Managing Backup Agents

Agents are the software installed on your computers that perform backups. Learn how to view, manage, and troubleshoot your backup agents from the dashboard.

Understanding Agents

Each computer you want to back up requires a backup agent installed. The agent:

• Runs in the background on your computer
• Monitors files for changes
• Performs scheduled backups automatically
• Reports status to the DataRunsClouds dashboard
• Sends heartbeat signals every few minutes

Agent Status

Agents can have one of three statuses:

Status	Meaning
Active	Agent is running and has reported in within the last 15 minutes
Inactive	Agent hasn't reported in recently (computer may be off or asleep)
Error	Agent reported an error during backup or connection

Viewing Your Agents

To see all your backup agents:

1. Log in to your dashboard at app.datarunsclouds.com
2. The main dashboard shows agent statistics at the top
3. Click View Details under Total Agents to see the full list

Agent Information

For each agent, you can see:

• Name - The computer's hostname or custom name
• Status - Current connection status
• Last Seen - When the agent last reported in
• Last Backup - Date and time of most recent backup
• Operating System - Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Version - Agent software version

Renaming an Agent

By default, agents are named after the computer's hostname. You can customize this:

1. Click on an agent to view its details
2. Click the Edit button next to the name
3. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "John's Laptop" or "Office Server")
4. Click Save

Agent Details

Click on any agent to view detailed information:

Overview Tab

• Current status and last activity
• Total data backed up
• Number of files protected
• Backup paths configured

Backups Tab

• List of all backups from this agent
• Backup size and duration
• Success/failure status
• Option to restore from any backup

Settings Tab

• Configure backup paths
• Set backup schedule
• Manage exclusions
• View agent configuration

Removing an Agent

If you no longer need to back up a computer, you can remove its agent:

1. Click on the agent to view details
2. Click Settings tab
3. Scroll down and click Remove Agent
4. Confirm the removal

Agent Heartbeats

Agents send periodic "heartbeat" signals to confirm they're running:

• Heartbeats are sent every 5 minutes when the computer is awake
• An agent becomes "Inactive" after missing several heartbeats
• This typically means the computer is turned off or sleeping
• The agent will automatically reconnect when the computer wakes up

License Requirements

Each agent requires a license to perform backups:

• Your subscription includes a certain number of agent licenses
• Active and inactive agents both count toward your license limit
• Remove unused agents to free up licenses
• Purchase additional licenses if you need to protect more computers

See License Management for more information.

Troubleshooting Agents

Agent Shows Inactive

• Check if the computer is turned on and awake
• Verify the agent service is running on the computer
• Check for firewall rules blocking outbound connections
• Try restarting the agent service

Agent Not Appearing in Dashboard

• Verify the agent installed successfully
• Check the registration token was valid (24-hour expiry)
• Try re-downloading and reinstalling the agent
• Check for error messages in agent logs

Agent Shows Error Status

• Click on the agent to view error details
• Common issues include permission errors or disk space
• Check agent logs for specific error messages
• Contact support if errors persist

Related Documentation

• Agent Installation Guide
• Configuring Backups
• Setting Up Schedules
• License Management