Use StorSimple Snapshot Manager user interface to manage backup jobs and backup catalog

Overview

The StorSimple Snapshot Manager has an intuitive user interface that you can use to take and manage backups. This tutorial provides an introduction to the user interface, and then explains how to use each of the components. For a detailed description of the StorSimple Snapshot Manager, see What is StorSimple Snapshot Manager?

Console description

To view the user interface, click the StorSimple Snapshot Manager icon on your desktop. The console window appears, as shown in the following illustration.

The console window has five major elements. Click the appropriate link for a complete description of each element.

• Menu bar
• Tool bar
• Scope pane
• Results pane
• Actions pane

Additionally, the StorSimple Snapshot Manager supports keyboard navigation and a number of shortcuts.

Console accessibility

The StorSimple Snapshot Manager user interface supports the accessibility features provided by the Windows operating system and the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), as well as some StorSimple Snapshot Manager–specific keyboard shortcuts.

• For a description of the Windows accessibility features, go to Keyboard shortcuts for Windows.
• For a description of the MMC accessibility features, go to Accessibility for MMC 3.0
• For a description of the StorSimple Snapshot Manager accessibility features, go to Keyboard navigation and shortcuts.

Menu bar

The menu bar at the top of the console window contains File, Action, View, Favorites, Window, and Help menus.

Click any item on the menu bar to see a list of available commands on that menu. The following example shows the View menu selected on the menu bar.

File menu

The File menu contains standard Microsoft Management Console (MMC) commands.

Menu access

To view the File menu, click File on the menu bar. The following menu appears.

Menu description

The following table describes items that appear on the File menu.

Menu item	Description
New	Click New to create a new console based on the StorSimple Snapshot Manager.
Open	Click Open to open an existing console.
Save	Click Save to save the current console.
Save as	Click Save As to create a new, renamed instance of the current console. Use the Save As option to customize a view and save it for later retrieval. For example, you could create StorSimple Snapshot Manager snap-ins that point to specific servers.
Add/Remove Snap-in	Click Add/Remove Snap-in to add or remove snap-ins and to organize nodes in the Scope pane. For more information, go to Add, Remove, and Organize Snap-ins and Extensions in MMC 3.0.
Options	Click Options to change the console icon, specify user access modes and permissions, or delete console files to increase available disk space.
List of file paths	Click a path in the numbered list to reopen a file that you recently opened.
Exit	Click Exit to close the File menu.

Action menu

Use the Action menu to select from available actions. The items available to you depend on the selection you make in the Scope pane or Results pane.

Menu access

To view the Action menu, do one of the following:

• Right-click an item in the Scope pane or Results pane.
• Select an item in the Scope pane or Results pane, and then click Action on the menu bar.

For example, if you select the top node in the Scope pane, and then right-click or click Action in the menu bar, the following menu appears.

The Actions pane (on the right of the console) contains the same list of actions as the Action menu. Additionally, the Actions pane contains the View menu options, which enable you to create a custom view of the Results pane.

Menu description

The following table contains an alphabetical list of StorSimple Snapshot Manager actions.

• The Action column lists actions that you can perform on nodes and results.
• The Navigation column explains how to display the appropriate Action menu so that you can select the action. Some actions appear in multiple Action menus. For these actions, select one Navigation option from the bulleted list.
• The Description column describes how to use each action on the Action menu or Actions pane, and explains what it does.

Note

The Actions pane and Action menus contain additional options, such as View, New Window from here, Refresh, Export List, and Help. These options are available as a part of the MMC, and are not specific to StorSimple Snapshot Manager. The table includes descriptions of these options.

