Offsite Backup Manager: Replacing Your Backup Sets with New Encryption Keys
Before You Begin
Important: Do not delete your existing backup sets before completing the replacement process. Your existing backups should remain available while you establish and verify the new backup configuration.
Important: You may require additional storage quota to replace your backup sets. If in doubt, contact Webvault support first to request a temporary storage quota upgrade.
Before proceeding, please ensure that:
You have changed your backup account password.
Your existing backups are functioning correctly.
You have securely retained your original backup encryption keys.
You have sufficient storage capacity for the replacement backups.
Creating a new backup set will generally require a fresh initial backup, which may temporarily increase your storage usage and internet traffic.
The following instructions primarily cover standard file and folder backups. Customers backing up databases, virtual machines or other specialised applications should contact Webvault for assistance.
Step 1: Review Your Existing Backup Configuration
Before creating a replacement backup set, review your existing configuration so that you can reproduce the same settings.
Open Webvault Offsite Backup Manager on your computer or server.
Sign in using your existing backup account.
Select Backup Sets from the main screen.
Select your existing backup set.
If using an older version of the software, click Show advanced settings.
Review and record the following information:
| Setting | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Backup Set Name | The name of your existing backup |
| Backup Sources | Files and folders included in the backup |
| Backup Filters | Any files or folders specifically excluded |
| Backup Schedule | When your automatic backups run |
| Backup Destination | Where your backups are stored |
| Retention Policy | How long previous versions and deleted files are retained |
| Additional Settings | Any special configuration, such as network credentials or backup commands |
You should also review any additional settings relevant to your backup.
Do not delete or modify the original backup set at this stage.
Step 2: Create a New Backup Set
You can now create a replacement backup set using a new encryption key.
Create the Backup
Open Webvault Offsite Backup Manager.
Select Backup Sets.
Click the + icon next to Add new backup set.
Enter a descriptive name for your new backup set.
Under Backup Set Type, select File Backup.
Click Next.
We recommend using a name that clearly distinguishes the new backup from the original.
For example:
| Original Backup | Replacement Backup |
|---|---|
| Office Computer | Office Computer - New |
| File Server | File Server - New |
| Business Documents | Business Documents - New |
This makes it easier to identify which backup set should eventually be retired.
Select Your Backup Sources
When prompted to select your backup sources:
Review the files and folders included in your original backup set.
Select the same locations for your replacement backup.
Recreate any required exclusion filters.
Click Next.
Important: Ensure that all folders containing important information are included.
If your original backup included files on external drives or network shares, ensure these locations remain accessible.
Configure Your Backup Schedule
Configure the automatic backup schedule to match your requirements.
For most office computers, a daily backup is a suitable starting point.
We recommend using the same schedule as your original backup unless you have a reason to change it.
Click Next to continue.
Select Your Backup Destination
When prompted to select a backup destination, choose the Webvault offsite backup server.
This will normally appear as AhsayCBS.
If prompted to configure the backup server, the Webvault server address is:
https://harmony.networkbackup.com.au
Do not select a local backup destination unless you specifically intend to maintain an additional local copy.
Click Next to continue.
Step 3: Generate a New Encryption Key
This is the most important part of creating your replacement backup set.
When you reach the Encryption screen, ensure that encryption is enabled.
Under Encryption Type, select:
Default — Automatically Generated Encryption Key
In standard Ahsay configurations, this generates a new random encryption key, separate from your account password.
Do not select User Password or reuse an encryption key from your original backup set.
Your new backup set should use a completely new encryption key.
Click Next to continue.
Securely Save Your New Encryption Key
The application will display your new encryption key.
Click Unmask encryption key to reveal the key.
Copy the encryption key.
Save it securely in a password manager or another protected location.
Confirm that the saved key matches the displayed key.
Continue with the backup configuration.
Important: Your encryption key is essential for recovering your backup data. If you lose this key, restoring your backups may be impossible.
