Move an existing BDR backup from ShadowProtect to Axcient

Written By Tami Sutcliffe (Super Administrator)

Updated at August 20th, 2021

Overview

This article covers the minimum steps needed to send ShadowProtect data offsite to the Axcient cloud. 

This information is targeted to partners who are transitioning from StorageCraft cloud or another cloud provider to the Axcient cloud.


A. Create a new account

A new account must be created for every Shadowprotect BDR (site) that will be sent to Axcient.

1. Login to https://backup.securewebportal.net/admin-console/partner-center

2. Select Accounts | Create Account. 

01-create-account.jpg

3. Fill out the required starred fields.

  • If you are managing this offsite account for your customer, the name, address and other information can be your customer's information or your MSP information.
  • The account username and password are used with the Axcient software that will be downloaded and installed at your customer’s site. Therefore, the username should be indicative of the customer site. (For example, the username could be admin.CustomerName).
  • When choosing service plans for accounts you are creating:
    • Select ShadowProtect Cloud for accounts that will use ImageManager replication
    • Choose BDR for Shadowprotect or ShadowProtect Standalone (as appropriate) for legacy accounts.

 

For step-by-step instructions on creating new accounts, please refer to:

Create an account using the New Account Wizard [7 minutes]

Create an account using the Create Account Page:  [3 minutes]

B. Download, install and configure Axcient Online Backup manager at your customer site.

1. Login to https://backup.securewebportal.net/admin-console/partner-center

2. At your customer’s site, select a machine that can browse to the desired ShadowProtect backup destination. This machine can be a dedicated BDR unit, or it can be any machine where you wish to run ImageManager and the Online Backup Manager.

3. From the selected machine, select Support | Download Software. 

4. Install the software.

5. Launch the Online Backup Manager and login using the customer account created above.

6. Click on My Account.

7. Enter Account Credentials for the customer account created in the previous step.

8. Finally, click Test Connection. 

02-test_connection.jpg

C. Create a pass phrase (for legacy OBM accounts)

Important note: If this is a legacy account using Online Backup Manager to upload data, the following steps to create a pass phrase must be completed.

This step is not necessary for new accounts using ImageManager to replicate data to the Axcient Cloud.

1. Click Create Pass Phrase.

03-create-pass-phrase.jpg

2.  The passphrase you set must be a minimum of 15 characters long. We recommend using at least 105 bits (the number of bits will display as you enter the pass phrase). More complicated passphrases that include numbers, capital letters, and/or symbols are recommended. You can also use spaces when creating your passphrase. The passphrase is what protects your data from unauthorized access.

3. Be sure you notate the passphrase. If you choose to uncheck the Securely store the passphrase on the server in case it is forgotten option, we will not be able to help you recover your data if you do not remember your pass phrase.

04-set-pass-phrase.jpg

4. You must set at least 3 security questions.

  • You are not required to fill in Your Name, but this may help you more easily answer the questions if you ever need to recover a forgotten passphrase.
  • You can choose more than 3 questions, but you must choose a minimum of 3. You can choose from pre-made questions in the drop down, or you can type in any question you prefer.

5. Now, type in the answer on the left.

  • You must remember your answer exactly. Answers ignore capitalization and white space, but punctuation is important. For example, 123-456 is not 123/456 
  • We strongly recommend you screenshot, copy to clipboard, or print your answers so you have a record of exactly what the questions and answers are.

6. You will also be given the opportunity to save the passphrase to a file. This can be removable media, a storage location that is not on the protected machine, or something you take with you away from the client site. Saving the passphrase to a file in this way is also strongly recommended.

Due to compliance requirements, Axcient can only accept encrypted data.

D. Add folders

1. Select Folders | Add | Add Folder

05-add-folder.jpg

2. Navigate to your ShadowProtect image directory, click the green arrow button to move it to the left side, then click Save.

06-save-volume-images.jpg

E. Select policies

1. Select the correct policy, based on the account type:

     For ImageManager replication accounts:    For Legacy ShadowProtect accounts using Online Backup Manager to upload data:

 

   Double click on the VolumeImages folder

   Choose Monitor ShadowProtect Images Policy

07-policy1.jpg

   Then, click Save.

   When you click away from the folder, you will see that the text has changed from black to red with yellow highlighting.

08-red-text.jpg

   This is how you know the Online Backup Manager will ONLY monitor the data to report to the portal. It will not try to upload the data (as legacy accounts do). Data upload will be done with ImageManager instead.

   Double click on VolumeImages Folder Policy

   Choose Backup ShadowProtect Images Policy

09-legacy.jpg

 

   Click Save.

 

F. Configure schedule

Click Schedule and set your desired schedule. 

We recommend running after ImageManager is done with its daily tasks, which should be scheduled to run at 12:05 am. The recommended time to schedule the Online Backup Manager is 1:00 AM.  

G. Verify encryption if needed 

For ImageManager replication accounts, launch ShadowProtect and ensure your backup jobs are encrypted. Backups must be password protected. Due to compliance requirements, Axcient can only accept encrypted data.

For legacy Online Backup Manager accounts using the Online Backup Manager to replicate to us, no additional encryption is necessary because Online Backup Manager encrypts data as it sends it to us.

Please note: 

  • Partners using Axcient's Online Backup Manager to replicate customer ShadowProtect data to us before June 2016 can replicate ShadowProtect data for new customers to us using the legacy Online Backup Manager method.
  • Any partners who did not replicate customer ShadowProtect data to us before June 2016 will use ImageManager replication to send ShadowProtect data to us. 

 If you have additional questions, please contact us at Support.