Running multiple Agent versions allows you to compare behaviour between software versions, and to evaluate new features in preview before general release while still maintaining a backup using production code. In ESE, multiple Agents may also be used in lieu of multiple backup sets.
Note: While the SE and the ESE Agent can be installed on the same system using MSIs without conflicting, this is not possible with two ESE Agents as they will conflict.
Configuration steps
1. On your system, install the production version as normal and ensure that backups are running as they should.
2. On a temporary server, install and then stop the backup service. You will use this installation to extract the files needed for the parallel run.
3. Copy the installation folder “Backup Client ESE” and name the new copy “Backup Client ESE – Preview” or similar.
4. In the new installation folder, delete the backupset.xml, connection.properties, SqlModel.json, ExchangeModel.json and webserver.json files if they exist.
5. Using Notepad, open the service.properties file. Locate the service.name line and rename the service by adding a numeral or other distinction to it, e.g. service.name=RedstorBackupPro-ESE-Preview. Save and close the file.
6. Open the a5backup.properties file and locate the lines service.rmi.port, service.rpc-server.port, service.rpc-server.localhost.port, and service.port. Delete them. The port values will be randomly selected from the pool of open ports when the service starts. Save and close the file.
7. Open the setup.properties file, and locate the line shared.program.data. Edit the path in the ProgramData folder so that this does not clash with the production version paths, e.g. shared.program.data.dir=%ProgramData%\\Redstor Pro\\Backup Client ESE-Preview. Save and close the file.
8. Create the file custombrand.properties in the installation folder and add the following line with the new descriptive name, e.g. brandLongName=Redstor Pro ESE Preview. This name will be used for the service description, window titles, etc.
9. The installation is now customised for the new service name and cleaned up for new Agents. Copy the new installation to your new Agent(s).
10. Using the Command Prompt, navigate to the installation folder on the new machine and run the command a5backup64.exe –install, e.g. C:\Program Files\Redstor Pro\Backup Client ESE-Preview>a5backup64.exe –install. The service will now be installed to the shared disk path using the service name specified in the service.properties file and the description specified in custombrand.properties.
11. Check the Services menu and confirm that this has been installed with the correct name.
12. Start the service and start the tray by running the tray.exe program from the installation directory. There will now be a second icon in the system tray from which you can launch the UI. (Hovering the mouse over the tray icon will show the description, allowing you to differentiate between the multiple installations.)
13. Run the account wizard and create a backup account using an appropriate name, e.g. MACHINENAME-PREVIEW.
14. Set the selection and schedule the Agent as normal.
Note: It is recommended that you run the preview Agent at a different time from the production version and ensure that their schedules do not overlap. Overlapping schedules are likely to result in backup failure if the VSS snapshots overlap, but this is unlikely to be a problem if VSS is disabled in one or more Agents.
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