Frequently Asked Questions

Local Backup

If your question is not addressed below, please contact us through our feedback form and we'll get back to you shortly.

How do I backup my computer to the IDrive BMR device?

To backup a computer to your BMR device you need to install IDrive BMR's backup agent software on your computer. The IDrive BMR device detects the agent installed on the computer and auto-starts the scheduled backup. In the rare instance that the agent fails to auto-detect the client, click the 'Having trouble adding a client?' link for instructions.

Note: Auto-update functionality is supported for backup agent version 4.2.0 (BMR device firmware version 8.3.0 and above) and above. You can disable the auto-update via your system's IDrive BMR tray icon.

To deploy the IDrive BMR backup agent on multiple computers, refer to How do I install IDrive BMR on multiple PCs in one go?

To add a computer to the IDrive BMR device for backup,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR device interface.

   

2. Navigate to 'Downloads' > 'Backup Agent' > 'EXE' and download the backup agent.

3. Install the backup agent.
   

4. The IDrive BMR device detects the agent and starts full backup automatically for the first time as per the global backup schedule. You can see the backup status in the 'Activities' section.

Note: By default, the backup schedule is set from 6:00 PM to 7:00 AM. You can edit this schedule as required.

To schedule and manage the backup settings of your client machine, refer to this FAQ.

Note: If you try to force a full image backup the second time, although the BMR device displays full image backup in the UI (i.e. backup progress in a raw format), a synthetic full backup is performed to save time and storage space.

To execute a manual backup, click corresponding to the required computer and select 'Backup' (Incremental) or 'Full image backup' from the drop-down menu to start the backup.

The backup agent has not detected the client. How do I add the client for backup?

It takes the backup agent a few seconds to detect the client. In case it is taking longer, click the 'Having trouble adding a client?' link for issue resolution.

How do I install IDrive BMR on multiple PCs in one go?

You can use the IDrive BMR MSI package to remotely install the BMR application on multiple PCs.

Prerequisites for remote deployment of IDrive BMR MSI package:

• IDrive BMR MSI installer package
• Shared folder accessible via all the domain users
• Active Directory environment

First, follow the steps given below to create a Group Policy Object (GPO) under active directory environment:

1. Launch 'Group Policy Management' from the Start menu.

2. Navigate to 'Forest', the folder for creating group policy.
3. Double-click 'Domains' and navigate 'Group Policy Object'.

4. Right-click 'Group Policy Object' and click 'New'.

5. Assign a group name and click 'OK'.

Next, follow the steps given below to assign the IDrive BMR MSI package to the domain computers:

1. Right-click the new group policy and click 'Edit'. This will launch the 'Group Policy Management Editor'.

2. Go to 'Computer Configuration' > 'Policies' > 'Software Settings' > 'Software installation'.

3. Right-click 'Software installation' and navigate to 'New' > 'Package'.

4. Locate and select the shared network folder with the IDrive BMR MSI installer package and click 'Open' to add to the software installation container.
5. Select 'Assigned' and click 'OK'. The process may take a while, depending on the size of the software.

6. Right-click on the MSI package and click 'Properties'. The 'IDrive Properties' window appears.
7. Navigate to the 'Deployment' tab. Under 'Deployment type' select 'Assigned' and under 'Deployment options' select 'Install this application at logon'.

8. Click 'OK'.
9. Right-click the domain and click 'Link an Existing GPO'. The 'Select GPO' screen appears.

10. Select the newly created Group Policy and click 'OK'. The IDrive BMR application will be assigned to the domain computers on the next reboot and to the domain users on the next sign in.

Does IDrive BMR support bare-metal backup and restore of dynamic, logical, and Microsoft storage spaces?

Yes, backup and restore of dynamic, logical, and Microsoft storage space is supported for 8.4.0 and above. (If you are using an older version and wish to backup these storage spaces, contact the support to upgrade your IDrive BMR device.)

The following types are supported:

Dynamic:

• Simple
• Mirrored
• Spanned
• Striped

Microsoft storage spaces:

• Raid-5 (resiliency type-parity)

In case you have upgraded to version 8.4.0 or above, make sure to install the latest backup agent that supports the forementioned advanced backup and perform at the least one image backup. If you attempt restoring exclusively from older versions where the OS disk is dynamic, you may have OS boot issues. Similarly, use the updated WinRE Recovery Media Builder to create and upload a new WinRE recovery media to the BMR device.