Action	Navigation	Description
Authenticate	Click the Devices node, and right-click a device in the Results pane.	Click Authenticate to enter the password that you configured for the device.
Clone	Expand Backup Catalog, expand Cloud Snapshots, click a dated backup, and then select a volume in the Results pane.	Click Clone to create a copy of a cloud snapshot and store it in a location that you designate.
Configure a Device	Right-click the Devices node.	Click Configure a Device to configure a single device or multiple devices to connect to the Windows host.
Create Backup Policy	Do one of the following: Right-click Backup Policies. Click or expand Volume Groups, and then right-click a volume group. Click or expand Backup Catalog, and then right-click a volume group.	Click Create Backup Policy to configure a scheduled backup for a volume group.
Create Volume Group	Do one of the following: Click the Volumes node, and then right-click a volume in the Results pane. Right-click the Volume Groups node.	Click Create Volume Group to assign volumes to a volume group.
Delete	Click a node or result (This item appears on many Action menus and Actions panes.)	Click Delete to delete the node or result that you selected. When the confirmation dialog box appears, confirm or cancel the deletion.
Details	Click the Devices node, and then right-click a device in the Results pane.	Click Details to see the configuration details for a device.
Edit	Click Backup Policies, and then right-click a policy in the Results pane.	Click Edit to change the backup schedule for a volume group.
Export List	Click any node or result (This item appears on all Action menus and Actions panes.)	Click Export List to save a list in a comma-separated value (CSV) file. You can then import this file into a spreadsheet application for analysis.
Help	Click any node or result. (This item appears on all Action menus and Actions panes.)	Click Help to open online Help in a separate browser window.
New Window from Here	Click any node or result (This item appears on all Action menus and Actions panes.)	Click New Window from Here to open a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager window.
Refresh	Click any node or result (This item appears on all Action menus and Actions panes.)	Click Refresh to update the currently displayed StorSimple Snapshot Manager window.
Refresh Device	Click the Devices node, and right-click a device in the Results pane.	Click Refresh Device to synchronize a specific connected device with StorSimple Snapshot Manager.
Refresh Devices	Right-click the Devices node.	Click Refresh Devices to synchronize your list of connected devices with StorSimple Snapshot Manager.
Rescan volumes	Right-click the Volumes node.	Click Rescan volumes to update the list of volumes that appears in the Results pane.
Restore	Expand Backup Catalog, expand a volume group, expand Local Snapshots or Cloud Snapshots, and then right-click a backup.	Click Restore to replace the current volume group data with the data from the selected backup.
Take Backup	Do one of the following: Expand Volume Groups, and then right-click a volume group. Expand Backup Catalog, and then right-click a volume group.	Click Take Backup to start a backup job immediately.
Toggle Imports Display	Right-click the top node in the Scope pane (the StorSimple Snapshot Manager node in the examples).	Click Toggle Imports Display to show or hide the volume groups and associated backups that were imported from the StorSimple Device Manager service dashboard.

View menu

Use the View menu to create a custom view of the Results pane contents. The View menu contains Add/Remove Columns and Customize options.

Menu access

You can access the View menu on the menu bar or in the Actions pane.

Menu description

The following table describes items that appear on the View menu.

Menu item	Description
Add/Remove Columns	Click Add/Remove Columns to add or remove columns in the Results pane.
Customize	Click Customize to show or hide items in the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console window.

Favorites menu

Use the Favorites menu to add, remove, and organize page views and tasks that you use frequently.

Menu access

You can access the Favorites menu on the menu bar.

Menu description

The following table describes items that appear on the Favorites menu.

Menu item	Description
Add to Favorites	Click Add to Favorites to add the current view to your list of favorites.
Organize Favorites	Click Organize Favorites to organize the contents of your Favorites folder.

Window menu

Use the Window menu to add and rearrange StorSimple Snapshot Manager console windows.

Menu access

You can access the Window menu on the menu bar.

The numbered list at the bottom of the menu shows the windows that are currently open. Click any window in that list to bring the window into the foreground.

Menu description

The following table describes the items that appear on the Window menu.

Menu item	Description
New Window	Click New Window to open a new console window (in addition to the existing window).
Cascade	Click Cascade to display the open console windows in a cascading style.
Tile Horizontally	Click Tile Horizontally to display the open console windows in a tile (or grid) format.
Arrange Icons	If you have multiple console windows open and scattered over your desktop, minimize them and then click Arrange Icons to arrange them in a horizontal row on the bottom of your screen.

