4️⃣Administrator Guide

This section describes the functions performed by a SmartBackup Administrator. As a SmartBackup Admin, you are responsible for managing user backup, export, and archive operations. You are also responsible for setting up schedules, batch files, and tasks that determine when Backups, Archives or Exports are run.

Overview

SmartBackup includes the following key functional areas:

• A - Each user's Smartsheet area; including Home, Workspaces, folders, and data.

• B - Each user's designated Backup Vault area.

• C - Your organization's designated Archive storage area.

• D - Your organization's designated Export storage area.

1. Backup - Obtains a list of all worksheets in A, it then decides what to backup based on what was recently modified and creates a copy of those items in B, the Vault.

2. Restore - At any time, a user can restore a backup copy from their vault by copying it back to their primary A Smartsheet area.

3. Archive - A "vault clean-up" process can be run which takes the least recently used Sheets from B and manifests it as XLSX sheets in the designated C area, which is typically a local filestore.

4. Recall - At any time a SmartBackup Admin can recall an archive copy by importing it back into the associated user's primary Smartsheet area A.

5. Export - At any time the SmartBackup Admin can run the Export component that will export all sheets that meet the export criteria for all active and enabled users in the Member list.

6. Import - As needed, a SmartBackup Admin can restore exported files by importing them into Smartsheet.

Making sense of the different operations:

Backup	Archive	Export
Creates an exact copy from the source sheet, dashboard, or report. Because it is maintained within Smartsheet all settings and formats are preserved. The vault contains date/time stamped folders each containing the backup copies.	Copies valut contents to an external drive, then once the files have been archived, SmartBackup can be configured to remove the copies in the valut. This ensures that the vault does not have too many copies over time.	Creates a snapshot copy of the sheets that meet the criteria and saves them to the designated drive. Export is ideal for creating snapshot versions of sheets, or to create external copies of the data fir disaster recovery, or business continuity purposes.
Specifications	Specifications	Specifications

When can Backup, Export, and Archive be run?

Backups, Archives or Exports can be run on-demand, or based on a regular schedule. Obviously your specific environment will dictate your ideal backup arrangement.

When	Typical Actions
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 Task Scheduler or any other task scheduling tool. Typically this would define a cycle, such as "daily at 5pm" or "every Wednesday" or after a specific event.

Checklist

Before any process can run properly, you should:

1. Install SmartBackup, see Installation Guide.
2. Obtain a license, see Licenses.
3. Configure SmartBackup, see Setup Guide.

4. Setup your Member Vaults via the auto provision process.

Managing Licenses

You will need to have an active annual subscription in order to successfully run any SmartBackup functions. Contact the AcuWorkflow team for pricing and subscription information.

Tip

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

Obtaining an API Token

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

Note: while the process for generating User API Tokens and sysAdminAPI Tokens are similar, sysadmin tokens can only be generated by a user with Smartsheet Admin rights.

SysAdmin API Token

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

1. Log into Smartsheet with an account that has Smartsheet Admin rights, then click on Profile button, usually bottom left.

2. Confirm that you can see the “Admin” section at the top of the list. This will indicate that you have sysadmin rights.

3. Next click on “Apps and Integrations" which will display the Personal Settings Form.

1. Click "API Access" which will allow you to Manage your API Tokens.

2. Click "Generate new access token" which will provide you with the SysAdmin API Token

Now that you have the SysAdmin token, you can copy it and paste it into the sysAdminToken field in the Members screen in SmartBackup for the Account. See Enterprise Edition

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. license.acuworkflow.com

2. smartsheet.com

3. api.smartsheet.com

4. api.smartsheet.eu

Proxy Server condition is typically observed when SmartBackup abends or displays "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

SmartBackup Administrators can further customize the platform by editing the config.yml file 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	Smartsheet Region	Select the Smartsheet Region that your organization is hosted in using the dropdown list. Contact AcuWorkflow Support for information on switching to the US GOV region.	US
2. BACKUP
2.1	When off, do not include any attachments.	When this switch is off, then attachments will not be included for Backup operations. Switch to "On" if you would like to include attachments in the Backup operations.	OFF
2.2	Add SheetID	If turned ON, SmartBackup will add the SheetID to the file name of the backup copy.	OFF
2.3	Create User Backup Vaults	Click this button to generate or refresh the Backup Vaults for all Active and Enabled Members in the Member list.
2.4	Remove User Backup Vaults	Click this button to remove existing User Backup Vaults for all Active and Enabled users in the Member list. Note that this will also delete all backup copies in those Vaults.
3. ARCHIVE
3.1	Remove Backups if archives is successful	When ON, the backup copy in the Vault will be removed after it was successfully archived.	OFF
3.2	Path to where archives are saved	Specify the path to where you want to pool your archives. Path can be specified 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 specified 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
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 separated by commas.	OFF
5.5	Email address for IMS system	Supply valid IMS email address

Auto Provision Users and Vaults

SmartBackup Business and Enterprise Editions include 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.

Business and Enterprise Editions run in sysAdmin mode by default. In sysAdmin mode you can:

Automatically provision Users

SmartBackup sysadmin mode allows you to automatically provision Users from Smartsheet directly.

