Playbook

Getting startedLast updated: 2022-10-25

Welcome to SmartBackup docs. SmartBackup is the solution for individuals or organizations who want to use the Industry’s leading platform for securing their Smartsheet data. SmartBackup has been designed from the start for gradual adoption, and you can use as little or as much of SmartBackup as you need.

Getting started

Getting started with SmartBackup is very simple and could be achieved with three easy steps.

  1. Download and install the latest version of SmartBackup, which can be found here
  2. Configure user details so that SmartBackup knows which Smartsheet accounts to backup. This process differ for Enterprise Editions where in most part it is automated.
  3. Run your first Backup or further customise scheduling and other options

Watch Demo

When working with a Backup application like SmartBackup, it's important to be comfortable with the interface and to know how to perform basic tasks. Watch the video below to learn how to navigate the SmartBackup interface and do your first backup.

Why Backup?

  1. More Smartsheet users means more people are sharing. People are not infallible. They make mistakes, and actually, they make them quite often. There’s no reason to fear this if you take frequent incremental backups.
  2. The IRS and regulatory commissions really don’t care that you had a data disaster. All it means to them is that you’re not compliant and they can fine you. Ensuring that you’ve got an offsite backup of critical Smartsheet information can really save you if something goes wrong.
  3. You are responsible for your Smartsheet data. In the event of a minor or even major mishap, having a backup means your operations can recover quickly.
  4. As a Smartsheet Power user, you most likely know that Smartsheet provides a convenient backup capability, but the challenge comes when you want to recover from those backup copies and you realize that features like automations, column settings, forms, cell formats, links etc. cannot be recovered because the copy you have is limited and outside the Smartsheet environment. With SmartBackup, it's easy-peasy.

Biggest Threats?

User Deletion A collaborator may accidentally delete a shared attachment, or you may delete some rows and then later learn that the data is still required.
Data Overwrites Smartsheet sheets typically contain large amounts of data that are constantly updated by multiple users. When large data sets are imported, accidental overwriting may become quite common.
Data Corruption Due to various scenarios, your data can get corrupted and become inaccessible, and you would be stuck without a robust backup solution in place.
Data migration issues caused by incorrectly mapped fields If incorrectly mapped fields are imported, the correct data may be overwritten in your sheets.
Third-party applications errors Third-party applications can modify data in ways you didn’t intend. With Smartsheet's wider adoption and inter-operation in the Enterprise, this becomes a major threat.
Data Loss Data can be lost due to reasons other than malicious intent. Under new data protection rules, data destruction and corruption of personal data are considered forms of data breaches and would require appropriate notifications.

Learning SmartBackup

People come to SmartBackup from different backgrounds and with different learning styles. Whether you prefer a more theoretical or a practical approach, we hope you’ll find this section helpful.

  1. Get yourself orientated by watching the following intro video Watch Now
  2. Familiarise yourself by watching the how-to-use-it video Watch Now
  3. Browse the Playbooks
  4. Take SmartBackup for a spin Download Now
  5. Start exploring by reading the various Guides, especially the Reference Guide

Installation Guide

SmartBackup requires a Windows EXE to run. Install SmartBackup on Windows Backup Machine of your choice.

System Requirements

Before installing SmartBackup, please check that you meet the minimum system requirements.

If you're planning to run SmartBackup in a virtualized environment or Cloud hosted refer to PlayBook section for additional guidance.


Specification

Typical configuration for 25 Smartsheet Users with a 2500 Sheet arrangement:

Specification

  1. Processor: Intel Core i5-9400T, 1.80GHz or higher
  2. RAM: 32 GB
  3. O/S: Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 or later
  4. Internet Connection: Fiber Optic, 100Mbs/100Mbs

Download

Head to AcuWorkflow and request a copy of SmartBackup. You will receive a link via email allowing you to download a copy of the Installer.

Download and Run the Installer.

Install

Follow the Wizard steps.

Considerations

  1. File location of Installation
  2. Full or Upgrade Installation
  3. Hosting/Deployment
File location of Installation:

You can choose file location of your choice but usually we recommend the default, which is c:/smartbackup

Full or Upgrade Installation:

First time installers or when you want a complete reset are advised to always perform a FULL installation, Users/Administrators upgrading to next release or re-installing are advised to always perform a UPGRADE installation to preserve existing settings and the Backup Catalog.

Hosting/Deployment

The single biggest consideration probably is whether you want to host SmartBackup on-premise or in-cloud. On-premise installation usually pretty straight-forward and for Business Users could be satisfied with an old Laptop/Desktop lying about. For larger users this could be achieved with a dedicated VM on a sharable server.

The on-cloud deployment usually are VM's within Azure or AWS.

Setup Guide

SmartBackup access your Smartsheet data via a User API Token when running the Business Edition License or a sysAdmin API Token when running the Enterprise Edition license. The former requires you to generate and define a Token for each user making it only applicable for personal or small team use. This approach less than ideal for larger groups and hence a single sysadmin token is used for Enterprise Edition which can act on behalf of other account users.