Note: Bare-metal recovery of dynamic OS disk with GPT partition is not supported.

How do I schedule and manage backup settings of my client machines?

Yes, you can change the local backup settings for your client machines from the 'Backup Settings' section in the 'Physical Machines' tab. Also, you can apply separate settings to the created groups, which will be applicable to all the associated client machines.

To apply local backup settings,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and go to the 'Physical Machines' tab.
2. Click the 'Backup Settings' button
3. To apply local backup settings, configure the following:
   1. Select backup category: Choose the appropriate option from the dropdown to modify: global, client, or group settings. By default, 'Modify global settings' will be selected. To apply settings for the individual client machine or group, select the appropriate option from the drop-down.
   2. Set backup interval: Set the desired interval between two consecutive backups of a machine.
   3. Max backup speed: Specify bandwidth throttle by selecting 'Don't Limit' or 'Limit To' to set the local network usage during backup.
      
   4. Volumes: Set the volumes you wish to backup as 'All' or select 'Custom' and specify the volumes you want to backup'.

      Note: Take care to specify the correct volumes for backup, especially when modifying global or group settings for backup. If volumes that do not exist are specified, the backup will fail.

   5. Backup retention settings: Use the slider to set the minimum and the maximum number of image backups, the device should retain for a client.
      
   6. Schedule backup window: Schedule your backups daily or on weekdays / weekends and set the time from this section.

      Note: Here, the 'Start Time' and 'End Time' is a soft cut-off. The actual start and end time is dependent on ongoing tasks.

   7. Force a full image backup after every: Specify the interval for forcing a full image backup (Periodic forced full backups are recommended to maintain a healthy chain of backups.).
4. Click 'Save & Close'.

Can I control network bandwidth during backup operations?

Yes, you can control network bandwidth of the backup operations. Go to 'Dashboard' > 'Physical Machine' > 'Backup Settings' button and set 'Max backup speed' to the required speed.

What is the local backup speed that I can expect?

The max local backup speed is dependent on various factors such as the disk-read speed on the client machine, local network infrastructure, on-going simultaneous backups, and so on. Under ideal conditions, like with a good network infrastructure, you can expect a good speed of up to 850 MiB/s. However, in an average condition you can expect around 200 MiB/s.

How can I exclude certain volumes from being backed up?

You can exclude certain volumes from being backed up by specifying the volumes that you want to backup in the 'Volumes' section when applying the 'Backup Settings'. Select the radio button 'Custom' and specify the drives separated by commas. C: drive is considered for backup by default and therefore does not need to be specified.

Note: Be sure to specify the correct volumes for backup, especially when modifying global and group settings for backup. If volumes that do not exist are specified, the backup will fail.

Can I perform simultaneous backups?

Yes, you can perform simultaneous backups within the specified limit. Go to 'Dashboard' > 'Physical Machines' > 'Advanced Settings' and specify the 'Max simultaneous backups'. Higher the number of simultaneous backups, more will be the time required to complete the backup. Setting the max simultaneous backup in the range of 2 to 4 is recommended for optimum backup performance and time.

Here, you can also configure the 'Max recently active clients' or the limit on the number of active clients for adding a new client to the device.

Can I manually delete recovery points of my physical machines?

Yes, you can manually delete recovery points of your physical machines.

To view and manage the recovery points of a physical machine,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and navigate to 'Dashboard' > 'Physical Machines' > 'Clients'.
2. Click corresponding to the required physical machine and select 'Manage Recovery Points'. This will open a page that displays all the recovery points of the machine.

3. Select the recovery points you wish to delete and click 'Delete Recovery Points'.

4. Click 'Yes' to confirm. These recovery points will be queued for deletion and removed from the BMR device in the same order. Click 'Refresh' to view the latest status of the recovery points.

Uptil the recovery point is deleted, you can revert the operation by clicking 'Undo Delete'.

How do I perform data cleanups on the IDrive BMR device?

You can delete old and incomplete backups from the BMR device via cleanup.

To configure and schedule your cleanup,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Cleanup Settings'.
2. Schedule the cleanup operation in the 'Cleanup time window' section. You can schedule cleanups daily or on weekdays / weekends by selecting the days and hours as required from this section. The device deletes old and incomplete backups as per the schedule and your backup retention settings. Read more about backup retention settings in this FAQ.
3. Set the 'Global soft filesystem quota' limit at 80% (recommended) or as required. When the device storage crosses this limit, the device will suspend all operations and redirect to the cleanup maintenance page.