Help menu

Use the Help menu to view available online help for StorSimple Snapshot Manager and the MMC. You can also view information about the MMC and StorSimple Snapshot Manager software versions that are currently installed on your system.

You can access the Help menu on the menu bar. You can also access StorSimple Snapshot Manager help topics from the Actions pane.

Menu description

The following table describes items that appear on the Help menu.

Menu item	Description
Help on StorSimple Snapshot Manager	Click Help on StorSimple Snapshot Manager to open StorSimple Snapshot Manager help in a separate window.
Help Topics	Click Help Topics to open MMC online help in a separate window.
TechCenter Web Site	Click TechCenter Web Site to open the Microsoft TechNet Tech Center home page in a separate window.
About Microsoft Management Console	Click About Microsoft Management Console to see which version of the Microsoft Management Console is installed on your system.
About StorSimple Snapshot Manager	Click About StorSimple Snapshot Manager to see which version of the snap-in is installed on your system.

Tool bar

The tool bar, located below the menu bar, contains navigation and task icons. Each icon is a shortcut to a specific task.

Icon descriptions

The following table describes the icons that appear on the tool bar.

Icon	Description
	Click the left arrow icon to return to the previous page.
	Click the right arrow to go to the next page (if the arrow is gray, the action is unavailable).
	Click the up icon to go up one level in the console tree (the Scope pane).
	Click the show/hide console tree icon to show or hide the Scope pane.
	Click the export list icon to export a list to a CSV file that you specify.
	Click the help icon to open an online MMC help topic.
	Click the show/hide Actions pane icon to show or hide the Actions pane.

Scope pane

The Scope pane is the leftmost pane in the StorSimple Snapshot Manager UI. It contains the console (or node) tree and is the primary navigation mechanism for StorSimple Snapshot Manager.

Scope pane structure

The Scope pane contains a series of clickable objects (nodes) organized in a tree structure.

• To expand or collapse a node, click the arrow icon next to the node name.
• To view the status or contents of a node, click the node name. The information appears in the Results pane.

The Scope pane contains the following nodes:

• Devices node
• Volumes node
• Volume Groups node
• Backup Policies node
• Backup Catalog node
• Jobs node

Scope pane tasks

You can use the Scope pane to complete an action on a specific node. To select a task, do one of the following:

• Right-click the node, and then select the task from the menu that appears.
• Click the node, and then click Action on the menu bar. Select the task from the menu that appears.
• Click the node, and then select the action in the Actions pane.

When you select a node and use any of these methods to see a task list, only those actions that can be performed on that node are shown.

Devices node

The Devices node represents the StorSimple devices and StorSimple virtual devices that are connected to StorSimple Snapshot Manager. Select this node to connect and configure a device, and import its associated volumes, volumes groups, and existing backup copies. Multiple devices can be connected to a single host.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Devices.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Devices node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of configured devices, click Devices in the Scope pane. The list of devices, together with information about each device, appears in the Results pane.

Volumes node

The Volumes node represents the drives that correspond to the volumes mounted by the host, including those discovered through iSCSI and those discovered through a device. Use this node to view the list of available volumes and assign individual volumes to volume groups.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Volumes.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Volumes node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of volumes, click Volumes in the Scope pane. The list of volumes, together with information about each volume, appears in the Results pane.

Volume Groups node

Volume groups are also known as consistency groups. Each volume group is a pool of application-related volumes that helps to ensure application consistency during backup operations. Use the Volume Groups node to configure these groups and to take interactive backups or create backup schedules.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Volume Groups.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Volume Groups node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of volume groups, click Volume Groups in the Scope pane. The list of volume groups, together with information about each volume group, appears in the Results pane.

Backup Policies node

Backup policies are job schedules for local and cloud snapshots. Use the Backup Policies node to specify how often a backup is created and how long a backup should be retained.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Backup Policies.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Backup Policies node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of backup policies, click Backup Policies in the Scope pane. The list of backup policies, together with information about each policy, appears in the Results pane.