Process

A typical SmartBackup setup will include the following steps:

Business Edition
  1. Starting the Console.exe and set your run mode (3 minutes)
  2. Obtaining a Smartsheet User API Token (3 minutes)
  3. Creating a Smartsheet Workspace that will become the Backup Vault (5 minutes)
  4. Configure user to be backed-up using token (5 minutes)
  5. Reviewing run time options (10 minutes)
Enterprise Edition
  1. Obtaining a Smartsheet Sysdmin Token (3 minutes)
  2. Follow auto config process which will obtain all users and auto configure backup vaults (5 minutes)
  3. Reviewing run time options (10 minutes)

Run Mode

Choose your run mode. For Starter or Business Edition it should always be use sysAdminToken OFF. For Enterprise Edition it should always be use sysAdminToken ON

Starter and Business Edition

Configuration and setup for Starter and Business Edition exactly the same.

Setup requires the following configuration steps once-off for each User.

  1. Configure the User as a Tenant within SmartBackup. Who needs backing up?
  2. Configure a Backup Vault within Smartsheet for the User. Backup Target?

User as Tenant

A Tenant is a person you manually define in order to run operations (backup, archive, export) for them. You need to obtain the User API Token for this person to get access to their Smartsheet data. Only those Tenants marked as Enabled will be processed.

User API Token

Please refer to section obtaining API Tokens in the Administrator Guide for a more details.

VaultID

Follow steps in next section to create the Backup Vault which will provide you with the VaultID

Backup Vault

Once-off configure a Smartsheet Workspace that will act as the backup container. To do this:


Cheatsheet

Visual cheat-sheet to complete details for each Tenant. Note this is not required for Enterprise Edition.

Enterprise Edition

Enterprise Setup is largely automatic. Please follow the following steps once-off or when required.

  1. Provision Users from Smartsheet, therefore all Licensed Users will become SmartBackup Members
  2. Provision Backup Vaults for all Enabled Users

Provision Users

A Member is a person you want to run backup, archive, or export operations for. Unlike Tenants you only need a Smartsheet SysAdmin API Token to access all the Members data. Once-off or periodically, you can refresh the User list from Smartsheet to obtain the latest list of Smartsheet Users for your Organization. Only those Members marked as Enabled will be processed. Sysadmin Mode is an Enterprise License only function, which you can switch on/off in Settings - General.


Provision Backup Vaults

A Backup Vault is the Workspace within Smartsheet designated as the target Backup area.

The standard name for a provisioned Backup Vault is zz!~!-VAULT-do not delete!-:1234567890123456 where number affix designate the unique Smartsheet ID assigned to each User, visible from Members screen. All versions prior to 6.0.1 still use the old naming convention zz!~! SMARTBACKUP Vault do not delete!

Platform Configuration

Administrators or advanced users can configure the Platform further using the optional settings.

Administrator Guide

This section describes the functions performed by a SmartBackup administrator. As a SmartBackup admin, you are responsible for managing user backups. You are also responsible for setting up schedules that determine when Backups, Archives or Exports are run.

Overview

SmartBackup interoperate in the following areas:

      A Your Smartsheet area; including Home, Workspaces and any arrangement of folders. Smartsheet info
      B Your designated Backup Vault Area
      C Your designated Archive storage area
      D Your designated Export storage area








making sense of the different operations
Backup Archive Export
Create an exact copy from source. Because it is maintained within Smartsheet it preserves all settings and formats. A Workspace within Smartsheet are designated as the Vault containing sets of folders each with the backup copies. It should be noted that the user does not need to specify which sheets to backup, it is automatically determined based on date last modified. Create an Excel based copy of the Vaulted backup to a filestore drive. Due to Smartsheet restrictions some information are lost like formats, links and formulas. Optionally, user can decide to delete the Vaulted copy during archiving. Create a snapshot copy from source to a filestore drive. Ideal to create versions or deal with in-moment events. It lands as a zipped document, containing folder structures with the sheets as XLSX copy with attachments. Packing sheets are automatically generated to provide as much information as possible for you to successfully re-import the sheet. User need to indicate which sheets to export.
Specifications Specifications Specifications


when can it be run?
When Typical Actions Notes
Instantly Click on Run Now in Console UI or click on the relevant .exe from Windows Explorer
On-demand Anytime you can Click on Run Now in Console UI or click on the relevant .exe from Windows Explorer
Schedule Create a Schedule using Windows TaskScheduler. Typically this would define a cycle, like daily at 5 or every Wednesday or after a specific event. Taskscheduler can be invoked from the Console UI
Checklist

Before any process can run properly, you should:

  1. Obtain SmartBackup and install it, see Installation Guide
  2. Obtain a license if you are not using the Free version, see Licenses
  3. Configure your Backup Tenants file, see Setup and ConfigurationSetup Guide
  4. Setup your designated Vault area for Backups, see Setup Guide and the auto provison thereof in Enterprise Edition

Managing Licenses

You must license SmartBackup in order to use it, unless you are using the free Starter Edition. AcuWorkflow provision your license automatically after sucessful purchase/subscription. For renewal refer to Support Guide.

Tip

You can see your License status when running Backup, Archive or Export in the cmdline window

Obtaining API Token

This section describes generating an API access token for the integration of Smartsheet into SmartBackup

  1. Generate a User API Token for Starter and Business Edition
  2. Generate a SysAdmin API Token for Enterprise Edition



User API Token

To generate or re-generate a User API Token follow these steps:




SysAdmin API Token

To generate or re-generate a SysAdmin API Token follow these steps:

Bypass Proxy Server

Should you deploy SmartBackup in an environment where cloud API calls is controlled with a Proxy server like Forcepoint, you must create rules on the Proxy Server to bypass the following domain calls:

  1. deonpollard.pythonanywhere.com
  2. smartsheet.com
  3. api.smartsheet.com
  4. api.smartsheet.eu

Proxy Server condition is typically observed when SmartBackup abends or display "API Token or VaultID incorrect" though you know you have supplied the right information. Again it is because SmartBackup is trying to make API calls to Smartsheet and the Proxy Server prevents outbound API calls.

