Server Templates: An Overview

Server templates let you configure and manage common agent settings and backup policies and apply them to multiple servers in your organization. You use server templates during the software distribution, installation and provisioning of multiple servers in your organization to LiveVault.

Creating server templates involves a few basic steps:

1. Creating a server template with several common agent properties, such as computer subscription, technical contact information, and software update options. See Create a Server Template.

2. Creating one or more backup policy templates associated with the server template. See

3. Creating backup rules associated with each backup policy template. See File Selection Rules.

4. Using the server template ID during agent computer installation and provisioning to LiveVault.

   Refer to the LiveVault Agent Distribution Guide for more information about agent distribution procedures and installation and provisioning.

5. Optionally, associating an appropriately-sized appliance with agent computers during provisioning to LiveVault. See Determine Appliance Permanent IDs.

   Refer to the LiveVault Appliance Setup and User Guide for more detailed guidelines for appliance capacity and sizing.

Server Template Feature Support

The server template feature supports standard volume, directory and file backup and system state policy types. The following features are not supported:

• Clustered agents

• Application aware backup policy types:

  • Oracle Database Server backup policies

  • Hyper-V backup policies

  • Exchange backup policies

  • SQL backup policies

  • Data Protection Manager (DPM) backup policies

  • CIFS backup policies

  • Virtual machine backup policies

  • Backup of Windows 2012 volumes optimized for data deduplication in Optimized mode.

    If you create a server template to protect Windows 2012 volumes optimized for data deduplication, the backups will be non-optimized.

• System state policy template for Linux

  System state policy templates are supported for the Windows OS type only. The Linux OS type does not support system state backup.

Server Template Considerations

Consider the following when working with Server Templates:

• You must define server templates with at least one backup policy template.

• Once you assign a server template to the LiveVault computers in your organization, you cannot reassign them to a different server template.

• You cannot assign computers that are already protected by LiveVault backup policies to a server template.

Best Practices for Server Templates

LiveVault recommends some basic best practices for using and managing server templates.

Managing Server Templates

All computers associated with a selected server template are protected in exactly the same way, with the same backup rule sets.

Standard Backup Policies and Rules Selection

All computers associated with a selected server template receive the same backup rule sets of included and excluded directories and files. You should take appropriate care when creating backup rule sets for computers associated with a server template.

See Understanding File Selection Rules for more detailed information about file selection rules and rules ordering.

Managing Large Numbers of Computers with Server Templates

Each server template requires at least one technical contact to be specified. This technical contact is the point of contact for LiveVault communications for each computer associated with the server template.

If you have a very large number of computers to manage with server templates, LiveVault recommends one of several strategies:

• Create multiple server templates and assign multiple technical contacts to them.

  In this way, you can divide the management responsibilities into manageable segments between technical contacts.

• Assign an email distribution list or specially-created mailbox to the Technical Contact fields, and monitor the computer status communications separately.

• The number of computers associated with a certain server template should be carefully considered, in view of the characteristics of the individual computers.

  As a general rule, LiveVault recommends protecting up to 100 computers by a server template.

Removal of Computer from Server Template

Any changes to the computer property settings or backup policies on an individual computer removes that computer from the server template.

The following scenarios can cause the computer to be removed from the server template:

• An agent computer is deleted, or scheduled for deletion.
• Certain computer properties are edited - including primary and secondary technical contacts, subscription, and software upgrade settings.
• Backup policies are added to a computer.
• Backup policies are deleted or scheduled for deletion.
• Backup policies are edited - including the backup policy description, file selection rules, backup schedule, retention schedule, and changes to the system state backup interval.