Note

You can retain a maximum of 64 backups.

Backup Catalog node

The Backup Catalog node contains lists of on-site and off-site backups of Azure StorSimple volumes. This node is organized by volume group, and each volume group container contains separate structures for local snapshots (the Local Snapshots node) and cloud snapshots (the Cloud Snapshots node). When expanded, each volume group container lists all the successful backups that were taken interactively or by a configured policy.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Backup Catalog.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Backup Catalog node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of backup snapshots, click Backup Catalog in the Scope pane. The list of snapshots, together with information about each snapshot, appears in the Results pane.

Local Snapshots node

The Local Snapshots node lists local snapshots for a specific volume group. The node is located under the Backup Catalog node in the Scope pane. Local snapshots are point-in-time copies of volume data that are stored on the Azure StorSimple device. Typically, this type of backup can be created and restored quickly. You can use a local snapshot as you would a local backup copy.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Local Snapshots.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Local Snapshots node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of local snapshots, click Local Snapshots in the Scope pane. The list of snapshots, together with information about each snapshot, appears in the Results pane.

Cloud Snapshots node

The Cloud Snapshots node lists cloud snapshots for a specific volume group. The node is located under the Backup Catalog node in the Scope pane. Cloud snapshots are point-in-time copies of volume data that are stored in the cloud. A cloud snapshot is equivalent to a snapshot replicated on a different, off-site storage system. Cloud snapshots are particularly useful in disaster recovery scenarios.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Cloud Snapshots.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Cloud Snapshots node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of cloud snapshots, click Cloud Snapshots in the Scope pane. The list of snapshots, together with information about each snapshot, appears in the Results pane.

Jobs node

The Jobs node contains information about scheduled, running, and recently completed backup jobs.

• To expand the node, click the arrow icon next to Jobs.
• To see a menu of available actions, right-click the Jobs node or right-click any of the nodes that appear in the expanded view.
• To see a list of scheduled jobs, expand the Jobs node, and then click Scheduled. The list of previously configured jobs and information about each job appears in the Results pane.
• To see a list of recently completed jobs, expand the Jobs node, and then click Last 24 Hours. A list of jobs that were completed in the last 24 hours appears in the Results pane. The Results pane also contains information about each completed job.
• To see a list of jobs that are currently running, expand the Jobs node, and then click Running. The list of currently running jobs and information about each job appears in the Results pane.

Results pane

The Results pane is the center pane in the StorSimple Snapshot Manager UI. It contains lists and detailed status information for the node you selected in the Scope pane.

Example

To see the following example, click the Volume Groups node in the Scope pane. The Results pane displays a list of volume groups with details about each group.

You can configure the details shown in the Results pane: right-click a node in the Scope pane, click View, and then click Add/Remove Columns.

Actions pane

The Actions pane is the right pane in the StorSimple Snapshot Manager UI. It contains a menu of operations that you can perform on the node, view, or data that you select in the Scope pane or Results pane. The Actions pane contains the same commands as the Action menus that are available for items in the Scope pane and Results pane. For a description of each action, see the table in the Action menu section.

Examples

To see the following example, in the Scope pane, expand the Jobs node and click Scheduled. The Actions pane displays the available actions for the Scheduled node.

To see more options, in the Scope pane, expand the Jobs node, click Scheduled, and then click a scheduled job in the Results pane. The Actions pane displays the available actions for the scheduled job, as shown in the following example.

Keyboard navigation and shortcuts

StorSimple Snapshot Manager enables the accessibility features of the Windows operating system and the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). It also includes some keyboard navigation features and shortcuts that are specific to the StorSimple Snapshot Manager, as described in the following sections.

• Keyboard navigation keys
• Menu bar shortcut keys
• Scope pane shortcut keys

Keyboard navigation keys

The following table describes the keys that you can use to navigate the StorSimple Snapshot Manager user interface.

