Agents and Options for Symantec Backup Exec 11d: The Gold Standard in Data Recovery

Posted by Creeva

September 13, 2007

So todays live blogging webinar (since my other one generated some interest by page loads) is Agents and Options for Symantec Backup Exec 11d: The Gold Standard in Data Recovery

The company putting on this seminar is Carahsoft. The presenter is Monica Girolami Senior Product Marketing Manager from Symantec.

When I dialed in I was the 26th caller - so take that for whatever level of review that you want.

The speaker started only 3 minutes late.

Valued of Backup Exec 11d Agents and Options:

Agenda:
Windows Recovery Challenge
Backup Exec 11d for windows servers
Current Upgrade promotions
Questions and Answers

This is about keeping your data secure and available against malicious threats, infrastructure failures, natural disasters, and etc.

It’s about your ability for recovery not about backup *I feel I’m’ getting brainwashed

More press notes self promoting

Advantages:
Continuous Protection for exchange
Recover Critical Data in seconds
Enhanced Data Security - Encryption - 128/256 AES encryption
New Platform Support (x64 bit) -
and more….. * did they really need to add this?????

Exchange Backup old way - daily (weekly full backup) daily second backup of the mailboxes - so it’s taking twice the time. With 11d eliminates the mailbox backups - still having the ability to recover individual emails or accounts. They do this through granular recovery technology. With the continuous data protection you can continuously protect and granularly recover the data. * Roll eyes

Granular recovery requires you to have a backup up to disc - full backup would go to tape or disc.

current method of backup - sample customer - 7 hour exchange database job - mailbox backup - 23 hours - total of 30 hours. With 11d it took a total of 3 hour for everything - moving the database to tape it took a total of 5 hours. 80% reduction of time with up to the minute restoration available.

Continuous protection is now available for exchange - previously it was available for file servers. You can setup the recovery points - you can set this up down to every 15 minutes - default is 8 hours. So you could recover your system up to the last time point (down to 15 minutes ago). You can do recovery to this.

This product seems to be missing the new standard Symantec Web Interface

Active Directory Agent:

Recovery individual users, attributes, computers without reboots. Much easier then the MS method - just run a full backup job - from there you can recover the individual objects from that.
Recovers Share point databases and documents with the GRT previously mentioned

MS SQL now has continuous protection also - the agent can backup locally instead of over the network for the best continuous backup in the fastest method. 11d secures the restore selection to make sure the recovery job runs successfully.

Central Admin Server Option (CASO)- Simple Three Tier Management:

You can protect your entire environment from one location - the central admin server allows you to manage your protected servers, computers, and media servers from one location. This includes defining and distributing backup jobs, monitoring and reporting on job activity. This option was first introduced in Backup Exec 10.0

Does not require persistent architecture for remote offices
Distributed catalog architecture
simple monitoring of remote managed media server jobs

Desktop and Laptop Option - Protecting Critical work stations

5 free license with BE 11d
Continuous Protection
DLO (desktop laptop option)is ideal for a mobile work force
synchronization of users work stations
end user file retrieval
easy to manage and deploy
Licenses are available in 10 packs

Backup exec system recovery options - Do you have a disaster recovery strategy?

Formally livestate recovery - the old system recovery method was manual and was long and tedious - repair - reinstall OS - reinstall drivers - reinstall apps - re configure settings - apply journal changes - test - go live. With new method select recovery point and it can recover the entire system - only taking minutes and is more reliable with the disk based backup. Disimilar hardware recovery in minutes - enhanced P2V/V2P virtual conversion capabilities - streamlined lower priced offering of Backup Exec System Recovery 7.0.

More press quotes

Dissimilar system recovery - allows you to recover to different hardware configuration with the same data - it can even restore to a virtual machine. Backup Exec for Windows Server System Recovery Option - lower cost then the full solution - it’s a stand alone unintegrated solution - which you could run backup exec 11d on mission critical servers that would allow you to recover in just a few minutes.

Extended platform support
X64 windows media server support
Vista Support
Centralized management
NDMP support
Oracle
Linux/UNIX
DB2
Mac OSX - PPC/Intel

Free 60 day trial from www.backupexec.com
* there are even forums there WOWWEE /sarcasm off

For Exchange 2007 and Vista you need the latest Backup Exec 11d patches.

Questions and Answers:

Symantec: Please type your questions for the speaker into this chat pod.

Guest: can we ask tech questions?

Symantec: Liza, you are welcome to ask any questions. We’ll do our best to answer them. If we can’t answer them, we’ll make sure to follow up with you off line.

Guest: my back up wld not restore even if I applied sp5

Guest: with the new version does it come with tech support?

Guest: VMWARE consolidated backup support on 11d

Guest: Does the Sharepoint Agent give posting item level recovery?

Symantec: BE11d includes support if u purchased it w/ support

Guest: Running BE 11d and had need for Exchange restore of databases. I had been running D2D2T and the restore could not be done with tape. We were able to restore from disk. Could you provide best practice set up D2D2T with Exchange agent?

Guest: compare cps with cdp for exchangebackup

guest: We have had some serious issues with Lotus Notes 7.0.2 mail client and the Backup Exec remote agent, has anyone else had issues with this? The agent prevents Lotus from opening.

