Protection groups

This tutorial shows how to backup Microsoft SQL Server (Virtual Device Interface (VDI)-based) data using your IBM Cloud® Backup and Recovery service. This entails choosing the Sources and Objects (i.e. Microsoft SQL Server hosts and their data) to protect, along with naming the Protection Group and assigning a pre-existing or custom Protection Policy that defines your backup schedule, data retention duration and more.

Before you start

Ensure that you have what you need to start:

  • An account for the IBM Cloud® Platform.
  • An instance of IBM Cloud Backup and Recovery service is deployed.
  • A Data Source Connector (Virtual Machine (VM) or Virtual Server Instance (VSI)) that is registered with your instance.
  • A Source (physical host, VM or VSI) that is registered with your instance.
  • An Agent deployed to the source (installed using the required installer).
  • Verify that you have proper access to your IBM Cloud Backup and Recovery instance.
    • Writer (backup-recovery.dashboard.edit) or Manager (backup-recovery.dashboard.edit) privileges to the IBM Cloud Backup and Recovery Service are needed to create and manage Protection Jobs (i.e. Backup Jobs) in your instance. These privileges can be assigned by your IBM Cloud Platform account owner using an Access Group (multiple users) or Access Policy (specific user) tied to your Identity and Access Management (IAM) profile. Details on this are included here.

Launch your IBM Cloud Backup and Recovery Instance UI

  1. Log in to the IBM Cloud Platform account.
  2. Go to Navigation Menu > Backup and Recovery.
  3. Search for and select your IBM Cloud Backup and Recovery instance.
  4. On the instance details page, click Launch dashboard.
  5. Enter your Single Sign-On (SSO) or account credentials to authenticate.

After completing the steps, you are now presented with the UI of your IBM Cloud® Backup and Recovery instance.

Add or Edit a Protection Group

Please refer to Add or edit a protection group for physical servers to accomplish this task.

A Protection Group is created by a user when using the Protection configuration window that appears when selecting Data Protect > Protect (for Physical Server and Databases such as Microsoft SQL Server). Once you choose the Objects (with Source), enter a Protection Group Name, configure a standard Protection Policy (Gold, Silver, etc.) or create a new custom Protection Policy, then select Protect to finalize your configurations, the Protection Group will be created. More details on these configuration steps are available in the Tutorials on protecting (i.e. backing up) Physical and Microsoft SQL Server data.