Configure Settings

Advanced Users or Administrators can further customize the platform by editing config.yml or by using Settings in the Console.


Settings

Please ensure when using the Console that you click on SAVE THE SETTINGS to affect any changes

Options Option-Name Option-Description Default
1. GENERAL
1.1 Use sysadminToken When sysadminToken mode is OFF, the Tenants directory is in use and every SmartBackup Tenant must have a valid Smartsheet API Token. However, when sysadminToken mode is ON, the Members directory will be used, no individual API Tokens are required, and several centralized automated features become available. Depend on your Installation type
2. BACKUP
2.1 Backup Sheet Rules When ON, then when a Backup runs, it will include any automation rules in the Sheet backup copy. Then in those backup copies, if the automation rules are still valid, the automations will continue to run from every one of those backup copies in the vault, as well as from the “live” version of the sheet. This can be very confusing to users, and may have some unpredictable results. OFF
2.2 Backup Sheet Shares As with the rules situation, if this is turned on, then every backup copy in the vault will also contain those share rules, and the backup copies will also be shared with the same set of shared users. This means that every one of the backup copies will show up in those shared users’ “Sheets” folders, and that will also be confusing, and they may start making changes to one of the backup copies instead of the live sheet, for example. OFF
2.3 Backup Cell Links If turned ON, when SmartBackup creates a Backup copy of a sheet, it includes the cell links “in” from other sheets. So in that case, when a user opens the “live” sheet, they will see cell links that go “out” to the other “live” sheets as well as to each of the “backup” sheets OFF
2.4 Addsheetid If turned ON, SmartBackup will prefix sheetid to the backup copy name OFF
3. ARCHIVE
3.1 Remove Backups if archives is successfull When ON, the backup copy in the Vault will be removed after it was succsffully archived. OFF
3.2 Path to where archives are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your archives. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\archives\
4. EXPORT
4.1 When OFF do not Export any Attachments When ON, attachments of exported sheets will also be exported. OFF
4.2 Soft Limit for exporting Attachments Soft limit can be set to limit number of exported attachments. Only for Enterprise Edition. 10
4.3 Path to where exports are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your exports. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\exports\
5. NOTIFICATIONS & ALERTS
5.1 Notify User with status via email When ON, every "Enabled" user will receive an email summary of operations performed for their account. Care should be taken because some users may find it intrusive. OFF
5.2 Notify Administrator with overall status via email When ON, "Administrator" user will receive an email summary of operations performed. Please supply valid email for Administrator. OFF
5.3 Email address for SmartBackup Administrator Supply valid administrator email address name@domain.ext
5.4 Alert Incident Management System (IMS) via email When ON, "IMS" system will receive an email when alert condition occurs. Multiple addresses can be supplied seperated by commas. OFF
5.5 Email address for IMS system Supply valid IMS email address backupIMS@ourims.com
Options Option-Name Option-Description Default
1. GENERAL
1.1 Use sysadminToken When sysadminToken mode is OFF, the Tenants directory is in use and every SmartBackup Tenant must have a valid Smartsheet API Token. However, when sysadminToken mode is ON, the Members directory will be used, no individual API Tokens are required, and several centralized automated features become available. Depend on your Installation type
2. BACKUP
2.1 Backup Sheet Rules When ON, then when a Backup runs, it will include any automation rules in the Sheet backup copy. Then in those backup copies, if the automation rules are still valid, the automations will continue to run from every one of those backup copies in the vault, as well as from the “live” version of the sheet. This can be very confusing to users, and may have some unpredictable results. OFF
2.2 Backup Sheet Shares As with the rules situation, if this is turned on, then every backup copy in the vault will also contain those share rules, and the backup copies will also be shared with the same set of shared users. This means that every one of the backup copies will show up in those shared users’ “Sheets” folders, and that will also be confusing, and they may start making changes to one of the backup copies instead of the live sheet, for example. OFF
2.3 Backup Cell Links If turned ON, when SmartBackup creates a Backup copy of a sheet, it includes the cell links “in” from other sheets. So in that case, when a user opens the “live” sheet, they will see cell links that go “out” to the other “live” sheets as well as to each of the “backup” sheets OFF
2.4 Addsheetid If turned ON, SmartBackup will prefix sheetid to the backup copy name OFF
3. ARCHIVE
3.1 Remove Backups if archives is successfull When ON, the backup copy in the Vault will be removed after it was succsffully archived. OFF
3.2 Path to where archives are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your archives. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\archives\
4. EXPORT
4.1 When OFF do not Export any Attachments When ON, attachments of exported sheets will also be exported. OFF
4.2 Soft Limit for exporting Attachments Soft limit can be set to limit number of exported attachments. Only for Enterprise Edition. 10
4.3 Path to where exports are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your exports. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\exports\
5. NOTIFICATIONS & ALERTS
5.1 Notify User with status via email When ON, every "Enabled" user will receive an email summary of operations performed for their account. Care should be taken because some users may find it intrusive. OFF
5.2 Notify Administrator with overall status via email When ON, "Administrator" user will receive an email summary of operations performed. Please supply valid email for Administrator. OFF
5.3 Email address for SmartBackup Administrator Supply valid administrator email address john.doe@acme.com
Options Option-Name Option-Description Default
GENERAL
G.1 Use sysadminToken When sysadminToken mode is OFF, the Tenants directory is in use and every SmartBackup Tenant must have a valid Smartsheet API Token. However, when sysadminToken mode is ON, the Members directory will be used, no individual API Tokens are required, and several centralized automated features become available. Depend on your Installation type
BACKUP
B.1 Notify User with backup status via email When ON, every "Enabled" user will receive an email summary of backups performed for their account. Care should be taken because some users may find it intrusive. OFF
B.2 Backup Sheet Rules When ON, then when a Backup runs, it will include any automation rules in the Sheet backup copy. Then in those backup copies, if the automation rules are still valid, the automations will continue to run from every one of those backup copies in the vault, as well as from the “live” version of the sheet. This can be very confusing to users, and may have some unpredictable results. OFF
B.3 Backup Sheet Shares As with the rules situation, if this is turned on, then every backup copy in the vault will also contain those share rules, and the backup copies will also be shared with the same set of shared users. This means that every one of the backup copies will show up in those shared users’ “Sheets” folders, and that will also be confusing, and they may start making changes to one of the backup copies instead of the live sheet, for example. OFF
B.4 Backup Cell Links Planned If turned ON, when SmartBackup creates a Backup copy of a sheet, it includes the cell links “in” from other sheets. So in that case, when a user opens the “live” sheet, they will see cell links that go “out” to the other “live” sheets as well as to each of the “backup” sheets OFF
B.5 addsheetid from V4.3 onwards If turned ON, SmartBackup will add sheetid to the backup copy name OFF
ARCHIVE
A.1 Notify User with archive status via email When ON, every "Enabled" user will receive an email summary of archives performed for their account. Care should be taken because some users may find it intrusive. OFF
A.2 Remove Backups if archives is successfull When ON, the backup copy in the Vault will be removed after it was succsffully archived. OFF
A.3 Path to where archives are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your archives. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\archives\
EXPORT
E.1 Notify User with export status via email When ON, every "Enabled" user will receive an email summary of exports performed for their account. Care should be taken because some users may find it intrusive. OFF
E.2 When OFF do not Export any Attachments When ON, attachments of exported sheets will also be exported. OFF
E.3 Soft Limit for exporting Attachments Soft limit can be set to limit number of exported attachments. Only for Enterprise Edition. 10
E.4 Path to where exports are saved Specify the path to where you want to pool your exports. Path can be specifified with or without trailing slash c:\smartbackup\user\exports\

