Backup Check

The Backup Check queries your client's backup on the days specified to determine the status of the backup. The check ensures that in the event of problems on the client's server, there is a backup to restore from. Depending on the product, the backup information is derived from the Windows Event Log or from the product's native log files.

Since the Backup Checks poll the device for the backup results, the results in N-sight RMM are those reported by the Backup software being monitored. If the reported result is Completed with Errors, Completed with Warnings, or a similar response, we recommend you investigate the device the problem and ensure the Backup software can backup the expected data sets.

Check configuration

Add

  1. On the All Devices view North-pane, select the device
  2. Go to the Checks tab
  3. Click Add Check
  4. Select Add DSC > Backup Check

  5. Select the Supported backup product from the drop-down

  6. In Which Backups select the days to monitor
  7. Enable any additional pass conditions, for example Show 'complete with exceptions' as successful (or equivalent)
  8. Enter the Number of backup jobs to check for
  9. To run an Automated Task when the Check fails, select Assign a Task after creating the Check. This option is not supported for all checks.
  10. Click OK to save and apply
  11. If you selected Assign a Task after creating the Check:
    1. Select the Automated Task script and select Next to configure.
    2. Enter any required Command Line parameters or Script parameters and select Next.
    3. Set maximum permitted execution time for the script (optional).
    4. Select Finish to save and apply.

Tips for Best Usage

  • If a Check fails, we recommend you ensure the backup program is installed and writing the backup status events to the relevant log file. For example, native log files or Windows Event Log.
  • If we do not support your backup product, but the product writes to the Event Log, you can configure your own Event Log Check to monitor the status of the backup job. If the backup the product writes to its own native logs, you can write a Script Check to retrieve the required information.
  • To ensure the backup files are manageable sizes, use the File Size Check to generate an Alert if the backup files or locations exceed the specified threshold.

Edit

  1. On the All Devices view North-pane, select the device
  2. Go to the Checks tab in the South-pane
  3. Right-click the target Check and select Edit Check
  4. Configure the settings
  5. Click OK to save and apply

Delete

  1. On the All Devices view North-pane, select the device
  2. Go to the Checks tab in the South-pane
  3. Right-click the target Check and select Delete Check
  4. Enter the password you used to sign into N-sight RMM to confirm removal
  5. Click OK to delete

Configuration settings

Which Backups

In the Which Backups section, select the days a backup is scheduled to run. Since backups generally run overnight (for example, starting Monday night and finishing Tuesday morning) the check reflects this and runs the day after the Which Backups setting to capture any jobs completed over the monitored period.

For example, if you select Monday in the Which Backups section, the Tuesday Daily Safety Check checks that the Monday evening backup successfully completed and displays the results.

Which Backups selection Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Daily Safety Check runs on Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday

Show 'complete with exceptions' as successful (or equivalent)

Depending on the backup program, there may be an additional option to pass the check if a non-successful condition is encountered. For example, record the backup as complete with exceptions if the backup completes but files are still open.

Number of backup jobs to check for

To avoid false positives or negatives, when you configure the Backup check, we recommend you enter the minimum number of jobs that are scheduled to run over the monitoring period in Number of jobs to check for. If this minimum number of jobs is not met, the check fails regardless of whether discovered backups were successful.

The following table shows examples of what happens if the Backup Check is not updated to reflect the current number of jobs:

Backup Check New number of jobs Backup State Result
3 2 All passed Check fails: less than the expected number of jobs were discovered
3 5 3 jobs ran Check passes: expected number of jobs were discovered. No failure to indicate two jobs did not run.

Daily Safety Check Run Time

If there is a change to the backup schedule, you may need to change when the Daily Safety Check runs to ensure it runs after the backup completes.

To change when the Daily Safety Check runs:

  1. On the All Devices view North-pane, right-click the device and select Edit <device_type>
  2. In General Settings, under Check Frequency, select the DSC Run Time from the drop-down menu
  3. Click OK to save and apply

Multiple Backup Job Schedules, Multiple Backup Checks

When you add a backup job that runs on a different daily schedule to the existing Backup Check, we recommend you add another Backup Check to reflect this schedule and monitor all of the backups that are scheduled to run on these days. This ensures that the correct number of jobs are monitored.

For example, if Files and Folders and System State backups run seven days a week, and you add SQL and Exchange backups to run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday...

Backup Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Files and Folders 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
System State 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
SQL 1 1 1
Exchange 1 1

1
Total backups each day 4 2 4 2 4 2 2

We recommend you use two Backup Checks:

Check name Which Backup (days) Number of backups to check for
Backup Check 1 Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4
Backup Check 2 Seven days of the week 2