We recommend storing the key independently of the computer being backed up, so it remains available if that computer fails.
You should also verify that the new encryption key is different from the key associated with your original backup set.
If the software does not generate a new, independent encryption key, contact Webvault Support before proceeding.
Step 4: Complete the Backup Configuration
Continue through the remaining setup screens.
Depending on your backup configuration, you may be asked to provide Windows authentication credentials or other information required to access your files.
Once the configuration is complete, the software will offer to run your first backup.
Select Backup Now to begin.
Your Initial Backup
Because this is a new backup set, the software will generally need to upload your selected data again.
The initial backup may take some time depending on:
The amount of data being protected.
Your internet upload speed.
The number and size of files.
Available system resources.
Subsequent backups are generally faster because only new or changed information needs to be uploaded.
Allow the initial backup to complete successfully before making any changes to your original backup set.
Step 5: Verify Your New Backup
Once the initial backup has completed, verify that the new backup is functioning correctly.
Check the Backup Results
Open Webvault Offsite Backup Manager.
Select Report.
Open the Backup reports.
Select your new backup set.
Confirm that the initial backup completed successfully.
Review any errors or warnings.
If the backup did not complete successfully, investigate the problem before proceeding.
Perform a Test Restore
We strongly recommend performing a test restore to verify that your new backup data can be recovered.
Select Restore from the main menu.
Select your new backup set.
Choose the Webvault backup destination.
Select Normal Restore.
Browse the available files and select a small file to restore.
Choose Alternate Location as the restore destination.
Select a temporary folder on your computer.
Start the restore process.
Once the restore completes, open the recovered file to confirm that it contains the expected information.
A successful backup does not guarantee that your files can be recovered. Testing the restore process is an essential part of verifying your new backup set.
Step 6: Establish Sufficient Backup History
Once your new backup set is functioning correctly, you should allow it to accumulate sufficient backup history before removing the original backup set.
The appropriate period will depend on your backup retention requirements.
For example, if your business requires approximately 30 days of backup history, you would normally continue running the replacement backup for at least 30 days before retiring the original.
During this period:
Monitor the new backup set to ensure scheduled backups complete successfully.
Confirm that important files and folders are included.
Review backup reports for errors.
Verify that previous versions of files can be restored.
Ensure the replacement backup provides sufficient recovery history for your requirements.
Once the new backup has been verified, you may disable the original backup set's schedule to avoid unnecessary duplicate backups while the new backup accumulates recovery history.
Do not delete the original backup set until you are satisfied that the replacement provides sufficient protection and you no longer require its historical recovery points.
Step 7: Permanently Delete Your Original Backup Set
This step is important for completing the encryption key replacement process.
Once your new backup set has been successfully verified and has accumulated sufficient recovery history, you should permanently delete your original backup set and its associated backup data.
This is necessary because your original backups may be protected by encryption keys that could have been exposed during the Ahsay security incident.
Simply creating a new backup set does not remove the old encrypted data from Webvault's servers.
Delete the Original Backup Data
Warning: The following procedure permanently deletes backup data and cannot be undone. Make absolutely certain you are selecting the OLD backup set, not your replacement.
Open Webvault Offsite Backup Manager.
Select Utilities from the main screen.
Select Delete Backup Data.
Under Select a backup set, choose your original backup set.
Under Select a destination, select All to include every destination associated with that original backup set.
Select the option to delete all backed-up data.
Carefully review the selected backup set and destinations.
Click Delete and confirm the operation.
Never select "All backup sets" when retiring a single original backup set. This could delete both your old and new backups.
Allow the deletion process to complete.
Delete the Original Backup Set Configuration
Once the original backup data has been deleted:
Return to Backup Sets.
Locate your original backup set.
Select the option to delete that backup set.
Confirm the deletion.
Your replacement backup set should remain intact and continue operating according to its configured schedule.
Need Assistance?
If you are unsure about any part of this process, please contact Webvault Support before deleting or modifying your existing backup sets.