Auto Provision Users and Vaults

SmartBackup Enterprise Edition includes a set of advanced features, management tools and technical support to achieve the highest levels of scalability, security, and uptime. It reduces the risk, cost, and complexity in deploying, and managing a large compliment of Smartsheet users.

The Administrator can optionally select sysadmin run mode which:

automatically provision Users

Unlike the Business Edition where each Smartsheet User requiring backup must be manually defined to SmartBackup, the Administrator can select sysadmin mode which will allow you to automatically provision Users from Smartsheet directly. In non sysadmin mode each User must obtain his/her APIToken which grants access to their data. The API Token is then defined to SmartBackup with other User details which allows SmartBackup to backup/export/archive data for that user using the AIPToken. In sysadmin mode a sysadmin token is used and API User Tokens no longer required.

automatically provision Backup Vaults

Unlike the Business Edition where each Smartsheet User requiring backup must manually defined a Backup Vault for each User, the Administrator can select sysadmin mode which will allow you to automatically provision Backup Vaults for each user.

The standard name for a provisioned Backup Vault is zz!~!-VAULT-do not delete!-:123456789012345. This is a standard SmartBackup name to identify a Workspace as a Backup Vault, where:

  1. zz!~!-VAULT-do not delete!-: hardcoded name to identify it as a Backup Vault
  2. 123456789012345 is the generated Smartsheet ID for each User available from the Members screen

This way even in sharable conditions each User Vault will be easily identifyable.


When automatically creating Backup Vaults for each User a set of rules are applied:

When automatically deleting Backup Vaults for each User a set of rules are applied:

Running SmartBackup

SmartBackup was designed to run only when required. Therefore each component can run completely independantly or in conjunction with other components. The Administrator can select how and when to run each of these. The Backup, Archive and Export components runs as a CMD program, and can be accessed in various ways, described below.


via the Console

SmartBackup can be controlled via a web user interface called the Console. To invoke the Console double click on console.exe or click on SmartBackup shortcut. After a short while a web page will be shown.


via the CMD Shell

If you're not familiar with the Command Prompt in Windows, officially called the Windows Command Processor and often abbreviated to CMD. It is the command line interface for Windows operating systems. A command line interface is a way of interacting with a computer directly using text commands.

There are a few ways to open the Command Prompt in Windows. Below are the most convenient:

  1. Type "cmd" into the Start menu to search for it. Then click to invoke it
  2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box, then type "cmd" and hit Enter to open it
  3. probably the most convenient is using Windows Explorer, naviagte to the apps directory where you have installed Smartbackup and then type CMD in top line which will open it.

