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BUSINESS CONTINUITY


27 TIPS & BEST PRACTICES FOR USING THE DATTO WINDOWS AGENT

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

6 min read

TRACY ROCK

Director of Marketing @ Invenio IT



27 TIPS & BEST PRACTICES FOR USING THE DATTO WINDOWS AGENT

by Tracy Rock | Feb 6, 2018

In 2017, Datto released the newest version of its Datto Windows Agent as a
successor to ShadowSnap. In a video, CEO Austin McChord said the new agent had
been in development for the past five years and he praised it for several new
enhancements over previous versions:

 * Smaller download
 * Faster, easier installation
 * More compatible with Windows OS versions
 * More efficient compression of data

In this post, we take a closer look at the agent and go over some of the basics
for installing it on your machines.


SO, WHAT DOES THE DATTO WINDOWS AGENT DO?

In short, the Datto Windows Agent helps facilitate the backup process.

It’s a lightweight piece of software that is installed on each machine that is
being backed up—usually your servers, but it could also be individual computers.
This is commonly referred to as an “agent-based backup.” (The alternative is
known as an “agentless backup,” which does not require software on the protected
machines.)

On each protected machine, the agent lives at the kernel level, so that it’s
able to detect block-level changes in data. This eliminates the need for a
full-system file scan. Thus incremental backups can be taken more efficiently by
detecting those block-level changes.

Agent-based vs. agentless backups: which is better?

There is no single right answer to this question. It depends partly on your
infrastructure and your business continuity goals.

Since agent-based backups can detect block-level changes in data on each
protected machine, they are typically more efficient than agentless backups. On
the other hand, an agent will use local computing resources to perform the
backup. So if for some reason your server doesn’t have the resources to handle
the backup process and other production workloads simultaneously, then there
could be performance issues. In general, however, that’s not a problem if your
servers are adequate.

Agentless backups are technically also easier to deploy and monitor,
particularly in virtual environments where there are lots of changes, because
you don’t have to install the software on every machine. Agentless backups
operate at the hypervisor level and often must inject temporary executable
modules into systems before the backup can occur.

Compression is key

One of the key benefits that McChord singled out when highlighting the new Datto
Windows Agent is the data compression, which takes place on protected machines
before it’s ushered off to the Datto appliance (i.e. SIRIS or ALTO).

The Datto Windows Agent uses what the company calls “Mercury File Transfer”
technology. This technology enables on-the-fly data compression and encryption
as the data leaves the machine. This ensures that data is encrypted the moment
it leaves the machine on its way to the Datto appliance. It also makes the file
transmission dramatically faster in comparison to that of previous versions of
ShadowSnap (up to 80 percent faster, according to McChord).

Should you replace ShadowSnap with the new Windows agent?

Nah, that’s probably not necessary. If you are already using the ShadowSnap
agent on your protected servers, Datto does not advise making any changes. But
for new deployments, yes—go with the new Windows agent.

McChord himself noted, “For all the ShadowSnap agents that you’re currently
using, I’d recommend that you stick with them. I’m a firm believer that ‘if it’s
not broken, don’t fix it.'”

Datto says there’s no reason to go through the process of swapping out the
ShadowSnap agents for the new agent and that ShadowSnap “will continue to work
reliably for years.” However, for new installations, the company strongly
advises using the new Datto Windows Agent, given all the enhancements mentioned
above.

Additionally, you should not install the Windows Agent on any machines that are
currently using the ShadowSnap agent (even if the ShadowSnap agent is no longer
installed). By installing the Datto Windows Agent, a new backup chain will be
started for the protected system. It will not continue your existing ShadowSnap
chain.

Getting Started

Okay! Let’s get those backups going.

If you’re just getting started with the new agent, Datto has some handy steps
for installing the software and troubleshooting potential issues. We’ll just go
over the basics here, so be sure to follow that guidance for more thorough
information.

If you haven’t already, you’re going to need to download the agent:

 * Download the Datto Windows Agent (via Datto)

Important first steps, before installing:

 * Make sure the machine is in “good health.” Datto recommends running virus and
   malware scans, disk defragmentation and a disk health check before installing
   the agent.
 * Establish Internet connection. The machine needs to be connected to the
   Internet for the installation to complete and for the duration of the initial
   agent pairing. Continuous Internet connectivity is recommended.

Select system requirements:

If you have experience with Datto appliances already, then you’re probably
already aware of several pre-deployment requirements for your network and
operation systems. Here are a few reminders:

 * Windows versions supported: Windows XP Service Pack 3; Windows Server 2003
   Service Pack 2; Windows Vista and higher, latest Service Packs recommended
 * The Datto appliance should have a gigabit connection to all relevant network
   infrastructure.
 * 10% of the volume must be free at time of install; and at least 1GB of RAM
   must remain free during normal operation for installation and for backups to
   run.
 * Make sure that no other backup software is currently installed on the
   machine.
 * Set exceptions within your antivirus software for the Datto Backup
   Agent and Datto Provider services; application-level: DattoBackupAgent.exe.
   Be sure to also whitelist the installation path: %PROGRAMFILES%\Datto\Datto
   Windows Agent\

Some initial configurations and considerations

After installing the agent, you will then be able to configure your backup
schedule and other settings based on your business continuity needs. Here are a
few things to consider, as recommended by Datto:

 * Be realistic about long-term retention. How far back will you likely need to
   go to retrieve data? Obviously, longer retention will require more disk
   space, so it’s a good idea to be practical about how long you retain your
   oldest backups on-site. Also, keep in mind that Datto offers infinite
   retention in the cloud with no restrictions on the amount of data.
 * Configure backups based on how the server is used. Critical file servers will
   clearly need to be backed up often, as that data is constantly in flux. But
   what about terminal servers that are used primarily for storing
   configurations? Those servers likely won’t need to be backed up numerous
   times a day, since nothing is changing.
 * Remove volumes that don’t need to be backed up. Do this before your first
   backup. If there’s data that simply doesn’t need to be backed up, whether
   it’s an external storage drive or a USB drive connected to the machine,
   exclude those from the backup by changing settings in the Advanced options
   tab.

