Guide

Set Up The SHA

The end-to-end first-setup order: initialize, license, site, SNA, credentials, discovery, repository, pattern, group, and scheduled backups.

ReadyCurrentsetuponboardinggetting-started

Overview

This is the order to bring a new SHA from first boot to running backups. There is no single onboarding wizard - the product enforces order through per-action prerequisites, and this is that order.

Most steps are strictly sequential. The two areas of freedom: a repository can be created any time after login, and a protection group can be created before or after its pattern.

Setup journey

First admin

1. Initialize SHA

Create the first administrator and save the recovery secret (shown once).

Portal token

2. Activate License

Enter the activation token from the Sendense portal.

Organize appliances

3. Create Site

A site groups appliances by location, ownership, or recovery domain.

Pair + approve

4. Enroll SNA

Pair the SNA, assign it to the site, and approve it. A site is required to approve.

Scoped to the site

5. Add Credentials

Add platform credentials to the vault, scoped so the site's SNA can use them.

Rescan site

6. Discover VMs

Rescan the site through its SNA, then add the VMs you want to protect to management.

Any time after login

7. Create Repository

Local appliance storage, external object storage, or a remote host. Required before a pattern.

Needs a repository

8. Create Pattern

Name, repository, schedule and retention, optional offsite copy, security.

Curated VMs

9. Create Group

A named set of managed VMs. Can be created before or after the pattern.

Backups start

10. Assign + Add VMs

Assign the pattern to the group and add VMs. Schedules register and backups run.

What Each Stage Unlocks

Site

Required before an SNA can be approved, and before credentials or discovery can be scoped to it.

Approved SNA

Unlocks discovery, credential connection tests (which run through the SNA), and backups. Must be healthy to be used.

Scoped credential

A platform credential scoped to the site whose SNA can reach the platform. Unlocks discovery.

Managed VMs

Discovered VMs promoted to management. Only managed VMs can be added to protection groups.

Repository

Required before a protection pattern can be created. Independent of sites, SNAs, and discovery.

Pattern + group + members

Backups run only when a group has a pattern assigned and has VM members.

Good To Know

The recovery secret from step 1 is shown once - save it outside Sendense before continuing.
The SNA, not the SHA, must reach the source platform on the network, because credential tests and discovery run from the SNA.
Discovery uses all credentials scoped to a site automatically; you do not pick a credential per scan.
A protection pattern's wizard does not select VMs. Workloads are attached by assigning the pattern to a group.
For CloudStack destinations, complete the CloudStack prerequisites before discovery and restore/replication.