Guest: will cps on exchange replace brcik level backup

Rod Sellers: cps itself is very nice

Guest: We always have files being skipped in the back log in ver. 9.1. How do we prevent that? Thanks

Guest: I’m running 11d remote agents to backup my NEtware servers. I use Pre/Post options - but the Post doesn’t run. Are there any known issues around this?

Symantec: Recommend reading Exchange Best Practices wp on www.backupexec.com/save

Guest: HI, we have 400/800G tapes for our backup. Weekly we have a full backup. It is about 399G. What is the best praktice to do a full backup and do not need to use a secound tape? (incremental Backup?)

Guest: Thanks

Guest: Backup Exec 11d has been release since 11/06. How come there have been no live updates for this program?

Guest: On the topic of encryption, can Backup Exec backup laptops protected with PGP Whole Disk Encryption?

Guest: Why do they not have updated native support for NetWare and GroupWise? Not everyone runs Exchange

Symantec: Apologies everyone, slight technical problems.

Guest: On the subject of Lotus Domino, we are also having problems using the Domino option. It skips too many files.

Guest: We are using tapes. we want to convert to disk and do a virtual bkup

Symantec: Backup Exec 11d launched in Nov06 and build 11d.7170 launched March07 with support for MS Exchange 2007, MS Vista, EMC Celerra devices etc

Guest: we need to talk to u abt the conversion

Guest: is this all about MS?

Guest: AD meaning backing up individual users’ files in pcs?

guest: We have also had issues with 11d and the backup jobs not completing/failing when not being able to connect to machines assigned in the backup job. The Symantec techs also said there is a limit to the amount of machines you can have in one job, what is the limit?

Guest: We are currently using 10D, and would like to upgrade to 11D, however we are still running Exchange 5.5, with a plan to upgrade Exchange to 2003 this year.. Its my understanding that 11D does NOT support less than Exchange 2000. Am I correct here?

Guest: We have been getting weekly updates by liveupdate including SP1. Automatic doesn’t seem to work though. Try from the tools menu.

Guest: How will the desktop & laptop options work with Windows Vista? Windows Vista already has a built in snapshot for machines?

Guest: Is the automatic feature being looked at as to why is doesn’t work? Is that a feature they may take out in the next verison?

Guest: Is System Recovery like System Restore in Windows?

Guest: When is the next verison coming out?

Guest: scott, I’m just another customer. I have other priorities at my site. I just assumed it was because we were using central admin console. I do all the servers manually.

Guest: is this the IDR?

Guest: We have just upgraded to 11d. I am getting the following error message on the sever Backup Exec is running on. Backup- THC1 V-79-57344-3844 - The media server was unable to connect to the Remote Agent on machine THC1. The media server will use the local agent to try to complete the operation.Remote Agent not detected on \\THC1. The folder it is trying to backup is the Utility Partition. The rest of the server backup up fine without asking for the remote agent.

Guest: is this included in 11d?

Symantec: To get current 11d updates go to: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/289968.htm

Guest: Does Symantec have an Archiving solution that works w/ Backup Exec? We have about 1 TB of data that needs to be archived off in a near line device that can be accessed when necessary.

Symantec: Yes, BE11d for Exchage w/ CPS eliminates Brick Level Backup

Symantec: Ceballos - Enterprise Vault http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/products/overview.jsp?pcid=2244&pvid=322_1

Guest: Is the Advanced File Open option free with 11D?

Guest: migration from 9.1 to 11d is free?

Guest: I need help in migration after the 11d comes.

Guest: Is the Advanced Open File option free with 11d?

Symantec: Frandin - Yes BE11d only supports Exchange 2K, 2K3, 2k7

Guest: how to get the ppt presentation

Guest: ok ty!

Guest: give an over view os sss

Symantec: MClark - AOFO is a purchased addonn

Guest: Is it per server?

Guest: I understand that I need a VIP Update for 11.0. Where can I get this?

Guest: please review share storage option

Symantec: live update http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/289968.htm

Guest: Could you do an overview on the Backup to Disk to Tape technologies?

Guest: Do you have a whitepaper that compares your product to others? Specifically we are using Syncsort and I want to convert but will have to do justification and any help would be appreciated.

Symantec: Agents /Options: http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/products/agents_options.jsp?pcid=2244&pvid=57_1
Symantec: Nick, today’s webcast is being recorded. A link to this recording will be available shortly on http://www.carahsoft.com/events/index.php. It will also be sent to you in a follow-up email.

Guest: how can we tell if we are current on maintenance?

Guest: can you give us teh link to the upgrade

Symantec: www.backupexec.com/save

Guest: 9.1 version support has expired. I just ordered 11d does this mean I have to order support separately?

Symantec: You can order 11d with or without support

Guest: if we have IDR in 10d, does it get upgraded to live state?

Guest: vmware review

Guest: Does BackUp Exec cover laptops encrypted with PGP Whole Disk Encryption?

Guest: presentation ppt file

Symantec: http://www.carahsoft.com/events/index.php

Guest: system recovery has to be ordered separate?

As you can see some questions went unanswered

This seminar used Adobe Acrobat Connect - this is the first time I’ve run across this remote seminar solution. I’m not too impressed with the look and feel being a spectator - maybe it is more powerful on the moderator side. Though it did have that new web 2.0 technology where you enter in your phone number and it calls you - so it has that going for it.