ClientTool PowerShell Module

A comprehensive PowerShell module wrapper for the N-able Backup Manager (Cove Data Protection) ClientTool.exe command-line interface.

Overview

This module provides PowerShell cmdlets that wrap all available ClientTool.exe commands, making it easier to:

• Manage backup selections and schedules
• Monitor backup/restore sessions
• Configure datasources (MySQL, Oracle, Network Shares, etc.)
• Automate backup operations
• Integrate with PowerShell scripts and workflows

📚 Documentation Guide

This module includes comprehensive documentation to help you get started quickly:

• QUICKSTART.md - 3-step getting started guide with the most common commands and quick tips
• QUICK-REFERENCE.md - Complete command reference organized by category with code examples, pipeline tips, and common workflows
• CLIENTTOOL-COMMANDS.md - Detailed reference for underlying ClientTool.exe commands with all arguments and examples
• README.md (this file) - Full module documentation with installation instructions and detailed usage examples
• Examples.ps1 - Runnable demonstration script with 10 working examples showing actual output

Choose the documentation that fits your needs:

• New to the module? Start with QUICKSTART.md
• Need a specific command? Check QUICK-REFERENCE.md
• Want to see it in action? Run Examples.ps1
• Need underlying command details? See CLIENTTOOL-COMMANDS.md
• Need comprehensive details? Read this README.md

Installation

Option 1: Quick Install (Recommended)

Run the install script to copy the module to your PowerShell modules directory:

# Navigate to the module directory
cd "C:\Script Root\0-Script Master\Modules\ClientTool"

# Install for current user (no admin required)
.\Install-Module.ps1

# Or install for all users (requires admin)
.\Install-Module.ps1 -Scope AllUsers

After installation, you can import the module from any PowerShell session:

Import-Module ClientTool

Option 2: Direct Import

Import directly from the module directory without installing:

# Import from the module directory
Import-Module "C:\Script Root\0-Script Master\Modules\ClientTool\ClientTool.psd1"

Requirements

• PowerShell 5.1 or higher
• N-able Backup Manager installed (default path: C:\Program Files\Backup Manager\ClientTool.exe)
• Appropriate permissions to run ClientTool.exe

Configuration

By default, the module looks for ClientTool.exe at:

C:\Program Files\Backup Manager\ClientTool.exe

If your installation is in a different location, update the path:

Set-ClientToolPath -Path "D:\Custom\Path\ClientTool.exe"

Usage Examples

Backup Operations

# Start backup for all datasources
Start-ClientToolBackup

# Start backup for specific datasource
Start-ClientToolBackup -DataSource FileSystem

# Start backup non-interactively
Start-ClientToolBackup -DataSource FileSystem -NonInteractive

Managing Selections

# List all backup selections
Get-ClientToolSelection

# List selections for specific datasource
Get-ClientToolSelection -DataSource FileSystem

# Add a folder to backup
Set-ClientToolSelection -DataSource FileSystem -Include "C:\Data"

# Add folder with exclusion and high priority
Set-ClientToolSelection -DataSource FileSystem `
    -Include "C:\Data" `
    -Exclude "C:\Data\Temp" `
    -Priority High

# Add multiple paths
Set-ClientToolSelection -DataSource FileSystem `
    -Include @("C:\Data", "C:\Users") `
    -Exclude @("C:\Data\Cache", "C:\Users\Public\Temp")

# Clear all selections (requires confirmation)
Clear-ClientToolSelection

Monitoring Sessions

# List all backup/restore sessions
Get-ClientToolSession

# List sessions for specific datasource
Get-ClientToolSession -DataSource FileSystem

# Get session errors
Get-ClientToolSessionError

# View session nodes
Get-ClientToolSessionNode

# Stop running session (requires confirmation)
Stop-ClientToolSession

Status Information

# Get current program status
Get-ClientToolStatus

# Get application status
Get-ClientToolApplicationStatus

# Get system information (RAM/CPU)
Get-ClientToolSystemInfo

# Check for initialization errors
Get-ClientToolInitializationError

Managing Schedules

# List configured schedules
Get-ClientToolSchedule

# Note: New-ClientToolSchedule, Set-ClientToolSchedule, and Remove-ClientToolSchedule
# require additional parameters based on ClientTool's requirements

