Protect Your Data: Configure EVault for Server Backups

In “The Tenth Anniversary” episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Raymond accidentally records the Super Bowl over his wedding video. He hilariously tries to compensate for his gaffe by renewing his wedding vows so he can make a new tape for his wife Debra. If life imitates art, it’s worth considering what would happen if that tape held your business data. It would be disaster!

While it’s unlikely that one of your sysadmins will accidentally record the Super Bowl over the data in your database server cluster, data loss can occur in a number of ways. If your business data is not protected and backed up, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a neat and tidy sitcom episode resolution. Luckily, SoftLayer provides simple, inexpensive backup capabilities with software such as EVault, so you shouldn’t ever be worried about anyone pulling a Raymond on your data.

The following quick, four-step process walks you through how to protect and back up your data by subscribing to SoftLayer’s EVault Backup client. This software enables you to design and set your backup schedule, protecting your business from unexpected costs because of accidental deletions, viruses, and other disasters. To follow along on your own servers, your computing instances or bare metal servers need to be provisioned, and you need to have root or administrator level access to those servers. For the sake of brevity, I’ll be using a Linux operating system in this guide, but if you’re running Windows, the process, in general, is no different.

Step 1 – Order EVault Backup for the server or computing instance

1. Log into the SoftLayer Customer Portal and select the server(s) that needs storage services from the device list.
2. Scroll down to the Storage section. Select the Add (or Modify) link located on the right hand corner of the EVault record to place an order for an EVault Backup client subscription.
3. On the EVault ordering screen, select either Local or Remote Data Center and the desired amount of storage. Agree to the terms and conditions and click the Order EVault button to place your EVault storage order.
4. The order is typically provisioned in 5 minutes or less and the system creates a user and password for the new instance of EVault.
5. Click Services→Storage→EVault and expand the EVAULT link to make note of the user credentials, which will be used in Step 3.

Step 2 – Download the EVault agent on the server or computing instance

1. SSH into the server or computing instance and run the following command:

   # wget –N http://downloads.service.softlayer.com/EVault/EVault_manual.sh

Step 3 – Register the server or computing instance with EVault in order to run back up and restore jobs

1. From the command prompt on the server or compute instance run the following command to register it with EVault:

   ~]# sh ./EVault_manual.sh

2. In the ensuing prompts, enter the credentials that were noted Step 1, 5 and use ev-webcc01.service.softlayer.com for the web-based agent console address.

   Note: In the event the agent fails to register with EVault, you can quickly register the agent manually by running

   ~]#<Installation directory>/register

Once you’ve made it to this point, you’re ready to run backup and restore jobs.

Step 4 – Login into EVault console with WebCCLogin

1. From the SoftLayer Customer Portal, click Services→Storage→EVault.
2. Expand the server or compute instance to which EVault Backup is attached. In the right-hand corner of the server entry you will find a link to WebCCLogin.
3. Click the WebCCLogin link for the EVault Web CentralControl screen. Type in the credentials from Step 1, 5 and you’ll be taken to the EVault Backup and Restore interface.
4. You are now ready to run your backup and restore jobs!

Check your backups often to confirm that they’re being created when, where, and how you want them to be created. To prepare for any possible disaster recovery scenarios, schedule periodic tests of your backups: Restore the most recent backup of your production server to an internal server. That way, if someone pulls a Raymond on your server(s), you’ll be able to get all of your data back online quickly. If you’re interested in learning more, visit the Evault Backup page on KnowledgeLayer.

-Vinayak Harnoor

Vinayak Harnoor is a Technical Architect with the IBM Global Technology Services (GTS) Global Cloud Ecosystem team.