NovaBACKUP PC Agent/Server Agent (for newer versions, 21.x)

NOTE: This guide was originally written for NovaBACKUP version 21.x. You will have to know that there were differences starting in version 21.x in regards to the new backup engine that was first introduced in that version, for a new "Local Backup" device type which supports both local drive paths and network UNC share paths, for that new device type that can support backup jobs created in the backup tab, using the new backup engine, that will store to a network share in 21.x. If running versions prior to 21.x then in order to backup (via the backup tab) to the "Local Backup" device type, as this KB article describes how to do, it would require upgrading to NovaBACKUP 21.x first. For additional help on how to create a "Local Backup" device type, for a network share path in this case, please read the NovaBACKUP 21 Quick Start Guide: https://www.novabackup.com/resources/quick-start-guide.

How to backup data from a Network Share to another Network Share with NovaBACKUP 21.

Contents

1. Map the network share.

2. Configure the Destination Device.

3. Define your Backup Job.

4. Ensure correct permissions for source data.

1. Map the network share

First use Windows Explorer to create a mapped network drive letter for the Network Share (UNC path) that you want to backup from; and be sure to utilize "Connect using different credentials" checkbox there, as normally the user that you will need to map the network drive with would NOT be the current user that is logged in to Windows that is running the backup client. This is needed to see the folder/files from within NovaBACKUP 21, you can also skip this if you want and browse through the built in [Network] object in NovaBACKUP (however just know that the built in [Network] object will probably not be able to list ALL of your network shares, including normally any network share that is protected that does not allow access to the user who is currently logged in to Windows and running the backup client with). Note: If you want to you could create a separate "read-only access" user on the same Network Share that you want to backup from, and give that read-only user only "Read" access in the share and folder permissions, of that share, and in that case when you go to create the mapped network drive you would specify the read-only user, not the admin user of the network share, because in that case NovaBACKUP only requires read access to the source files on the network drive you intend to backup from. Just know that it wouldn't be best practice to leave a mapped network drive in place on a machine for long that would contain critical files/folders on it, since that leaves you vulnerable to other attacks, especially if the user that you map the network drive as is the admin user that has full read/write/delete access to that entire network share that you are now making that client computer accessible to write to (via any app). If this is a one time need to only backup the contents of the source Network Share one time with NovaBACKUP to for instance another Network Share (such as from one NAS as the source to another NAS as the target, which is what this KB article is aimed at as the primary example seen in the screenshots here), then you would want to disconnect that mapped network drive as soon as you are done with the backup, if it were only meant as a one time need. If you are going to have a backup job that regularly backs up the content of one source Network Share to another target Network Share you will probably want to lock down the share permissions so that A. the source network share is not wide open to everyone that would allow full control access to anyone that tries to access that Network Share path, so you would enable the source Network Share to be locked down in that case, and B. the user that you map the source mapped network drive as, for the credentials to specify when creating the mapped network drive that is, should be a read-only user that only has Read access to that source network share, not an admin user, if at all possible (what is mentioned above in this and the prior sentence would be our advice and the best practice).

2. Configure the Destination Device

Next you need to configure the device you are going to be backing up to.  In this case it will be another Network Share on a NAS that we want to backup to.  You will want to create a ‘Local Backup’ device in NovaBACKUP and then put the UNC path to the share you want to backup to, along with configuring the Network Credentials that need to be used to get to that share (which you will be required to do for the new 'Local Backup' device type that was added in NovaBACKUP 21, that step is not optional, read below on that "Network Credentials" dialog).

The "Network Credentials" tab is where you will be required to define the credentials to have write access to the target Buffalo NAS device (which utilizes the new 'Local Backup' device type that was added in NovaBACKUP 21). For additional information and help with this prompt please read the "Creating a Local Backup device" section, on Page 5, of the "NovaBACKUP 21 Quick Start Guide" here and the separate KB article regarding "Workaround for unable to create a new UNC based Local Backup device type in NovaBACKUP 21.x (if there is an open connection/mapping to that path)" here:

3. Define your Backup Job

Now it’s time to setup your backup job.  If the backup client was already running prior to you creating the new mapped network drive in Step 1 you will be required to exit the backup client and run the client again in order to see the mapped network drive letter be listed in the "Select Backup Source" section of the Backup tab dialog. You should now see the Mapped Network Drive letter in the file selection tree view ("Select Backup Source" section of the Backup tab dialog), and then you need to select and files/folders on that mapped network drive letter to use for the source selection for what to backup from that network share, then you will need to specify the device you want to backup to.  In this case the "Local Backup" device named "Buffalo NAS" that we created earlier in Step 2.

4. Ensure correct permissions for source data

Since we are backing up from a network share, we need to make sure that the user that is running the backup job has access to the source network share (to get access to the mapped network drive as the source).  In this case we created a new user within Windows that has full access to the network share, but it is not the user that is logged in to windows in this case, and it normally would not be either, as unless the NAS is domain aware and can read from Active Directory then you likely will not be logged in to Windows with the same user that has admin privledges on the source network share (unless that network share is not locked down/protected, and allows Everyone > Full Control access that is; although we would never recommend that any network share or NAS device share be open to Everyone).