Type cd followed by the path where you have installed SmartBackup cd c:\smartbackup

Now you can invoke backup by typing backup backup which will start running a backup job. Simarlarly you can do the same with Archive or Export

Each of these can be run with different settings for example backup -d=30 backup all sheets that was modified in last 30 days. The various settings are shown in the Reference Guide


via Task Scheduler

SmartBackup relies on Windows Task Scheduler for scheduled automations.

This means if for example you want to run a Backup job every Monday at 18h00, you will have to create a task within Taskscheduler to do that. Please see Task Scheduler guide on how to create scheduled tasks for SmartBackup.

One can use the Scheduling wizard in the Console (sub menu Schedule top right) to help define and manage tasks in Task Scheduler.


via other Applications

Great flexibility exists since operations could be invoked from other applications. You may perhaps have an Enterprise Job Scheduler or customised job operations applications. Typically these applications offer facilities to invoke cmdline programs e.g. archive.exe -a=5

Note

When invoking, the default installation directory should be set prior to invocation e.g. cd c:\smartbackup.


via PowerShell

Powershell is specifically called-out since it is one of the go to tools for system administrators. If your commands are embedded in a .bat file you can simply from powershell enter cmd.exe /c "c:/path/mybat.bat".

Using the Console


HOME Screen

Invoke Smartbackup by clicking on the desktop shortcut or double click console.exe in the \apps folder. The following browser view will be shown after a slight delay by the Console Server. On day zero a warning will be displayed and all values will be unpredictable untill the first backup run is done.


BACKUP Screen

Click Backups on main menu on the left.

Task Scheduler


SmartBackup relies on Windows Task Scheduler for scheduled automations.

Please see Task Scheduler guide on how to create scheduled tasks for SmartBackup.

Reference Guide

This section is intended as a general reference and specification set. If you are new to SmartBackup, you will need to use the full documentation.

Editions

Since its first release SmartBackup is positioned as one of the leading backup solutions for Smartsheet. There are different editions of the product, depending on your needs, with differing capabilities as outlined further in this Reference Guide.

SmartBackup is offered in three Editions, one free and two commercial editions to accommodate the unique feature and price requirements of organizations and individuals.

  1. Starter Edition is the free edition that includes most capabilities to help you get started.
  2. Business Edition delivers fully featured backup capabilities for individuals and small teams.
  3. Enterprise Edition is ideal for situations requiring centralized control, larger scale deployments and enterprise flexibility.
Starter Edition

You can download from acuworkflow. This completely free product allows one to try it out without any obligations. The great thing about the Starter Edition is that there is no trial or time limit so you can experience it for as long as you like. Understandably it is the most basic version and it has built in soft restrictions.

Business Edition

You can purchase this directly from acuworkflow. This version is packed with features and should cater for most of the situations you encounter as an individual or small team.

Enterprise Edition

Please contact acuworkflow for more info

SmartBackup Platform

The SmartBackup Platform primarily consist of the following components, which can be run independantly or in conjunction.

Backup Component
Archive Component
Export Component

Summary

Table with latest stable release features are shown. Terms and conditions apply.

Use Limits and Restrictions
Starter Business Enterprise
Starter Personal Team Workgroup Department Division Company
# of Lic Users 1 1 2-5 1-20 21-60 61-100 >100
Instances Single Single Single Single or Multiple Single or Multiple Single or Multiple Single or Multiple
Access to Smartsheet data User API Token User API Token User API Token Sysadmin Token SysAdmin Token SysAdmin Token SysAdmin Token
User Provisioning Manual Manual Manual Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Backup Vault Provisioning Manual Manual Manual Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
User defined queues for Export No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Backups
Type of Full or Incremental Full or Incremental Full or Incremental Full or Incremental Full or Incremental Full or Incremental Full or Incremental
Included Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports Sheets, Dashboards, Reports
# of Sheets 3 250 250 each Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
# of Attachments per sheet 10 per sheet 10 per sheet 10 per sheet Unlimited, Admin can set soft limits Unlimited, Admin can set soft limits Unlimited, Admin can set soft limits Unlimited, Admin can set soft limits
Backup Copy ...more exact copy exact copy exact copy exact copy exact copy exact copy exact copy
Archives
Archive Copy ...more excel + data excel + data excel + data excel + data excel + data excel + data excel + data
Exports
Type of Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific Full, Incremental, Specific
Included Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports Sheets, Reports
Export Copy ...more zip file zip file zip file zip file zip file zip file zip file

Backup

Tip

Backup refers to the copying of a Smartsheet object from your Home/Workspace/Folder to a designated Workspace within Smartsheet called the Backup Vault so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event.


What can be backed up to the Vault?

  1. Sheets
  2. Dashboards
  3. Folders (Reports)

Due to Smartsheet API constraints backup of all Smartsheet objects in a consistent way is not possible.

Sheets and Dashboards is handled in the same way and can be backed up incrementally. Reports are not 'copy-able' nor contain a last-changed date and therefore can only be backed up via a folder arrangement. This way Reports or anything else included in a designated folder/s can be earmarked for backup. The latter can only be performed via a specific backup.


Which sheets are backed up to the Vault?

SmartBackup will automatically determine which Sheets or Dashboards to backup in ALL or INCREMENTAL mode. INCREMENTAL is based on the last modification date for every sheet or dashboard you own. By default a backup run will include all sheets modified in the last 5 days. This period can be adjusted based on user needs. Refer to Administrator Guide.

In SPECIFIC mode you need to tell SmartBackup which sheets, dashboards or folders to backup.


How many sheets will be backed up during a backup run?