To perform a manual cleanup,

1. Go to 'Statistics' > 'Storage Insights'.
2. Select 'All', 'Physical Machine', or 'VMware' from the 'Cleanup Type' dropdown.

3. Click 'Cleanup'.
4. In the popup window that appears, click 'Confirm'.

Once these steps are completed, the manual cleanup operation will be initiated.

Note: The device interface will be inaccessible for the duration of the cleanup.

What is a group? How can I create a group?

A group is a collection of client machines organized together by the Admin. You can create unlimited groups and one client machine cannot be added to more than one group. Additionally, you can apply local backup settings to the created group, which will be applicable to all the associated client machines.

To create a group,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' on the 'Dashboard' tab.
2. Click 'Create Group'.

3. Enter the name of the group in the 'Group Name' field and click 'Create Group'.
4. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
5. Click in the required group section. The 'Manage User Groups' page appears.

6. Select the client machines from the list displayed in the 'Choose host machines' section.
7. Click 'Save'.

How can I add client machines to an existing group?

You can add up to 25 client machines to an existing group.

To add,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' under 'Physical Machines' on the 'Dashboard' tab. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
2. Click in the required group tile. The 'Manage User Groups' page appears.
3. Select client machines from the list displayed in the 'Choose host machines' section under the 'Add' tab.

4. Click 'Save'.

Can I perform backup of a group?

Yes, you can perform full or incremental image backup of the created groups. All your client machines associated with the group will be backed up in one go.

To perform full or incremental image backup,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' under 'Physical Machines' on the 'Dashboard' tab. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
2. Click 'Backup Now' or 'Force Full Backup' in the required group to start the backup.
   
3. You can view the status of backups in the 'Activities' section.

How do I apply local backup settings to a group?

To apply local backup settings to a group,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' under 'Physical Machines' on the 'Dashboard' tab. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
2. Click in the required group section. The backup settings page appears

3. Set the backup interval and Max backup speed. Choose the 'Backup retention settings' and schedule the backup.

4. Click 'Save'.

Note: Ensure to specify the correct volumes for backup, especially when modifying global settings for backup. If volumes that do not exist are specified, the backup will fail.

Is it possible to remove client machines from a group?

Yes, you can remove client machines from a group. Once the client machine is removed from a group, it will automatically adopt the global backup settings.

To remove client machines,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' under 'Physical Machines' on the 'Dashboard' tab. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
2. Click in the required group tile and go to the 'Remove' tab.
3. Select the client machines(s) to be removed from the 'Choose host machines' section.

4. Click 'Remove'.

How do I delete a group?

To delete a group,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface and click 'Groups' in the 'Dashboard' tab. The created groups appear in the 'Groups' tab.
2. Click in the required group tile.
3. Click 'Yes' in the confirmation window.

Note: When you delete a group, the applied settings will be lost and all the client machines of that group will adopt global backup settings.

Can I receive notifications on backups?

Yes, you can receive notifications on the backup status for physical machines, virtual machines, and network shares.

To receive notifications on backups,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface.
2. Click 'Settings' on the menu bar.
3. Go to the 'Mail' tab.
4. Under the 'Backup Report Notification' section, select the checkboxes 'Notify on success' and 'Notify on faliure' and add the email addresses in the 'Send backup report(s) to' field.
   
   
5. In the 'Virtual Boot Verification' section below, move the slider to read 'Enabled' if you want the recipient set to also receive notifications for virtual boot verification of physical machine backups.
   Note: Virtual boot verification feature is only available for IDrive BMR firmware 8.6.0.
   
   

What is virtual boot verification?

IDrive BMR verifies the integrity of your physical machines backups by building virtual instances of the backups and verifying their boot process. On completion of the check, a screenshot is captured and tested to verify the success of the backup.

Note: Virtual boot verification feature is only available for IDrive BMR firmware 8.6.0 and is not supported for legacy operating systems such as Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7. For these operating systems, verify the virtualization status manually at least once every week to ensure restore-readiness.

Is it possible to receive notifications on my BMR device health?

Yes, you can receive critical system-related alerts, health status of storage drives, status of various running services, etc. on the configured email address. You can change this email address from the 'Settings' tab.

To change the configured email address for receiving notification,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface.
2. Click 'Settings' on the menu bar.
3. Go to the 'Mail' tab.
4. Under the 'Server Alert Notification' section, click .
5. Enter the new email address and click 'Save'.

