Configuring instance backup options

Before you start protecting instances, you can adjust instance protection to the needs of your data protection environment by configuring backup options.

Backup option	Description
Running pre/post scripts	You can use the pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts to perform necessary actions before and after the snapshot of an instance is created. For example, if the instance hosts a database management system, you may want to put the database offline before the snapshot is created to ensure an application-consistent backup and bring the database back online when the snapshot creation completes.
Excluding disks from the backup	You can specify any disk to be excluded from the instance backup.
Allowing the restore of individual files	You can allow the restore of individual files if your data protection needs require that only individual files are restored, and not the entire instance. As an alternative to allowing the restore of individual files by using the Configuration option described in this procedure, you can also tag an instance in Google Cloud, and by doing so, instruct HYCU for Google Cloud to allow it automatically. For details, see “Allowing the restore of files by tagging the instance in Google Cloud”.
Specifying the temporary instance location and subnet	You can specify the region, the zone, and the subnet where you want HYCU for Google Cloud to create a temporary instance during the backup. By default, the temporary instance is created in the project of the original instance.

Prerequisites

• Only if you plan to use pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts.

  • Access to the instance file system must be enabled. For instructions, see “Enabling access to data”.
  • A script must be available in an accessible folder.
  • The user account must have permissions to run a script on the instance with the assigned credentials.

• Only if you plan to specify a different subnet for the temporary instance. If you plan to use pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts, or back up instances for which the restore of individual files is allowed, VPC Network Peering must be configured. For details on how to configure VPC Network Peering, see Google Cloud documentation.

Considerations

• Only if you plan to use pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts. The scripts are run from the home directory of the user account that HYCU for Google Cloud uses for running the scripts.

  Depending on the operating system on the instance, the following user accounts are used:

  • GNU/Linux:

    • The instance has no credential group assigned in HYCU for Google Cloud: The HYCU Managed Service Account (HMSA).

    • The instance has a credential group assigned: The user account specified in the credential group.

  • Microsoft Windows: The user account that is assigned to the instance in HYCU for Google Cloud by means of a credential group.

• Only if you plan to exclude the boot disk from the backup. When restoring the instance whose boot disk was excluded from the backup, the Restore Instance and Clone Instance options are not available.

Procedure

1. In the Instances panel, select the instance for which you want to configure backup options.

   t Tip  To configure the same backup options for multiple instances at once, select the preferred instances.

   Keep in mind that you cannot configure disk exclusion from backup for multiple instances at the same time. You can edit other backup options only if they currently have the same settings for all selected instances.

2. Click  Configuration. The Instance Configuration dialog box opens.

3. Depending on what you want to do, perform the required action:

   • Run the pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts:

     On the Pre/post scripts tab, do the following:

     • In the Pre‑snapshot script field, enter the script that HYCU for Google Cloud runs before it creates a snapshot of the instance. The following are examples of the scripts:

       • GNU/Linux: bash /home/<UserName>/freeze_db.sh

       • Microsoft Windows: %USERPROFILE%\quiesce_db.bat

     • In the Post‑snapshot script field, enter the script that HYCU for Google Cloud runs after it creates a snapshot of the instance. The following are examples of the scripts:

       • GNU/Linux: bash /home/<UserName>/thaw_db.sh

       • Microsoft Windows: %USERPROFILE%\resume_db.bat

   • Exclude disks from the backup:

     On the Exclude from backup tab, select the disks that you want to exclude from the backup.

   • Allow the restore of individual files or folders:

     On the Restore individual files tab, enable the Enable restore of individual files switch.

   • Specify the region, the zone, and the subnet where you want HYCU for Google Cloud to create a temporary instance:

     On the Temporary instance configuration tab, select the following:

     1. From the Region drop-down menu, select the preferred region.

     2. From the Zone drop-down menu, select the preferred zone.

     3. From the Subnet drop-down menu, select the preferred subnet. By default, the temporary instance is created in the default subnet of the preferred region and zone.

4. Click Save.

Allowing the restore of files by tagging the instance in Google Cloud

As an alternative to allowing the restore of individual instance files in HYCU for Google Cloud, you can add the hycu-enable-flr tag as the label or the custom metadata tag to the instance in Google Cloud, and by doing so, instruct HYCU for Google Cloud to allow it automatically.

Procedure

In Google Cloud, use the following name/value pair for the instance:

Name	Value
hycu-enable-flr	Truea

^a By setting the value to False, you disallow the restore of individual files for the specific instance.

If the instance has credentials assigned, HYCU for Google Cloud automatically allows the restore of its individual files. Otherwise, you must assign the credentials to the instance. For details on how to do this, see “Enabling access to data”.