Navigation key	Action
Down arrow key	Use the down arrow key to move vertically to the next item in a menu or pane.
Enter	Press the Enter key to complete an action and then proceed to the next step. For example, you can press Enter to select Next, OK, or Create, and then go to the next step in a wizard.
Esc	Press the Esc key to close a menu or to cancel and close a page.
F1	Press the F1 key to view a help topic for the currently active window.
F5	Press the F5 key to refresh a node.
F6	Press the F6 key to move from the Scope pane to the Results pane.
F10	Press the F10 key to go to the menu bar.
Left arrow key	Use the left arrow key to move horizontally from a menu bar option to the previous option. When you move to the previous item on the menu bar, the action (or context) menu for the previous item appears.
Right arrow key	Use the right arrow key to move horizontally from one menu bar option to the next. When you move to the next item on the menu bar, the action (or context) menu for the new item appears.
Tab key	Use the Tab key to move to the next pane on the console or to the next selection or text box in a page.
Up arrow key	Use the up arrow key to move vertically to the previous item on a menu or pane.

Menu bar shortcut keys

The following table describes the shortcut key combinations for the menu bar. After you press the shortcut keys and the menu opens, you can use menu shortcut keys (the underlined keys on the menu). For more information about the menu bar, go to Menu bar.

Shortcut	Result	Menu Shortcut Key	Result
ALT+F	Opens the File menu.	N	Opens a new console instance.
	O	Opens the Administrative Tools page.
	S	Saves the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
	A	Opens the Save As page.
	M	Opens the Add/Remove Snap-in page.
	P	Opens the Options page.
	H	Opens online Help.
ALT+A	Opens the Action menu.	I	Turns the import display option on and off.
	W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
	F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
	L	Opens the Export List page.
	H	Opens online Help.
ALT+V	Opens the View menu.	A	Opens the Add/Remove Columns page.
	U	Opens the Customize View page.
ALT+O	Opens the Favorites menu.	A	Opens the Add to Favorites page.
	O	Opens the Organize Favorites page.
ALT+W	Opens the Window menu.	N	Opens another StorSimple Snapshot Manager window.
	C	Displays all open console windows in a cascading style.
	T	Displays all open console windows in a grid pattern.
	I	Arranges icons in a horizontal row at the bottom of your screen.
ALT+H	Opens the Help menu.	H	Opens online Help.
	T	Opens the Microsoft TechNet Tech Center web page.
	A	Opens the About Microsoft Management Console page.

Scope pane shortcut keys

The following tables show the shortcut key combinations for each node in the Scope pane.

• Devices node shortcut keys
• Volumes node shortcut keys
• Volume Groups node shortcut keys
• Backup Policies node shortcut keys
• Backup Catalog node shortcut keys
• Jobs node shortcut keys

Devices node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
C	Opens the Configure a Device page.
D	Refreshes the list of devices and device details.
V	Opens the View menu.
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Details node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
L	Opens the Export List page.
H	Opens online Help.

Volumes node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
V	Updates the list of volumes.
V (press twice)	Opens the View menu.
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Volumes node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
L	Opens the Export List page.
H	Opens online Help.

Volume Groups node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
G	Opens the Create a Volume Group page.
V	Opens the View menu.
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Volume Groups node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
L	Opens the Export List page.
H	Opens online Help.

Backup Policies node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
B	Opens the Create a Policy page.
V	Opens the View menu.
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Volume Groups node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
L	Opens the Export List page.
H	Opens online Help.

Backup Catalog node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Volume Groups node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
H	Opens online Help.

Jobs node shortcut keys

Menu Shortcut	Result
V	Opens the View menu.
W	Opens a new StorSimple Snapshot Manager console focused on the Jobs node.
F	Updates the StorSimple Snapshot Manager console.
L	Opens the Export List page.
H	Opens online Help

Next steps

• Learn how to use StorSimple Snapshot Manager to administer your StorSimple solution.
• Learn how to use StorSimple Snapshot Manager to connect and manage devices.