Windows selection lists.

•

To specify includes or a combination of includes and excludes for full, differential, and incremental backups of a Linux client, see Linux selection lists.