What about software updates?

They’re automatic. The Datto Windows Agent will automatically download and apply
new updates as they become available.

The one exception is driver updates. When a new release includes a driver
update, the host system will also need to be updated, so those versions will
need to be manually downloaded and installed.

Datto Agents for Mac and Linux

What about IT environments that use a variety of machines, like Mac and Linux?
Datto has backup agents for those too, ensuring that you can protect your entire
network.

 * Datto Mac Agent: As we recently wrote, Datto was actually the first company
   to develop a true block-level image backup solution for Mac. Mac’s own
   built-in backup software, Time Machine, and similar third-party cloning
   tools, operate at the file level, which is way less efficient.
 * Datto Linux Agent: Released in 2015, the Datto Linux backup agent is unique
   in how it takes snapshots of production servers without disrupting other
   server tasks. With the Datto Block Driver, the backup agent creates live
   snapshots, while keeping the underlying volume running and available. And
   from then on, the driver tracks incremental changes and “copies the block
   addresses that change, not the blocks themselves, which is a lot more
   efficient.”

A word on backing up Windows laptops

It’s pretty standard protocol that all protected devices should be inside your
local area network (LAN) and connected directly to it. As such, it’s generally
not a good idea to include portable laptops as part of your backup strategy.

Datto does not support backing up laptops due to their mobile nature, and
specifically recommends against it. Part of the issue is that backups will not
complete in a timely manner when they’re on a wireless network. (Remember: each
protected machine should ideally have gigabit connection to the LAN, per Datto’s
guidance.) Datto warns that “attempts to back up laptops are at your own
discretion.”

That said, if you’re saving data from the laptop to a protected server over a
wireless network, you’re fine – and that’s likely the strategy you should be
using. Rather than saving files directly to the local machine, you should be
saving them to the protected server, where the data can then be encrypted,
compressed and transferred to the Datto appliance.

Request a free demo

If you have questions about Datto’s Windows agent, or would like to take a
closer look at the data backup systems from Datto, let’s chat! Request a free
demo or contact our business continuity experts at Invenio IT today by calling
(646) 395-1170 or by emailing success@invenioIT.com.

 


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TRACY ROCK



Director of Marketing @ Invenio IT


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But I was surprised, and very happily so. Actually, I couldn't be happier!
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The Datto Siris product works well and the web portal for management is
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I highly recommend Invenio IT to everyone. They provide amazing customer
service. They are very responsive, and quick to resolve any issues or concerns.
They have been a tremendous resource for several IT projects. One product /
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mind knowing my data is secure and always available. By far the absolute best IT
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I am very pleased with the Datto project and support offered at Invenio IT. The
professionalism and speedy response to all of my issues have been handled
impeccably. I would highly recommend their services. -Billy
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We were looking for a product which will verify the backup everyday without our
intervention. For our size, Datto Alto 4 by far is the best product available on
the market for the up-front and recurring price. Everyday it shows that the
image backup is boot-able. We did the test by visualizing the server in the
cloud and connecting seven work stations to it, and it worked flawlessly. Dale
from Invenio IT was there every step of the way from purchase to install to
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Datto/Invenio was installmental in saving my business. The SIRS had a snapshot
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thank you invenioIT.
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We have the Datto SIRIS through Invenio IT and we couldn't be happier. Great
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gramfer
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I have a SIRIS2 backup hardware which is an outstanding product and Invenio IT
is one of the best support companies out there. They keep me informed of
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01:23 26 Jul 17
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over a year and it has been good results all around. Keep up the good work.
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Grant Brown
20:34 18 Jul 17
So... how complicated would your life be if you lost precious data files and
there was no chance of recovery. Sounds scary. Yes it does. Life can be easier.
You can take an associates human error of erasing or losing work or even an
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Deploying a DATTO Sirus will protect your data locallly and in the cloud with so
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Solid Datto support for our server systems. In the rare event there's been an
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responsive to questions and keep our backup system.
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16:51 17 Jul 17
The fantastic Datto SIRIS coupled with the helpful folks at Invenio IT have let
me stop worrying about my backups and disaster recovery plans to focus on more
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16:35 17 Jul 17
Great partner to have. I recently joined the company I work for and found that
they have a Datto backup system. I have never used the system and with the
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Gary Collier
16:11 17 Jul 17
Purchasing my SIRIS3 through Invenio IT has been one of the best decisions I’ve
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Invenio IT is a great organization to work with. Their consulting and managed
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16:19 19 May 15
Great company medium sized organizations, handles all the management of data
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Invenio IT has supported my business for the past few years and I have had a
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technology simple to understand. If you are in need of a strategic (and
friendly) IT partner, I would consider this company.
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