The scope of sheets changed within the 5 day period (or period chosen) will determine the actual number of sheets backed-up.

Consideration Starter Business Enterprise
Scope All Owned Sheets will be considered for the User All Owned Sheets will be considered for each User (Personal or Team) All Owned Sheets will be considered for Account
Backup Will only backup the first 3 sheets meeting set criteria Will backup all sheets meeting set criteria for each User Will backup all sheets meeting set criteria for Account

What is included for every backed up sheet?

All sheets backed up will be an exact copy of the original as follows:

Feature Starter Business Enterprise
Data
Formulas
Formatting
Attachments
Cell-Links**
Discussion/Comments
Shared Filters
Forms
Automation Rules**
Shares**

What format is the backup sheet?

The backup sheet is the same format as the original.

For every Backup run a folder zz2.YYYY_MM_DD_HHMM_userid will be created within the designated Backup Vault(Smartsheet Workspace) and all the sheets meeting backup criteria for a particular User will be saved within.

Sheets within will be prefixed with id of zz2. followed by the original name. Reason for renaming is that it could by name be recognized as a backup copy and because of zz will likely appear last in case the user perform searches.


Optional Parameters

The following optional parameters can be supplied when you invoke Backup

Parameter Meaning Example
-d or
--days
Backup all Sheets changed within the last days period. backup.exe -d=60
-i or
--include
Followed by any of these keywords: all outline specific incremental
The default if no optional parameter supplied is -i=specific
all backup everything in the User space. Ideal for a milestone recovery point. backup.exe -i=all
specific backup specific named sheets, reports or folders. Specify the sheets via Settings. backup.exe -i=specific
incremental backup sheets based on last changed date. Must be used in combination with the -d parameter. backup.exe -i=incremental
-d=5
-l or --log Optionally set logging level = debug, info, warning backup.exe -l=warning

Archive

Tip

Archive refers to the archiving(copying or moving) of a backed up sheet from your Vault to a designated local drive. Optionally User can specify that the Vaulted(backup copy) be removed during this process by setting flag Administrator Guide Settings.


Which sheets are archived from the Vault?

SmartBackup will automatically determine which sheets to archive. It is based on the last backup date for every sheet in the Vault. By default a archive run will archive all sheets that was backed-up more than 5 days ago. This period can be adjusted based on user needs.


How many sheets will be archived during a archive run?

The scope of sheets changed within the 5 day period (or period chosen) will determine the actual number of sheets archived.

Consideration Starter Business Enterprise
Scope Function not available All Vaulted(backed up) Sheets will be considered for each User (Personal or Team) All Vaulted(backed up) Sheets will be considered for Account
Archive Function not available Will archive all sheets meeting set criteria for each User Will archive all sheets meeting set criteria for Account

What is included for every archive sheet?

All sheets archived is different to the original format. Mainly due to the fact that it is re-instantiated outside smartsheet environment as an Excel file. Therefore most Smartsheet features cannot be archived, in part due to Excel incompatibilities and what is available in the Smartsheet API.

Feature Starter Business Enterprise
Data
Formulas
Formatting
Attachments
Cell-Links
Discussion/Comments
Shared Filters
Forms
Automation Rules
Shares

What format is the archive sheet?

The archive sheet is an Excel XLSX file.

For every Archive run a folder zz3.YYYY_MM_DD_HHMM_userid will be created within the designated Archive Pool(filestore) and all the sheets meeting archive criteria for a particular User will be saved within.

Sheets within will be prefixed with id of zz3. followed with 100 step up number, followed by the original name. Reason for renaming is that it could by name be recognized as a archive copy and the step-up number ensure unique sheetnames (within Smartsheet one can have same name sheets). Same file names are not allowed in filesystems within a single folder and must be unique.


Optional Parameters

The following optional parameters can be supplied when you invoke Archive

Parameter Meaning Example
-a or --archive Archive all Sheets successfully backed up to the Vault so many days or more ago. archive.exe -a=60


Export

Tip

Export refers to the copying of a smartsheet sheet from Smartsheet to a designated local drive. It is ideal for creating regular copies of your data for snapshot and history purposes. The major differences between Backup and Export are that Backup duplicate the Sheet within Smartsheet whereas Export make a copy to a external filestore. Therefore the first is an exact copy preserving all, whereas the latter may lose some Smartsheet specific elements.


Which sheets are Exported from Smartsheet?

SmartBackup will automatically determine which sheets to export or you can manually specify. Options are:

Option Description
specific This option requires you to specify the id of the Sheet or Report to export. Using this method you may export individual Sheets or Reports.
all This option will automatically Export all Sheets except Backup Vault contents. In the latter case the folder structures will be exported.
incremental This option will export only sheets that was modified within the last x days. The number of days must be indicated with the -d=x option
outline This option will only export the Workspace and folder structures

How many sheets will be Export during a export run?

The scope of sheets changed within the 5 day period (or period chosen) will determine the actual number of sheets archived with incremental option

Consideration Starter Business Enterprise
Scope All Sheets will be considered for the User All Sheets will be considered for each User (Personal or Team) All Sheets will be considered for Account
Export Restricted to 3 Sheets with 3 attachments each Unlimited Sheets, no more than 10 Attachments each. Unlimited Sheets, unlimited attachments but Administrator can set soft limits.

What is included for every Export sheet?

