Symantec BackupExec 12.5 Install

[DeaconFrost]

I'm working with this product for the first time, installing it to a member server running Windows Server 2008 SP2 x64. I'm obviously using the x64 version of BackupExec.

I downloaded the Quick Install Guide, and I'm not sure I'm really following along the steps to add-in the various backup points to gab specific data types from other servers, and storing them on an external drive hanging off this server. Is there a non-Symantec guide for dummies on setting this software up? I have a few small SQL databases to grab from one server, a SharePoint site from another, and then just some folders with documents and pictures in them, all on other servers.

 

[gimp]

was the SQL Remote Agent license purchased?
You must purchase 1 SQL Remote Agent license for each server running SQL with databases you want to back up.

I just dealt with this a few months ago installing it on Server 2008, although not x64.

You then must push the Remote Agent out to the servers you want backed up by this media server, whether you're backing up SQL DB's or just data (not s ure a bout SharePoint stuff though...).

Tools -> Install Agents and Media Servers on Other Servers

if you did get the SQL Agent but haven't entered the info in yet, you would go to
Tools -> Install Options and License Keys on this Media Server to enter in the license key for the SQL Agent.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yep, sorry about that. I forgot to mention that part. I bought a version available to non-profits, from TechSoup, that includes all of the Remote Agents.

 

[gimp]

so to create backup jobs
File -> New -> Backup Job

of course for selections, it should show the server name along with all local drives, then Favorite Resources which, for the time being probably won't have anything (any remote agent you have installed that publishes to this media server, will end up in the Favorite Resources list). Then should also show Domains and User-defined selections.

You cannot backup anything on a server that does not have the remote agent installed (although you could atleast as far back as Veritas BE8).

If the server is a SQL Server, when you expand that server it will have a "Microsoft SQL Server" selection, along with it's local drives and shares it may have.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Sounds fairly straight forward...nice. Thanks for the info. I ran out of time today, so hopefully tomorrow morning I'll be installing and configuring the backup jobs.

 

[gimp]

oh yeah, and by default the remote agent servers only report in every ~4hrs.
So don't expect them to show up in the Favorites list less than 4hrs after you've installed the agent

although you can change that within the BE Remote Agent Utility on the Remote Agent servers.

and I'm not particularly sure on what authentication methods work when backing up SQL databases (both of mine have mixed-mode authentication enabled, rather than SQL-only)

but yeah, all in all it is quite simple and straight-forward.
The only issue I'm currently dealing with, has to do with BE "forgetting" the media type in the library. Keeps going back to just "blank" and I keep having to change a couple tapes back to LTO. Although once it has actually backed up something to that tape, it seems to remember it.
But BE is also missing 2 tapes that were inventoried at one point, in a tape rotation that will be going back in next week.