Macrium Site Manager Deployment Guide Back Up Every Office PC From One Console

There are three moving parts, and mixing them up causes most deployment confusion:

1. The server (console) — installed on one always-on Windows PC or server. It runs a web console you open in a browser, holds the backup definitions, schedules and the list of computers.
2. The agent — a small service installed on every PC and server you want to protect. The agent does the actual imaging work on its own machine and reports back to the console.
3. The repository — the storage location where all backup images are written: a NAS, a dedicated backup server share, or disks attached to the Site Manager server.

The server itself does not copy your files — it commands, schedules and watches. That is why the server can be a modest machine, but the repository storage must be sized seriously, as the repository guide on this site covers in detail.

Install the Site Manager server software on a machine that stays on — a real server is best, a dedicated office PC is acceptable for small fleets.

1. Run the installer and complete the first run wizard: choose the backup product, then either start the trial or add your licence keys.
2. The trial creates trial seats for a handful of workstations plus a server, valid for 30 days — enough to prove the whole system before paying.
3. For a real office choose the secure setup option when offered; the simple setup is meant for throwaway test labs.
4. Log in with a Windows domain or local administrator account and confirm the console opens in the browser.

Do not skip the wizard and start adding computers first — licensing and setup mode decided here quietly affect everything later.

With the console ready, add the machines you want to protect from the Computers page.

1. Click Add and pick computers from Active Directory, by name, or by browsing the network.
2. New computers show as Disconnected — that simply means the agent is not installed yet.
3. Select them and choose Install Agent. The console pushes the installer using Windows File and Print Sharing, so that must be reachable on the target PC.
4. If the push fails on a locked-down PC, use Manual Agent Installation from the More Actions menu: download the agent .msi, run it on that PC, and enter the Site Manager server address when asked.
5. Confirm each computer flips to Connected before moving on.

Roll this out to one pilot PC first and watch it for a few days before pushing to the whole office — the agent rollout guide explains why that patience pays.

Now tell the system what to back up, where to store it and when to run.

1. Create a repository pointing at your backup storage — a network share or local disks on the server.
2. Create a backup definition: full image of the system drives, and choose your pattern — a weekly full with daily incrementals is the workhorse for most offices.
3. Set retention in the same definition: how many full backups and how many days of incrementals to keep before old ones are deleted automatically.
4. Attach a schedule and assign the definition to your computers or groups. Use tags or groups — accounts, design, servers — so different machines can follow different plans.
5. Run one backup manually from the console to prove the chain works end to end before trusting the schedule.