Backup Monitoring: Part 1 – Manage by Exception (2025 Update)
By Eric Harless
From an early age, we are accustomed to binary concepts such as pass/fail, stop/go, red/green, and on/off, with little room for gradations in between. When monitoring backups, a pass/fail approach may seem ideal if you manage just a small number of devices. However, as your managed devices grow beyond dozens to hundreds, or even thousands, the accuracy of a pass/fail result can become ambiguous. Many factors need consideration before declaring a backup job as being successful or logging it as a failure in your ticketing system. Too broad a definition of success risks overlooking devices with real issues, while a narrow definition could lose critical issues amongst purely informational ones.
This is a 2025 revision to a multi-part blog series focused on defining and implementing effective monitoring of the gray areas between pass and fail with Cove Data Protection. Please take 5-6 minutes to follow along in your console as you read on.
All Devices
By default, the predefined « All devices » Backup dashboard or « View » found on the left navigation bar in N‑able | Cove Data Protection shows all configured backup devices. You can sort by column headers (Customer, Backup status, Errors, etc.) and adjust the number and density of devices displayed on the screen. Monitoring success can quickly become difficult with multiple screens of devices. One option is to Export device statistics for offline review in Microsoft Excel, but for scale and simplicity I believe it is essential for you to start considering how to identify and manage devices by exception directly within the Cove | Backup.Management console.
Unsuccessful Backups
Expanding Dashboards from the top left dropdown also presents a list of your predefined dashboard views. To display only unsuccessful backups, select the second Dashboard view entry « Unsuccessful backups » to filter out systems that last reported as No backup, In process, Completed, or Completed with errors. Each predefined view adds specific columns and filters to display unique statistics for identifying unsuccessful or outdated backups, cloud or physical assets, and devices using disaster recovery or other advanced features.
Unsuccessful Backups and Completed with Errors
Since there is no predefined dashboard view that combines both unsuccessful backups and completed with errors, we will edit the existing filter set for the « Unsuccessful backups » view. Now look below the doughnut widgets and above the « Add device » button for a « Backup status » link, click it to expand the Filters dialog and then check the « Completed with errors » checkbox. The « Unsuccessful backups » view included multiple status filters typically considered unsuccessful (Failed, Aborted, Interrupted, Not started, etc.), but not « Completed with errors ». since the actual number or type of error might shift it between what you consider a successful or unsuccessful status.
Unsuccessful Backups More Than 48 Hours Ago on Server Operating Systems
Assuming server protection is more critical than workstations, you can quickly view systems that have been unsuccessful for over 48 hours using the interactive doughnut widgets at the top of the Backup Management console. From left to right, they provide visibility into protected assets, protected M365 domains, last protection status, and backup age. Start with the « All devices » view and click the widget legends to filter first by « Servers », then « Failed », and finally « > 48 hours ago », giving immediate access to a condensed list of systems likely requiring further review. Now notice how the filters you select appear just below the doughnut widgets.
Unsuccessful Backups More Than 48 Hours Ago on Server Operating Systems with Microsoft SQL
If this still results in too many devices to manage, use additional filters to divide the devices by Active data sources, such as systems with Microsoft SQL configured. This can be done by expanding the left « Filters panel », scrolling down and expanding « Active data sources, » and selecting « MS SQL » or other data sources. There are over 600 filters and columns available to you for drilling deeper into device statistics.
Customizing and Saving Views
More elaborate views and filters can be created and saved for later use. For example, you could build upon the prior view to include devices that « Completed with errors ». You could then use the « Columns » option on the toolbar to add « OS version » or « Client version » to your display. Next, scroll right and adjust the column width and drag these new columns around a bit to adjust the order. To retain this customization, click « Save view », in the upper right corner, name the view, and click « Save ». The new view should now be visible in the dropdown list.
Daily Notification of Unsuccessful Backups
To receive periodic email notifications of devices meeting your Saved view criteria for an « Unsuccessful backup », use Scheduled reports on the left hand navigation or click the ellipses in the upper right corner next to « Save view » and choose « Send as a scheduled report ». You can add both internal and external email recipients, choose the appropriate Dashboard view, set a schedule, and then click « Save » or « Send it now » to get a live sample.
Advanced Search
The search filters discussed so far have all use the Normal search mode, displayed below the doughnut widgets, offering extensive customization for Dashboard views. This is just the beginning of managing backups by exception, as filters also include an Advanced search query language for building specific filters based on date, time, duration, size, error count, etc. This enables performance, usage, deduplication ratios, and under-protected devices analysis. Future blog posts will focus on defining and constructing these advanced filters.
Eric Harless is the Head Backup Nerd at N‑able. Eric has worked with N‑able Backup since 2013 and has 25+ years of data protection industry experience in sales, support, marketing, systems engineering, and product management. You can follow Eric on:
- Twitter/X at @backup_nerd
- Reddit at u/Backup_Nerd
- LinkedIn at In/BackupNerd
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