Noob question...how is the storage for Active backup decided

[BiggPerci]

Servers run internal databses so have VSS to allow online backups without corrupting them. It is just a whole different mechanism to a desktop PC

 

[DHSW]

Actually, I think I see what you're saying. Should change the device type so that they are located in the physical server section rather than the PC section they were put in by default?

Also, if that's the case, is there a spearate installer for servers as the one I used was the only one that was available on my product's applications page? Might explain why it has put both servers under PC....

 

[DHSW]

Nope, that didn't work. I changed the device type of the servers to Physical Server so as to then get a server template to play with. Set a test one up and tried to run it manually but no cigar, it bombs out the same way.

 

[BiggPerci]

First up, in refence to your question about space used in folder, on the overview page for ABB, scroll down there is a storage status box, this reports the true size after deduplication.

For the server template, did you create an actual server template (settings (on main page last option in list) then template tab, then create). On first page of creating template is option to choose PC or Server. On last page you get to assign users to be able to use this template, ensure the user you log into the agent (on the server) with is selected. If you chose the admin user (rather than setting up a user called ABB-admin or similar) then that user might not by default have permission for ABB or the destination folder. Goto control panel --> users --> choose user in list, click edit and check permissions and apps tabs to see they are

 

[DHSW]

Thanks, 890 odd gigs deduped but it won't have taken the servers into account yet which will be another terabyte or so. However, I have more than enough storage collectively, possibly all on a 4 terabyte volume...for now, I'll see what it looks like over time.

Tempate....eerm, nope, I have been creating a 'task', sorry...bear with, will try and do it properly now and report back...

-- post merged: 22. Jan 2021 --

OK, have created a template for a server, where LAN adminstrator is the username assigned to it. I create a task wthin the physical servers list and it still does the same.

I (now) get the link between template and task but how does it know to use a particular template for a task?

For test purposes I created another server template so there is now two to choose from but when I create a task under physical servers, nothing is asking me which of the two available server templates to apply...what am I missing here? I get the feeling it is this causing the authentication problem but I don't trust the server tasks I am creating are using the correct templates now....

 

[BiggPerci]

Template is assigned by the username attached to it, so when you log into the NAS from the agent it matches the latest template created with that username attached. This took me a while to figure out, creating a list of templates for a single user all at once doesn't achieve anything (i found out the hard way) if you want the task names to match the PC names you will have to do template A then login PC A, template B then login PC B etc etc. Once linked it will stay linked but at each initial login to the agent it uses the newest assigned to user name

 

[fredbert]

I (now) get the link between template and task but how does it know to use a particular template for a task?

The device type's default template is used for new devices.

 

[BiggPerci]

Unless you have created template with username assigned then login via agent with that username.
It will always pick the newest template assigned to the logging in user name.

Just re read your post about assigning LAN administrator to template, did you check the LAN administrator has read/write permission to the ABB app and ABB folder?

 

[fredbert]

Unless you have created template with usename assigned then login via agent with that username.
It will always pick the newest template assigned to the logging in user name

True. But if you've not looked at templates then there's still a default one.

I've not noticed that changes to the default template will force changes to a PC's modified task settings.

 

[DHSW]

My head hurts and I have 3 or so hours left here in the UK before I can get alcohol to numb the pain....

I feel I am so close now but it isn't working as expected still. I'm getting a bit confused with the bit around assigning usernames to templates. When choosing a username in the template creation it lists all the active directory usres plus the NAS created administrators. I have been applying it to the LAN network admin user as that is who I am logged into on the physical server and that I installed the agent with.

For what it is worth, the NAS has a single admin that I (rightly or wrongly) use to:

- log in to it via browser
- connect from each agent's installation on all PCs and servers

and that's it. Is the template creation bit asking for:

a) the NAS admin username or the username of the AD user logged into the machine the agent is running on which in turn is using the NAS admin username to connect to Active backup

or

b) the username of the NAS admin I'm using to connect an agent to Active backup

?

Either way, I have tried editing the template to each one and creating a new physical server task and it still bombs out.

-- post merged: 22. Jan 2021 --

Sorry, the a or b thing doesn't make much sense as a contains the or....

 

[fredbert]

The template is specific to the user and device. If you always setup the PC sync agent and sign-in with your admin account then the template will always be that of the admin user, or if there isn't one for this user then the default template.

Say I have two PC templates: default; fredbert. Then if I login the sync agent using fredbert the template will be fredbert's. But if I log in as user bertfred then the default template will be used. This user will then be able to access the ABB portal to restore files and folders.

For my four PCs (work and kids) I have logged in each PC sync using the user's normal DSM account. The DSM admin account can access any of the PC backups in the ABB portal but the user can only access their own.

I haven't tried using the server backup and not AD either.

 

[DHSW]

So in my case I have a user, say NASADMIN, who I have used for all devices. Currently it has tasks assigned to it that work, under the PCs listing. It then also has tasks assigned to it in the Physical Servers section but these don't work even though NASADMIN has a server template assigned to it.

I'm wondering if I should perhaps create two new NAS admins, one to link to a PC template and the other to link to a Server template.

I get the feeling that, although I have NASADMIN assigned to a server template which would be the newest template assigned to the login username, it is somehow picking up the default PC template for that user...but that sounds glitchy. Perhaps the default PC templates assignment trumps the only other server one I've created...?

 

[BiggPerci]

Lets try and unconfuse things. Open control panel and then users, is the user you log into ABB agent with in the list, if it isnt then on column on left select domain/ldap, then domain users tab and select LAN administrator from list and click edit. Check the application tab and see if LAN admin has read/write permission for ABB, same for permissions tab for the ABB destination folder.

 

[DHSW]

Thanks,

OK to avoid my confusion, when you say "the user you log into ABB agent" you are referring to the credentials I use to connect the agent to the NAS. If so it is not the LAN admin but the NAS Admin.

NASADMIN is already in the users list. It only has two 'allows' under applications for File Station and Universal Search. The Active Backup For Business and Active Backup for Business Portal are blank in the 'allow' column.

 

[BiggPerci]

That is most likely the issue, what about the folder permissions?

To be 100% clear, tick both the boxes.

 

[DHSW]

but if that's the case, how come the PC backups all save OK to the same location, the permissions must be the same as it is the same username?

 

[BiggPerci]

Not a clue, anyway, its not working yet

 

[DHSW]

Knickers, that failed too after giving read/write permissons to folder and application. I'm going to leave it for now and see if Synology have anything to say about what I've already submitted. Thanks for all the help and I'll update the post when I hear back from Synology.

 

[BiggPerci]

good luck

 

[DHSW]

Cheers, have a good weekend and thanks for all your help so far.