Database Management

# MySQL
Get-ClientToolMySqlServer
# New-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)
# Set-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)
# Remove-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)

# Oracle
Get-ClientToolOracleServer
# Similar add/modify/remove functions available

Network Shares

# List network shares
Get-ClientToolNetworkShare

# Add, modify, or remove shares (functions available)

Scripts and Archiving

# List custom scripts
Get-ClientToolScript

# List archiving rules
Get-ClientToolArchivingRule

# Functions available for add/modify/remove operations

Settings and Filters

# List application settings
Get-ClientToolSetting

# List file system filters
Get-ClientToolFilter

Miscellaneous

# Open Backup Manager UI in browser
Open-ClientToolUI

# Get authentication token
Get-ClientToolAuthToken

# Get password requirements
Get-ClientToolPasswordRequirements

# Reset dashboard email subscription
Reset-ClientToolDashboardEmail

Advanced Usage

Using -WhatIf and -Confirm

Many cmdlets support standard PowerShell risk mitigation parameters:

# Preview what would happen
Start-ClientToolBackup -DataSource FileSystem -WhatIf

# Require confirmation
Clear-ClientToolSelection -Confirm

# Bypass confirmation
Remove-ClientToolSchedule -Confirm:$false

Verbose Output

Enable verbose output to see the actual ClientTool.exe commands being executed:

Start-ClientToolBackup -DataSource FileSystem -Verbose

Pipeline Support

Output from list commands returns PowerShell objects that can be piped:

# Get sessions and filter by datasource
Get-ClientToolSession | Where-Object { $_.DSRC -eq 'FileSystem' }

# Count selections
(Get-ClientToolSelection).Count

# Export to CSV
Get-ClientToolSession -DataSource FileSystem | Export-Csv -Path sessions.csv -NoTypeInformation

Function Naming Convention

The module follows PowerShell naming conventions:

• Get-ClientTool* - Retrieves information
• Set-ClientTool* - Modifies existing configuration
• New-ClientTool* - Creates new items
• Remove-ClientTool* - Deletes items
• Start-ClientTool* - Initiates operations
• Stop-ClientTool* - Terminates operations
• Clear-ClientTool* - Removes all items of a type

Error Handling

The module includes built-in error handling:

try {
    Start-ClientToolBackup -DataSource FileSystem
}
catch {
    Write-Error "Backup failed: $_"
}

Getting Help

All functions include detailed help documentation:

# Get help for any cmdlet
Get-Help Start-ClientToolBackup -Full
Get-Help Set-ClientToolSelection -Examples
Get-Help Get-ClientToolSession -Detailed

# List all available commands
Get-Command -Module ClientTool

Notes

• Some cmdlets (like New-ClientToolSchedule, Set-ClientToolSetting, etc.) are framework stubs that require additional parameter implementation based on the specific arguments ClientTool.exe expects. Use ClientTool.exe help -command <command.name> to determine required arguments.
• The module automatically handles machine-readable output parsing for list commands
• Non-interactive mode can be enabled for automation scenarios
• All modify/remove operations support -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters

Version History

1.0.0 (November 14, 2025)

• Initial release
• Complete cmdlet coverage for all ClientTool.exe commands
• Support for all datasources (FileSystem, Exchange, MySQL, Oracle, VMware, VSS, etc.)
• Automatic output parsing for tabular data
• Error handling and validation
• PowerShell best practices implementation

Contributing

To extend or modify this module:

1. Edit ClientTool.psm1 for function implementation
2. Update ClientTool.psd1 to reflect changes
3. Test thoroughly with Import-Module -Force

License

Copyright (c) 2025. All rights reserved.