All sheets archived is different to the original format. Mainly due to the fact that it is re-instantiated outside smartsheet environment as an Excel file. Therefore some Smartsheet features cannot be exported, in part due to Excel incompatibilities and what is available in the Smartsheet API. Note the exported copy is more comprehensive than the archive copy.

Feature Starter Business Enterprise
Data
Formulas
Formatting
Attachments
Cell-Links
Discussion/Comments
Shared Filters
Forms
Automation Rules
Shares

What format is the Export sheet?

The export sheet is an Excel XLSX file contained within a zipped file structure. It will contain multiple folders depending on what is present. For example images and pdf attachments.


  1. XLSX file (containing all sheet data)
  2. Packing Notes, json based files
    1. Sheet_Packingnote (always)
    2. Rule_Packingnote (if rules was present in sheet)
    3. Attachments_Packingnote (if attachments was present in sheet)
  3. Attachments sub folder
    1. Attachments (if attachments was present in sheet)

A Summary file SUMMARY.xlsx will also be created in the root folder of every user run, containing a list of exported files for the run.


Where are Exports located?

All exports will reside under the path name specified in Export Settings Path. or every Export run a hierachical folder structure starting with Username then YYYY_MM_DD then RecoveryPointHH_MM will be created.

In the event that a duplicate sheet name is detected in the same export folder, it will be renamed as originalname_HHMM_SS_TTTTTT.zip



Optional Parameters

The following optional parameters can be supplied when you invoke Export

Parameter Meaning Example
-d or
--days
Export all Sheets changed within the last days period. export.exe -d=60
-i or
--include
Followed by any of these keywords: all outline specific incremental
The default if no optional parameter supplied is -i=specific
all export everything in the User space and maintain the tree folder hierarchy. Ideal for a DRP recovery point. export.exe -i=all
outline export only the Tree folder hierarchy. export.exe -i=outline
specific export specific named sheets or reports. export.exe -i=specific
incremental export sheets based on last changed date. Must be used in combination with the -d parameter. export.exe -i=incremental
-d=5
-q or
--queue
queue name. When supplied only members with same queue name can be processed separately and/or in paralel export.exe -q=FinDept
-l or --log Turn logging on with level = debug, info, warning export.exe -l=warning

Support Guide

Unless otherwise stated, Acuworkflow Support is based on best effort, attempting to resolve issues within a 24 hour cycle. AcuWorkflow does not warrant that its products are defect free; however, AcuWorkflow does endeavor to fix its products to work as designed. It is important to note that clients play a key role in this effort.

Upgrade Terms

  1. All updates, fixes, and enhancements are included free of charge in the annual subscription.
  2. While AcuWorkflow do make updated versions available, it is up to the customer to decide if they would like to install the upgrade or continue with the current version.
  3. However, AcuWorkflow do recommend updating the software at least once a year around the annual renewal time.
  4. The actual upgrade process consists of downloading the new version and running the installer, then selecting the “Upgrade Installation” option.

Please see section in Release Notes

Upgrade Process

If you have decided to do an Upgrade the following will typically happen:

Upgrade
  1. All the executables archive, backup, console, export will be replaced with latest versions in the apps folder
  2. A new config.yml will be created containing your original settings plus any newly added options
  3. A time stamped config.yml will contain your original file prior to the upgrade
  4. A new catalog.db3 will be created containing your original catalog and any new database structures required in the data folder.
  5. A time stamped catalog.db3 will contain your original catalog prior to the upgrade

In the event you want to roll-back the Upgrade

In the event that something mishappened during the Upgrade process, you can re-instate by

  1. Rename config.yml as config.old.yml
  2. Rename latest timestamped config.yml as config.yml
  3. Rename catalog.db3 as catalog.old.db3
  4. Rename latest timestamped catalog.db3 as catalog.db3

In most cases that will reset the environment though sometimes you will also have to reset the original executables

Easiest way is to install your original copy via Setup to a temporary folder c:\smartbackuptempand then copy the executables to current installed apps folder

Reporting a Problem

Please contact AcuWorkflow

Call Rate Limits

SMARTBACKUP MAKE USE OF THE Smartsheet API and as such are bound by its limitations. The Smartsheet API currently imposes a rate limit of 300 requests per minute per Access Token. (Smartsheet reserve the right to change this limit at any time.) Certain resource-intensive operations, such as attaching a file or getting cell history, count as 10 requests toward the rate limit. If you exceed this rate limit, subsequent API requests (within a one-minute period) will return a 429 HTTP status code.

To this end SmartBackup deploy rate throttling when detected which in general are:

When Smartsheet reject API call based on throttling
  1. Delay the current api call by 60s then retry
  2. If another reject, then delay current api call by a further 90s, then retry
  3. If still rejected log, display error and continue with next

Notifications and Alerts

In addition to the Console Dashboard, we have included the option to send a status email to each User processed and/or the SmartBackup Administrator. Configured through the admin Console UI, these notifications provides an at a glance view of backup/export/archive statuses.

SmartBackup V6.3 onwards also supports Alert notifications to an Incident Management System (IMS) informing you of problems with your operations in order to keep your backups, exports and archives running smoothly.