Automatically provision Backup Vaults

Sysadmin mode allows 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!-: is a hardcoded name to identify it as a Backup Vault.

2. 123456789012345 is the generated Smartsheet ID for each User, and is available from the Members screen.

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

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

1. If a VaultID is provided, it is checked for validity and that it links to a Workspace with the standard name.

2. If a VaultID is not provided or is invalid, a scan is done to see if a Workspace with standard name exists, if so VaultID and links are updated respectively.

3. If no Workspace can be found, a new Backup Vault with a standard name is created and a VaultID and links updated respectively.

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

1. If a VaultID is provided, it is checked for validity and that it links to a Workspace with the standard name. If so, it will be removed and VaultID and links are removed.

2. If VaultID is not provided or is invalid, a scan is done to see if a Workspace with standard name exists, If so, it will be removed and VaultID and links are removed.

Running SmartBackup

SmartBackup was designed to run when required. Therefore each component can run completely independently or in conjunction with other components. The SmartBackup Administrator can select how and when to run each of the functions. The Backup, Archive and Export components run as a CMD program, and can be accessed in various ways, as 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 the 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. Or, 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 function by typing backup which will start running a backup job. Simarlarly you can do the same with Archive or Export functions.

Each of these functions can be run with different settings, for example: backup -d=30 will start the function and will backup all sheets that were modified in last 30 days. The available settings for each function are shown in the Reference Guide.

via Task Scheduler

SmartBackup can be used with 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 Task Scheduler to do that. Please see Task Scheduler guide below on how to create scheduled tasks for SmartBackup.

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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 customized 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".

SmartBackup RunBook Guide

As described in the SmartBackup Documentation, all SmartBackup functions can be invoked either directly using the SmartBackup Console, or programmatically by executing the individual applications using a Windows Command line interface or Powershell, or they can be scheduled using Windows Task Scheduler or a similar scheduling tool.

However, we strongly recommend using “RunBook” batch files instead of invoking the application individually.

As outlined in the SmartBackup guides, it is highly recommended to create a set of RunBooks to efficiently manage scheduled SmartBackup functions.

By utilizing a RunBook approach instead of invoking individual SmartBackup functions directly, you gain greater control over task sequencing, allowing you to:

• Initialize tasks with specific parameters.

• Implement pre- and post-processing steps.

• Integrate customized notification methods suited to your needs as a SmartBackup administrator.

General RunBook Flow

For SmartBackup tasks, we recommend creating several RunBooks, one for each function, and additional sets for multi-node deployments, in which case it will be possible to add a unique “node name” to each RunBook to make it easier to identify which node the function is running on.

These RunBooks also provide you with the ability to setup your own notifications using notification and messaging tools, and it also allows you to integrate with existing IT Management tools for error logging and escalation.

Notification Methods

This section introduces two notification techniques that enable you to send:

1. SMS-style notifications to your smartphone.

2. Email notifications for important updates.

While these are commonly used tools, your organization may have alternative solutions already deployed. Feel free to use those tools, referencing the sample RunBooks for guidance on how to invoke SmartBackup functions and determine appropriate notification timings.

Examples Covered

The following sections provide implementation examples using:

• ntfy.sh for real-time push notifications.

• Mailjet for sending email alerts.

Send Notifications Using ntfy.sh

ntfy (pronounced "notify") is a lightweight, HTTP-based publish-subscribe notification service. It enables you to send notifications to your phone or desktop via scripts from any computer or through its REST API. The service is highly flexible and 100% open-source.

For more details, visit: ntfy.sh.

Setting Up ntfy

To use ntfy, follow these steps:

1. Download and install the ntfy app on your mobile phone.

2. Subscribe to a topic within the app and assign it a name. If you're using the free version, choose a unique topic name, as public topics are accessible to anyone. To secure a reserved topic name, consider upgrading to the paid version.

3. In this example, we will subscribe to a topic called "MyTopic".

4. Integrate ntfy into your RunBook by adding a command that sends notifications using the "mytopic" topic. The app handles the rest.

Example: Sending Notifications via cURL

You can send a notification with a simple cURL command:

curl -d "Backup successful!" ntfy.sh/mytopic

Notification Triggers in RunBook

In the example RunBook batch files, notifications are sent at key points in the backup process:

• When the job starts

• Upon job completion

• If an error occurs

Feel free to customize these notifications to suit your requirements.

For further details, refer to the official ntfy documentation: docs.ntfy.sh.

Send Notifications via Email Using Mailjet

Mailjet is a user-friendly platform for designing and sending email marketing campaigns, newsletters, and automated emails. While Mailjet offers both free and paid plans, the free version is usually sufficient for scenarios involving low-volume emails with minimal formatting.

For more details, visit: Mailjet.

Setting Up Mailjet for Email Notifications

Using Mailjet as your email notification solution requires a few additional steps compared to ntfy.sh but remains straightforward:

1. Sign up for a Mailjet account.

2. Add and validate your domain: Register your organization's domain name(s) in Mailjet. Validate your domain by adding specific records to your DNS or requesting assistance from your IT team. Domain validation ensures emails sent via Mailjet are trusted and not marked as spam.

