Day 2: Your First Backup & Community

Welcome to Day 2 of your Magnus Box journey! Today you'll create a client account, install the Magnus Box Application, and run your first backup. Then we'll introduce you to our partner community, a group of MSPs who've been exactly where you are.

⏱️ Time to complete: 30 minutes

🎮 Achievement Unlocked: Backup Initiate

▶️ Prefer video? Watch the Day 2 walkthrough of creating your first backup and joining the community.

Before you start

  • You're signed in to the Magnus Box Web Portal (Day 1).
  • You have a test endpoint that meets the system requirements.
  • You've picked a small test folder to back up.

Create your first backup

Step 1: Create a user

  1. In the Web Portal, click Add User.
  2. Fill in the user details:
    • Account Name (optional, but recommended)
    • Username (we recommend the client's name, for example contoso-dental)
    • Password
  3. Save the user, and store the credentials in your password manager. You'll need them to sign in to the app, and to restore data if the endpoint is ever lost.

Step 2: Install the Magnus Box Application

You have two installation options.

Option A: Manual installation

  1. In the Web Portal, click Download.
  2. Select the endpoint's operating system. On Windows, you can choose the .exe installer or the 64-bit .msi installer.
  3. Run the installer. On macOS, the installer already has your Web Portal address filled in.
  4. Sign in with the user credentials you created in Step 1.
  5. When prompted, register the device to the user account. If this is one of your NFR devices, follow How to use your NFR licenses so it's billed correctly.

Option B: RMM deployment (recommended for MSPs)

  • Remote registration (lobby mode): install the app silently with no passwords in your script. The endpoint shows up as Unregistered on the Devices page of the Web Portal, and you click Register to assign it to a user account.
  • MSI installer: on 64-bit Windows, use the .msi installer to deploy through Group Policy.
  • For the commands and step-by-step instructions, see the Remote Installation Guide.

💡 Pro Tip: RMM deployment saves time and keeps every installation consistent across your endpoints. It's the way to go once you're rolling Magnus Box out to real clients.

Step 3: Configure your first backup

You can set up the backup in the app or in the Web Portal.

In the Magnus Box Application

  1. Open the app on the endpoint.
  2. The setup wizard opens automatically. If it doesn't, click Create New Protected Item.
  3. Select File and Folder.
  4. Choose what to back up:
    • Start with a small test folder.
    • A Documents folder is a good choice.
  5. Set a schedule (daily is recommended).
  6. Start the backup.

In the Web Portal

The endpoint must be online (the app installed, signed in and connected) for this to work.

  1. Go to Users and click the user account.
  2. Open Protected Items.
  3. Click Add Protected Item.
  4. Select File and Folder.
  5. Choose what to back up:
    • Start with a small test folder.
    • A Documents folder is a good choice.
  6. Set a schedule (daily is recommended).
  7. Start the backup.

Step 4: Check that it worked

  1. In the Web Portal, open Recent Activity. Each Protected Item gets a row with a 10-day timeline. A day turns green when every job that day succeeded, and red when at least one didn't.
  2. Open Job Logs and click your job. You're looking for the status Success.
  3. If the status is Warning or Error, open the job log to see which files or settings caused it.

💡 Pro Tip: Remember, you're using one of your NFR licenses for this test. Keep an eye on the backup's progress in Recent Activity.

Join the partner community

Connect with fellow MSPs and tap into a wealth of real-world knowledge.

How to join

  1. Visit our Magnus Box Partner Community on Facebook.
  2. Click Join Group.
  3. Wait for a quick approval.

Community benefits

  • Weekly tech tips
  • Real-world success stories
  • Direct access to the Magnus Box team
  • Exclusive partner resources
  • Early feature announcements
  • Peer networking opportunities

💡 Pro Tip: Introduce yourself! Share your MSP journey and connect with fellow partners. Our Facebook partner group is a judgment-free zone.

Next steps

Tomorrow, we'll protect Microsoft 365. Here's what to expect:

  • Connecting a client's Microsoft 365 tenant
  • Choosing what to back up
  • Best practices
  • Restore options

Common questions

How do I know my backup is working?

Check Recent Activity in the Web Portal. Green means every job that day succeeded. For the details of a single job, open it in Job Logs.

How long will my first backup take?

It depends on how much data you're backing up and the endpoint's upload speed. Start small to learn the process. After the first backup, only changes are uploaded, so later jobs are much faster.

The endpoint doesn't appear when I try to add a Protected Item in the Web Portal. What's wrong?

The endpoint has to be online. Check that the app is installed, signed in with the right user account, and connected to the internet. The Devices page shows whether it's online.

Can't find the community invitation?

Contact support and we'll send you a new invitation link.

Need help?

Our support team is here for you:

🏆 Achievement Summary

  • Portal Master ✓
  • Backup Initiate ✓
  • Next achievement: M365 Guardian (Day 3)
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