Setting up Alerts and Notifications

To setup notifications and alerts follow these steps:



Alert Message Structure

Email alert messages are structured with keywords so that an automated system can take appropriate downstream actions


Sample message

Email Alert Subject Line - single continous line separated with semi-colons
Keyword Message Setting Comments
ALERT ALERT=SmartBackup; Will always be SmartBackup Ideal for ensuring IMS system act on SmartBackup alerts
Operation Operation=Export; Can be Backup, Export or Archive Denote the Operation emitting the Alert
Message Message=xxxxxxxxxx; Alerting message Short description of the Alert
Time Time=2022/May/30 12:53:20 Alerting time Time the Alert was emitted

Email Body - multiple lines structured as keyword=xxxx
Keyword Message Setting Comments
Operation Operation=Export; Can be Backup, Export or Archive Denote the Operation emitting the Alert
MsgID MsgID=1234; Message Identifier Allows one to lookup Alert for more details.
Message Message=xxxxxxxxxx; Alerting message Short description of the Alert
User User=xxxx; Can be a specific User or Job Allow one to associate the Alert with a particular User where appropriate
Description Description=xxxx Alerting message with more information Detailed message


Escalation and Notification Management

Alerts ideally should be automatically managed and escalated with an Incident Management System or Escalation Notification Platform. In the event that you currently do not have something managing alerts, or for that matter runtime escalations, some 3RD party Tools you may want to investigate:

  1. freshdesk
  2. DialMyCalls
  3. PagerDuty
  4. Signl4
  5. text-em-all

Alert Messages

The following conditions will alert.
MessageID Condition AlertMessage Remedial Actions
SA01 Abnormal condition (error/job abort) was detected in Archive run. CRITICAL - Abnormal condition detected in Archive Job, Operation aborted, please take immediate action. One has to find reason why Job aborted. The Detail message in the alert should provide some description. Also start by looking at the Archive Job cmdline messages and the current Log file. Seeing who is the currnt or last processed Member(User) is always helpfull.
SB01 Abnormal condition (error/job abort) was detected in Backup run. CRITICAL - Abnormal condition detected in Backup Job, Operation aborted, please take immediate action. One has to find reason why Job aborted. The Detail message in the alert should provide some description. Also start by looking at the Backup Job cmdline messages and the current Log file. Seeing who is the currnt or last processed Member(User) is always helpfull.
SE01 A low free space condition (less than 1GB) has been detected on device you have allocated for export operations. WARNING - Low on FREE storage, please take action Please ensure you have enough free space on the device you are exporting to.
SE02 A no space condition has been detected on device you have allocated for export operations. All export operations will cease. CRITICAL - No FREE storage on device, please take immediate action. Please ensure you switch to a new device/folder location that has enough free space.
SE03 Reserved for future use
SE04 A duplicate folder in same parent folder condition has been detected. Export is aborted for affected User. WARNING - Duplicate Smartsheet folder name, operation aborted for User. No file system allow duplicate folder structures at the same level. Please ensure that you rename these. Since Folders effectively form the path, SmartBackup do not automatically rename these during export. Duplicate sheets on the other hand are automatically renamed by SmartBackup.
SE05 Abnormal condition (error/job abort) was detected in Export run. CRITICAL - Abnormal condition detected in Export Job, Operation aborted, please take immediate action. One has to find reason why Job aborted. The Detail message in the alert should provide some description. Also start by looking at the Export Job cmdline messages and the current Log file. Seeing who is the currnt or last processed Member(User) is always helpfull.

SMTP Settings

SmartBackup perform notifications and alerts using the AcuWorkflow SMTP server or optionally your SMTP server.

Using your SMTP Server

To limit configuration options, SmartBackup mimic options available from GMAIL.

  1. ServerName: e.g. smtp.domain.ext
  2. SerververPort: e.g 587
  3. SMTPUserName: e.g mylogin@gdomain.ext
  4. SMTPPassword: e.g mypass@01 Note! if you are using Gmail this should be an APP Password
  5. FromAddress: e.g mylogin@gdomain.ext
  6. SSL/TLS or TLS/STARTTLS: choose your option
Test if your email configuration works by sending Test Email message.
Using GMAIL as your SMTP Server

Note that GMAIL requires the following:

  1. Port: 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (TLS/STARTTLS)
  2. Password: Will not accept your normal Login Password. You have to enable 2F authentication, generate App password and supply that.
  3. more on App passwords

Playbooks

Playbooks for SmartBackup Platform offers a simple way to understand, configure and deploy the SmartBackup Platform. The topics assume basic knowledge of how Smartsheet work.

Practice PlayBook

The Practices and Deployment playbook is a go-to resource for administrators and other people, outlining SmartBackup high level practices and deployment procedures.

Click on image to open Playbook. Subjects covered are:

Resources

The Resources section provides valuable additional Resources

Cheatsheet

We've created a cheat sheet of concise notes that can make your SmartBackup life more productive and fun.

Click on image to open Cheatsheet. Subjects covered are:

Sample Evaluation Sheet

Feel free to download and modify the Evaluation sheet if it helps you in building the case.

Click on image to download Excel copy. Subjects covered are:

Sample Motivation Pack

Feel free to download and modify the sample Motivation Pack to help you cement and record the case for SmartBackup.

Click on image to download Powerpoint Pack. Subjects covered are:

For Enterprise Customers who wants to record the case, pack can be handy to capture motivational reasoning.

Quick Notes

We get it! You may not have time to read all the documentation, herewith some quick notes for Enterprise Users to get you going in no time.

Release Notes

Release notes provide information about new features and updates that are included in SmartBackup.

Release History

History

Provide a view of all previous releases.

Upgrade Paths

Coming shortly