3. Generate API credentials: Navigate to API > API Key Management to create your API Key and Secret Key. Important: Store the Secret Key securely when generated, as this is the only time you’ll be able to see its full value.

Integrating Mailjet into Your RunBook

Once your domain is validated and API credentials are configured, you can integrate Mailjet into your RunBook batch files to send email notifications at critical stages:

• Job start

• Job completion

• Error occurrence

Refer to the official Mailjet documentation for guidance on creating batch scripts: Mailjet API Guide.

Example cURL Command line:

curl -X POST --user "APIKey:SecretKey" "https://api.mailjet.com/v3/send" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "{ "FromEmail":"[e-mail]", "FromName":"SmartBackup", "Subject":"SmartBackup job named %name% Started", "Text-part":"Hello, your SmarBackup job named %name% started on %stamp%!", "Recipients":[{"Email":"[e-mail]"}] }"

RunBook Examples

To streamline implementation, we have prepared a set of sample RunBooks for SmartBackup functions, utilizing both:

• ntfy.sh for real-time notifications.

• Mailjet for email alerts.

Using the Sample RunBook Batch Files

Before making any modifications:

1. Create a backup—make a copy of the original files.

2. Edit your copies using Notepad or a more advanced text editor like Microsoft Visual Studio Code.

Each sample batch file includes guidance and notes specifying:

• Which fields require modification.

• Where to input your custom configurations.

When using these RunBooks with Windows Task Scheduler, in the “Actions” section, specify the batch file path and name in the “Program/script” field. No other parameters are required as they are already set in the batch file.

Download the SmartBackup RunBooks

We have created the following Smartbackup RunBooks with default parameters that you can easily customize and use as is or modify as needed. One set uses ntfy.sh and the other set uses MailJet. These include the following:

• RunSBU-Backup: Run backup.exe daily with -i=incremental and -d=3.

• RunSBU-Archive: Run archive.exe daily with -a=14.

• RunSBU-Export: Run export.exe weekly with -i=incremental and -d=7.

• RunSBU-ShadowCopy: Run shadowcopy.exe weekly with -i=7

You can download the example SmartBackup RunBooks here:

RunBooks using ntfy.sh: https://acuworkflowllc.box.com/shared/static/8qqbaxmxczs910im780z4fpxhf6joyzx.zip

RunBooks using MaiJet: https://acuworkflowllc.box.com/shared/static/921czkd4zp66pwvo9i7m6xye8ebgsh89.zip

Note that it is important to review each of these example RunBooks and to customize them appropriately before running them individually or via Windows Task Scheduler.

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 until the first backup run has been completed.

1. Sub menu - Click to view sub menu actions or Stopping the Console Server. It is a good practice to stop the Console Server when finished.

2. Main Menu - Show the primary actions around Backup, Archive and Exports

3. SmartBackup Vault Area - From Home screen this tile represents a view of the Vault area. When you click on it, the Tenants view will first be shown from where you can select the Vault of a given Tenant which will take you into the Vault within Smartsheet

4. SmartBackup Archive Area - From Home screen this tile represents a view of the Archive area. When you click on it, a Windows Explorer view will be opened on the root directory where archives are stored.

5. SmartBackup Export Area - From Home screen this tile represents a view of the Export area. When you click on it, a Windows Explorer view will be opened on the root directory where exports are stored

6. Smartsheet View - From Home screen this tile represents a view of your Smartsheet backup environment. It refreshes on every backup and maintains a copy of the frequency of your Smartsheet sheet changes. This information is valuable in determining the optimum backup set

BACKUP Screen

Click Backups on main menu on the left.

Although the Backup screen is shown here, the Archive and Exports screens are similar in layout and operation.

1. Run Now - Click on this to run Backup on demand. After a slight delay a message will appear that a Backup process has started.

2. Schedule - Click on this to view or create a Schedule for backups. The Windows Task scheduler is use for this purpose. If set Backups will be run according to the schedule.

3. Option - When clicking on the dropdown a slider option becomes visible that you can set. Backup uses this to determine the backup set. For example if set to 10 it means backup only sheets that was modified in last 10 days. When using the scheduler or when you invoke the backup component directly this option is effected by using the -d argument. For example backup.exe -d 15 means backup all sheets modified in last 15 days or backup.exe -d 999 effectively means backup all sheets

4. Run Status - Tile shows when last backup was taken. If any serious errors were encountered a red message will be shown, conversely a green message will be shown..

5. See previous runs - a calendar view will be shown with entries when last ran for backups, archives or exports

6. Backups to date - Table view of all backups to date

7. Source Link - when clicked will show the source sheet within Smartsheet for which the backup was done

8. Target Link - when clicked will show the backed-up copy within the Vault

9. Search - You can search the Backup Catalog

Task Scheduler

SmartBackup can be invoked using indows Task Scheduler for scheduled automations.

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

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Your environment may require you to check "run with highest privileges" in Task Scheduler