You can also add additional email addresses to which the alerts need to be sent.

To add additional email addresses,

1. Go to the 'Server Alert Notification' section.
2. Enter the additional email addresses separated by a comma in the 'Additional Email' field and click .
3. Click 'Save'.

How do I delete a physical machine from the IDrive BMR device?

Before you delete a physical machine from the BMR device, we recommend you to uninstall the backup agent from the machine. If you remove the machine without uninstalling the backup agent software, the device may detect the agent and add the machine to the device again.

To remove a physical machine from the BMR device,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR's device web interface. The list of physical machines appears under the 'Clients' tab.
2. Perform any of the following operations:
   • To remove multiple client machines, select the machines, click on the header, and click 'Remove'.
   • Click displayed against a specific computer name and select 'Remove' from the drop-down menu.
3. Click 'OK' in the confirmation window.

Note: In case the selected client(s) has any active restore and/or virtualization mount on the BMR device, a pop-up window will prompt you to delete the same in order to continue.

The selected computer will be removed during the scheduled cleanup operation performed by the IDrive BMR device. However, if you want to retain the computer, click 'Stop removing client' before the next cleanup operation. To remove the machine immediately, run a manual cleanup.

Can I view the activity logs of my BMR device?

Yes, you can view the activity logs of your BMR device. For user convenience, logs for physical and VMware machines are divided into backup, IDrive Cloud, cloud seeding, restore, and delete logs. The NAS logs are grouped under share, backup, restore and delete logs.

To view the activity logs,

1. Sign in to the IDrive BMR device web interface and click 'Logs'.
2. Navigate to the 'Logs' page.
   
3. Under the 'Physical Machines' and 'VMware' tabs, you can view backup, IDrive Cloud, cloud seeding, restore, and delete logs. In the backup logs of physical machines, click to view detailed information.
4. Under the 'NAS' tab, you can view share, backup, restore, and delete logs of network shares.
5. Go to the 'System' tab to view the device activity logs.

Note: You can export the logs in CSV, Excel, and PDF formats. Click 'Export' in the respective tabs and click the required format from the drop-down list to download the logs.

My local data backup is slow. Why?

There may be two possible issues slowing down the backups:

Network: Check the traffic of the local network to which the BMR device and the clients are connected. It is recommended to use the compatible network cables and devices that support gigabit of data transfer. Try running the backups off-peak hours when the local network bandwidth usage is relatively low.

Disk Input/Output load on the client machines: Check the I/O load on all the drives on the client machines. Heavy I/O load on the disks slows down the read and write operations, resulting in slower backups.

You can check the I/O load using the in-built utilities in Windows. Launch the Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command:

.winsat disk -drive d

Here, 'd' is the drive you wish to test.

If the average IO load is high, backups can take more time to complete. You may try running the backup off-peak hours.

If the problem persists, contact BMR support for assistance.

Why does the BMR device report 'Server rejected' for a client computer and does not backup that computer?

This issue occurs when there is more than one BMR device connected to the same Local Area Network (LAN). Because of security reasons, the agent software will allow only one BMR device to identify it and select the client computer for backup. If any other BMR device tries to identify the agent software and run a backup on a client computer, the process will fail and the device will report this message. However, you can contact the support team if you want to add this client computer to a particular BMR device within the same LAN.

Why does the agent software installer crash while installing on a Windows OS?

While installing agent software on Windows (mostly in Server 2008/Vista) OS, the installer may crash with an error as shown in the image below:

The agent software requires 'Universal CRT' dependency to run successfully. This may not be present on your restore computer if the operating system is not up-to-date. For more information about dependency, refer the knowledge base article on the Microsoft support site.

To resolve the issue,

1. Enable 'Automatic update' on your Windows OS where you want to run the agent software. This will ensure the OS is updated to the latest available Service Pack.
   

   Note: Wait until all available updates for your operating system are installed.

2. Go to 'Start' -> 'Control Panel' -> 'Programs & Features'.
3. Right-click on 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable..' and click 'Change'.
   

4. Click 'Repair' to run repair installation.
5. Reboot the computer.
6. To verify if the application is working fine, after reboot, go to 'Services' and check the status of 'IDrive client service for backups'. You will come across either of the following scenarios:
   1. If the status is displayed as 'Running', then the agent software is working fine.
   2. If the status is not displayed, then right-click the 'IDrive client service for backups' and click 'Start' to start the service manually. If the manual start also fails, contact BMR support for further assistance.