Create Backup Policy

Create Backup Policy is a feature within QuantaStor that allows users to define and manage backup policies for their storage environment.

The purpose of Create Backup Policy in QuantaStor is to simplify the backup process and ensure data protection by providing a centralized and automated way to create, configure, and manage backup tasks. It allows users to define various parameters and settings related to backup operations, such as backup schedules, retention periods, target destinations, and backup types.

By using Create Backup Policy, administrators can easily set up recurring backup tasks according to their organization's specific requirements. All backups are incremental after the initial run and can operate in copy, move, or auto-tier modes. The backup policy also enables administrators to determine how long backups should be retained, ensuring that data is available for recovery within the desired timeframe.

Furthermore, Create Backup Policy allows users to select backup targets, such as local disks, network-attached storage (NAS), or cloud storage services, to store their backup data. This flexibility allows organizations to choose the most suitable backup destination based on factors like cost, performance, and data accessibility.

Overall, the purpose of Create Backup Policy in QuantaStor is to streamline and automate the backup process, providing a comprehensive solution for data protection and disaster recovery within the QuantaStor storage environment.

Backup policies replicate data from any NFS/CIFS share on your network to a specific Network Share on the QuantaStor appliance. It does so by temporarily connecting to the remote appliance via CIFS/NFS and then does a parallelized scan and copy of files that have not yet been backed up. QuantaStor backup policies only do pull based backups and do not push data to other servers or appliances on your network. (If you need something that is push based one could develop a simple cron job that uses rsync or similar tool to do a push style backup to another server.)

Navigation: Storage Management --> Schedules --> Backup Policy --> Create (toolbar)

Multi-source Backup

A single Network Share can be used as a backup target for multiple folders on multiple filers. To do so you'll need to create a new Backup Policy for each share on each filer. You'll also need to make sure that you check the box to store the data into a nested sub-directory of the Network Share on your QuantaStor appliance.

Data Migration / DR Mode

By default the Backup Policies replicate the contents of any remote NAS share into the root directory of the Network Share on the QuantaStor appliance. If you're planning to migrate users to the QuantaStor appliance or use the appliance as a DR failover appliance you will want to name the Network Share on the QuantaStor appliance with the same name as the share from the remote NAS filer.

Parallelized Backup

Found in In the 'File Selection Settings' tab, QuantaStor Backup Policies are designed to be able to backup large NAS filers with millions of files. It can do this efficiently via the parallelized scan process it uses which takes advantage of the scale-out capabilities of some filers. In some cases running multiple backup streams in parallel is not efficient and in those cases you'll want to set the policy to use a single stream or small number of backup streams/processes.

Policy Settings

Backup Modes

Copy Files: simply copies files to the remote storage.
Move Files: same as the copy mode but will also remove the local copy of the file immediately when the job is done.
Auto-tier Files: a variation of the 'move' mode where after moving the files, the source files are replaced with 'stubs/links' pointing to the files at the destination which may be NAS or Object storage. When users access files (links) that have been tiered out to the destination/secondary storage. The accessed files are cached locally using available storage. Set the stub creation policy in the ‘Advanced Settings’ section.

Backup Direction

Inbound Data Transfer (Network Share ← Remote Storage Export): Pulls or backs up data from remote storage to your local system.

Outbound Data Transfer (Network Share → Remote Storage Export): Pushes or backs up data from your local system to remote storage.

Option: Enable Continuous Data Protection

CDP will queue and copy or move newly created and modified files to be copied to the destination immediately.

Remote Storage Export

SMB: Connect an SMB share from another server or appliance. You can also use one from the same server, though it’s best if it’s on a different pool.
NFS: Connect a NFS share from another server or appliance. You can also use one from the same server, though it’s best if it’s on a different pool.
Cloud Container: Add your preferred cloud storage in Cloud Containers section and use it as backup storage.

Schedule Interval

Schedule Type

Use day/hour selections: Choose the day and time or use the Offset slider for finer minute control.
Use timer interval: You can set the interval to as low as 3 minutes. If you need a shorter interval or near real-time, we recommend using a third-party app like Resilio.

Snapshot Settings

Long Term Snapshot Retention Settings

Aside from backup files copied or moved to Remote Storage, the backup policy will also create incremental snapshots of your network share folder depending on retentions you set.

Note: Snapshots created through Backup Policy, Remote Replication, or Snapshot Schedule are independent of each other. Creating snapshots using any one of these functions will suffice.

File Selection Settings

Purge Options: Purging files are only available in ‘copy’ mode. It deletes files on the destination which are no longer on the source. You can set the purge frequency to either immediately after backup, daily or weekly.
Option: Purge Files Older Than: Once the age of a file has gone beyond the retention period it may be deleted from the backup. The age of a file is determined by when it was created and/or last modified. You can also include files that have been recently accessed but not modified. Retention periods only apply to Sliding Window Backup policies.
File Age Options: Set the minimum and maximum age of the files you want to backup.
File Size Options: Set the minimum and maximum file sizes for the files you want to back up. You can also set the minimum file size for auto-tiering, where stubs are created only for files larger than the specified size.

Filtering Options: This option is available only when ‘Continuous Data Protection’ is disabled. You can include or exclude files from the backup based on matching patterns.

Advanced Settings

Option: Destination Subdirectory: You can have multiple backup policies setup on a single Network Share by having each policy backup files to a subdirectory named after the policy (default). This is very useful when you are backing up files for many different users so that you do not have to create a new Network Share for each policy. In some cases though it is important for the backup files to go into the root of the Network Share so that it can be used for DR failover. In this mode there can be only one Backup Policy for the given Network Share.
Option: Maintain a log of each backup: Backup logs are stored within the QuantaStor system at /var/log/qs/backup-log/POLICYNAME/ and each log contains a list of the full path to each file that was backed up by the job. These logs can be used to drive tape backup with IBM TSM and other backup software systems.
Option: Include file access time-stamp in file age checks: The file ‘Accessed’ date property is used to determine file age, according to the settings you configure under ‘Filtering Options.’
Stub Creation Policy: This setting is specific to ‘auto-tier’ mode, allowing you to choose whether stub creation occurs nightly or whenever scheduled backups are triggered. It does not apply to files copied using ‘Continuous Data Protection.’