The SyncBack Management System (SBMS)

As organizations grow, so does the complexity of managing backups across dozens or even hundreds of workstations and servers. The SyncBack Management System (SBMS) gives IT administrators a central point of control for all SyncBackPro backup profiles in their environment, replacing ad-hoc, machine-by-machine configuration with a streamlined, server-based approach.

What is the SyncBack Management System?

The SyncBack Management System (SBMS) is a centralized management platform for SyncBackPro backup profiles. It allows IT administrators to manage, distribute, and monitor backup configurations across an entire network of SyncBackPro installations from a single location, rather than configuring each machine individually.

SBMS is completely free for organizations that have purchased SyncBackPro. There is no additional license fee — simply register your SyncBackPro serial number into the SBMS system to get started.

The Three Components

SBMS consists of three components that work together:

The SBM Service

The SBM Service is a Windows Service that runs in the background on a designated server. It acts as the central hub, storing all configuration data, user accounts, backup history, and managed profiles in its database. Remote clients (the SBM Console and SyncBackPro installations) connect to it over HTTP.

The SBM Console

The SBM Console is a Windows desktop application used by administrators to manage the SBM Service. Through the console, administrators can create users, define groups, assign profiles to groups, review backup history, configure access controls, and monitor the overall health of the backup infrastructure.

SyncBackPro as a Client

Each SyncBackPro installation on end-user workstations or servers acts as a client. When configured to connect to an SBM Service, SyncBackPro automatically downloads managed profiles assigned to the logged-in user, applies any security restrictions set by the administrator, and reports its backup results (history) back to the service after each profile run.

Why Use SBMS?

Without SBMS, managing backups in an organization typically means logging into each machine, creating profiles manually, and hoping that users do not alter or disable their backup configurations. SBMS solves this by providing:

• Central control: Create a backup profile once and automatically distribute it to every machine that needs it.
• Visibility: See the results of every backup run across the organization from one place, with detailed statistics on files scanned, copied, deleted, and any errors encountered.
• Consistency: Ensure that all machines are running the same, approved backup configuration. When a profile is updated on the server, the change is automatically pushed to all assigned SyncBackPro installations.
• Security: Control exactly what users can and cannot do with their backup profiles — preventing them from modifying, deleting, or disabling critical backups.
• Accountability: Track which users are logging in, from which machines, and what actions they are performing.

Centralized Profile Management

At the heart of SBMS is the concept of managed profiles. A managed profile is a SyncBackPro backup profile that has been uploaded to the SBM Service and assigned to one or more groups of users.

The workflow is straightforward:

1. An administrator creates and tests a backup profile in SyncBackPro.
2. The profile is uploaded to the SBM Service directly from SyncBackPro.
3. Using the SBM Console, the profile is assigned to a group (e.g. "Finance Department" or "All Workstations").
4. Users who belong to that group automatically receive the profile the next time their SyncBackPro installation connects to the service.

If the profile needs to be updated — for example, to change the backup destination or add new folders — the administrator simply uploads the revised profile from SyncBackPro. All assigned SyncBackPro installations will pick up the new version automatically.

Security and Access Control

SBMS provides multiple layers of security to protect the backup infrastructure:

User Authentication

All access to the SBM Service requires a username and password. Administrators can create user accounts with different roles and assign each user a security profile that defines their permissions.

Security Profiles

Security profiles provide granular control over what users can do within SyncBackPro. Administrators can restrict the ability to create, modify, delete, import, export, rename, or manually run profiles. This prevents end users from tampering with their backup configurations.

Network Access Control

The SBM Service supports both IP address and hostname whitelisting, allowing administrators to restrict which machines are permitted to connect. This adds an additional layer of defense beyond user authentication.

Session Management

The service tracks all active login sessions, showing which users are connected, from which IP addresses, and what roles they hold. Administrators can configure a maximum number of concurrent sessions to control resource usage.

Monitoring and History

One of the most valuable features of SBMS is its ability to aggregate backup results from every SyncBackPro installation into a central history database. After each profile run, SyncBackPro sends a detailed report to the SBM Service containing:

• The number of files and folders scanned, copied, deleted, and replaced
• Bytes transferred and time taken
• Any errors or warnings encountered
• Compression and hash verification results
• The profile name, computer name, and username

Administrators can filter and search this history by time period, username, and profile name to quickly identify failed backups or machines that have not been backed up recently. The SBM Console also provides real-time monitoring of profiles that are currently running across the network.

The SBM Service also maintains its own status log, recording significant events such as login attempts, configuration changes, and any errors, providing a complete audit trail.

SyncBack Touch Integration

SyncBack Touch installations can be configured to use the SBM Service for centralized security and licensing. When enabled, SyncBack Touch verifies each connection against the SBM Service, ensuring that only authorized users and installations can transfer files. This is particularly useful for organizations that use SyncBack Touch to back up remote machines over the internet.

Getting Started

Setting up SBMS involves three steps:

1. Install the SBM Service on a Windows server or workstation that will act as the central management server. The service runs in the background and starts automatically with Windows. Both the SBM Service and SBM Console can be downloaded from the 2BrightSparks website.
2. Install the SBM Console on an administrator's workstation. Connect it to the SBM Service by entering the server's hostname and port number, then log in with the default administrator credentials to begin configuration.
3. Register your SyncBackPro serial number in the SBM Console to activate the system. Then create users, groups, and upload your backup profiles.

Configure each SyncBackPro installation to connect to the SBM Service, and users will automatically receive their assigned managed profiles.

Conclusion

The SyncBack Management System transforms SyncBackPro from a standalone backup tool into an enterprise-grade, centrally managed backup solution. By providing centralized profile distribution, granular security controls, comprehensive history reporting, and real-time monitoring, SBMS gives IT administrators the visibility and control they need to ensure that backups are running correctly across their entire organization.

SBMS is included free with SyncBackPro — no additional purchase is required. For more information, visit the SyncBackPro product page or contact us for assistance.