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 directoryImport-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 datasourcesStart-ClientToolBackup# Start backup for specific datasourceStart-ClientToolBackup-DataSource FileSystem
# Start backup non-interactivelyStart-ClientToolBackup-DataSource FileSystem -NonInteractive

Managing Selections

# List all backup selectionsGet-ClientToolSelection# List selections for specific datasourceGet-ClientToolSelection-DataSource FileSystem
# Add a folder to backupSet-ClientToolSelection-DataSource FileSystem -Include "C:\Data"# Add folder with exclusion and high prioritySet-ClientToolSelection-DataSource FileSystem `-Include "C:\Data"`-Exclude "C:\Data\Temp"`-Priority High
# Add multiple pathsSet-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 sessionsGet-ClientToolSession# List sessions for specific datasourceGet-ClientToolSession-DataSource FileSystem
# Get session errorsGet-ClientToolSessionError# View session nodesGet-ClientToolSessionNode# Stop running session (requires confirmation)Stop-ClientToolSession

Status Information

# Get current program statusGet-ClientToolStatus# Get application statusGet-ClientToolApplicationStatus# Get system information (RAM/CPU)Get-ClientToolSystemInfo# Check for initialization errorsGet-ClientToolInitializationError

Managing Schedules

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

Database Management

# MySQLGet-ClientToolMySqlServer# New-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)# Set-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)# Remove-ClientToolMySqlServer (requires parameters)# OracleGet-ClientToolOracleServer# Similar add/modify/remove functions available

Network Shares

# List network sharesGet-ClientToolNetworkShare# Add, modify, or remove shares (functions available)

Scripts and Archiving

# List custom scriptsGet-ClientToolScript# List archiving rulesGet-ClientToolArchivingRule# Functions available for add/modify/remove operations

Settings and Filters

# List application settingsGet-ClientToolSetting# List file system filtersGet-ClientToolFilter

Miscellaneous

# Open Backup Manager UI in browserOpen-ClientToolUI# Get authentication tokenGet-ClientToolAuthToken# Get password requirementsGet-ClientToolPasswordRequirements# Reset dashboard email subscriptionReset-ClientToolDashboardEmail

Advanced Usage

Using -WhatIf and -Confirm

Many cmdlets support standard PowerShell risk mitigation parameters:

# Preview what would happenStart-ClientToolBackup-DataSource FileSystem -WhatIf
# Require confirmationClear-ClientToolSelection-Confirm
# Bypass confirmationRemove-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 datasourceGet-ClientToolSession|Where-Object { $_.DSRC-eq'FileSystem' }
# Count selections
(Get-ClientToolSelection).Count
# Export to CSVGet-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 cmdletGet-HelpStart-ClientToolBackup-Full
Get-HelpSet-ClientToolSelection-Examples
Get-HelpGet-ClientToolSession-Detailed
# List all available commandsGet-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.