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Restoring from a 'Local Backup' device that uses a protected network share as the 'Folder or network path' field value, may not restore any objects, and states warnings: "fat table not found, invalid

Restoring from a 'Local Backup' device that uses a protected network share as the 'Folder or Network Path' field value, may not restore any objects, and the Restore log state may state warnings: "fat table not found, invalid document .." and "fct: could not locate channel in any search path .." which may be repeated for the latter). It is often the case that in order to restore backups from a 'Local Backup' device, that uses a protected network share in the 'Folder or Network Path' field value in the device, the Restore job Settings "Run As" tab > "Run as logged in user" (which is the default method) may not suffice to be able to restore from a 'Local Backup' (network based) device like that, and a user will need to be created on the local client machine in Windows, that matches the same username and password as the user that you use in the 'Local Backup' device, which in that case has to match the same username and password (credentials) as on the protected network share (for instance the user on the NAS itself), and then the Restore job Settings can be changed to utilize "Run As" tab > "Run as specified user" as the "Run As" method, and then you would specify the new local Windows user on the client machine as to the user that will authenticate to the device to restore from it in that case (instead of the currently logged in to Windows user, which would be the default "Run As" > "Run as logged in user" setting user, who likely won't be a user that has read access to the "Folder or Network Path" value of the protected network share in that case, which would be necessary to perform a restore in some cases we have seen; and hence the need for this KB article to explain how to deal with that.

NovaBACKUP 21.x and newer

  • If you experience Restore issues on a 'Local Backup' device that uses a protected network share as the "Folder or Network Path" value in the device, where no objects are able to restore from a backup that is stored on a 'Local Backup' device like that, and where the Restore log may state warnings: "fat table not found, invalid document .." and "fct: could not locate channel in any search path .." which may be repeated for the latter), even if you chose to restore the objects to a local drive on the local client machine, which likely is due to the Restore job Settings "Run As" permissions, here are a couple of things to know about:
    • On the local client machine, create a new local (or Domain, but preferably a local) user in Windows, that matches the same credentials as the 'Local Backup' device uses in the "Network Credentials" tab. To do that read below. Note: The username and password are case sensitive, for the new user to create as a local user in Windows to match the protected network share / NAS username and password, as is the "Folder or Network Path" field value in the 'Local Backup' (netowork based) device itself; so make sure that all of the specified field values do match on both ends in that case.
    • On the local client machine, load the "Users" app in Windows (you can use the 'lusrmgr.msc' command, but just know that command won't work in Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home editions of Windows, if it is the Home edition of Windows, create the new local user in "Accounts > Family & other users. Click the Add someone else to this PC option in the right pane. Click the I don't have this person's sign-in information link. Choose the Add a user without a Microsoft account option.") and then add a new user there that matches the same username value that your 'Local Backup' device's "Network Credentails" username field utilizes already. Then specify the same password for that new user that matches the same password value that your 'Local Backup' device's "Network Credentails" password field utilizes already. It is suggested to make that password never expire, and set it so that the password can't be changed. Add that user after that and then add that new user to the "Administrators" group on the local machine (or as a Domain Admin if the client machine is a Domain Controller machine).
    • If you do not want to re-use the same username as the device utilizes you can do that as well, but in that case you would need to create a completely new user on the protected network share end, and then on the local client machine end, where the same username and password matches on both ends, and then make sure to add that new user to the Administrators group on both the Windows machine and on the protected share end (like on the NAS end for instance).
    • Note: The username and password are case sensitive, for the new user to create as a local user in Windows to match the protected network share / NAS username and password, as is the "Folder or Network Path" field value in the 'Local Backup' (netowork based) device itself; so make sure that all of the specified field values do match on both ends in that case.

~In "Device" tab [Properties] on the existing 'Local Backup' device, that is already defined to utilize a protected network share in the "Folder or Network Path" field there, this is how you would verify the current 'Local Backup' (network based) device settings field values, to know how to create the username and password for as a new local user in Windows (to do with the above instructions):

  1. In NovaBACKUP 21.x and newer client, Open the "Device" tab.
  2. Left-click on to select the correct Local Backup' device, that is already defined to utilize a protected network share in the "Folder or Network Path" field there, and do a "Properties" on that device; and that should load the device properties dialog. If it does not then it is due to that device being a managed device, not an unmanaged device; so stop here and do this function via the CMon UI instead, on that same Agent (where the managed devices are created and managed/edited).
  3. 1st click on the "Local Backup" tab, and verify the "Folder or Network Path" field value is indeed utilizing a protected network share path there. If it is not using a protected network share path then stop here, as this entire KB article is probably not worth following or doing, as it shouldn't affect wide open to the public, non-protected network shares.
  4. Click on the "Network Credentials" tab.
  5. Read what you have specified in this dialog directory you want to back up to (and restore from) and all needed credentials.
    • If you do not have an Active Directory, leave the "domain" line blank.
  6. The properties of this 'Local Backup' device, in those two above tabs, contain the field value details that you will need to create a local user in Windows for (of course the password values are always grayed out in NBK client to be able to know what the password value actually is, so you will need to know what you had already specified in the device's "Network Credentials" tab password field in that case).

Test to make sure that a small 1 file backup job can complete with success to that 'Local Backup' device that uses that protected network share.

The 'Local Backup' device's "Network Credentials" tab field values take care of the authentication to the NAS / protected network share system, but only for the backup function in that case, not for restores (at least that we have seen in some cases).

ATTENTION:

  • It is often the case that in order to restore backups from a 'Local Backup' device, that uses a protected network share in the 'Folder or Network Path' field in the device, a user will need to be created on the local client machine in Windows, that matches the same username and password as the user that you use in the 'Local Backup' device, which in that case has to match the same username and password as on the network share (for instance the user on the NAS itself).
  • If the NAS system offers Active Directory (AD) integration, you may use a user that exists in the AD.
    • In some circumstances the AD authentication may fail.
    • In this case create a local user on the target protected network share system / NAS system and use the credentials of the local user in Windows that you created that matches the same credentials that are stored in the 'Local Backup' protected network share based device, that you already created on the local client machine in Windows in an earlier step.
  • In some circumstances you may not be able to use the DNS "hostname" address of the 'Local Backup' device to either add the device or backup or restore from the device, and you will need to use the IP address to access the device instead.
    • In order to add the 'Local Backup' protected network share based device again you will be 100% required to unmap / disconnect any existing mapped network drives that use any degree of the same DNS or IP address of the target protected network share in that case. You can read this KB article that we have on that subject here.
    • Using the IP address, versus the DNS "hostname" address, changes the way Windows authenticates the connection and how it stores the information related to that connection, so just keep that in mind.

Other things that can come into play with 'Local Backup' device type device create, backup, restore, and other such functions: