Add a server

Adding a server takes three steps: create a one-use code in the console, run the MoorNest agent on the server, and type the code there. The agent registers the server, installs itself as a service and connects out to MoorNest. You choose what to back up after it connects.

Before you start

• You need the Administrator role in the workspace, with your authenticator app set up. Creating an install code asks for a fresh code.
• The server must be 64-bit Windows or Windows Server, or 64-bit Linux with systemd. A Hyper-V host is added on Windows.
• You need administrator rights on Windows, or root through sudo on Linux.
• The server needs outbound HTTPS (port 443) to app.moornest.com. Nothing needs to be opened inbound. If the server reaches the internet through a proxy, set the proxy variables (such as HTTPS_PROXY) in the shell you install from: the installer passes them on to the service.

Step 1: create an install code

1. In the console, click Add server in the left rail, or Add server on the Servers page.
2. Under What are you adding?, choose File server (folders on a Windows or Linux server) or Hyper-V host (whole virtual machines), then click Continue. Site gateway for a NAS is covered in Set up a site gateway.
3. Under Get a code, you can type a Name in MoorNest (optional). Leave it empty to use the server's computer name.
4. Click Create code and confirm with a fresh code from your authenticator app.

The console shows an Install code like BCDF-GHJK. It works once and expires after 30 minutes. Leave the page open: it moves on by itself when the server connects.

Step 2: install the agent on the server

Download the agent on the server you are adding, not on your own computer. For Windows, click Copy download link and open the link on the server, or use the PowerShell command below. For Linux, use the command below.

Windows

Run the downloaded moornest-agent-windows-amd64.exe. Windows asks to allow it to make changes, and the installer continues in an administrator window. Type the install code when it asks.

Or run this in PowerShell on the server:

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol='Tls12'; iwr -UseBasicParsing https://app.moornest.com/downloads/moornest-agent-windows-amd64.exe -OutFile moornest-agent.exe; .\moornest-agent.exe install

The first part switches on TLS 1.2, which PowerShell 5 on Windows Server 2016 and older needs before it can download over HTTPS. The Windows agent is signed by DevSmooth Software Inc.

Linux

Run this on the server, then type the install code when it asks:

curl -fsSLO https://app.moornest.com/downloads/moornest-agent-linux-amd64 && sudo sh -c 'chmod +x moornest-agent-linux-amd64 && ./moornest-agent-linux-amd64 install'

What you see

The installer asks for the code, registers the server, installs the service and waits up to 30 seconds for it to reach MoorNest. On Linux it looks like this:

Enter the code shown in MoorNest (XXXX-XXXX): bcdf-ghjk
Registered as "files-01".
Started moornest-agent.service (runs as root); waiting for it to reach MoorNest...

Connected to MoorNest as files-01.
Next: choose folders to back up in MoorNest.

The code is only ever typed at the prompt, never passed on the command line. If you mistype it, the installer asks again.

Step 3: choose what to back up

When the server connects, the console says the server is connected and offers Choose folders to back up (or Choose what to back up for a Hyper-V host). Nothing is backed up until you set up a plan. See Choose what to back up.

What the installer sets up

The configuration folders are private to SYSTEM and Administrators on Windows, and to root on Linux. A new install allows restores into its restore folder and, on Windows, Windows snapshots for open files and Hyper-V backups when Hyper-V is installed. A restore still needs an administrator to allow it in the console. See Restore files and folders.

Continue setup or discard a server

If a server was added but its agent never checked in, it shows Never connected. Open the server and choose:

• Continue setup: creates a new install code for the same server. Run the installer on the server again and type the new code. The server keeps its name, plans and history.
• Discard: removes the server. It never connected, so nothing is lost.

Reinstall the agent

Server details > Reinstall the agent creates a new code for an existing server, so the same server gets a new identity in MoorNest. It keeps its name, plans and history.

If the agent is still installed on that server, running the installer again just updates the agent in place and does not use the code. To register it again with the new code, add -replace:

.\moornest-agent.exe install -replace

sudo ./moornest-agent-linux-amd64 install -replace

The old configuration is kept as agent.json.old.

Remove a server

Server details > Remove server stops the server's agent from connecting and stops its schedules. Existing backups are kept and can still be restored to another server. Removing a server asks for a fresh code.

Removing a server in the console does not uninstall the agent. To remove it from the server, run this as administrator on Windows:

& "C:\Program Files\MoorNest\moornest-agent.exe" uninstall

or as root on Linux:

sudo /opt/moornest/moornest-agent uninstall

Add -purge to also delete the configuration and working folder. Restored files are never deleted.