BE 2015 - Using a dedicated VLAN for Backups

...you should be able to add the remote server using the IP address of the backup VLAN NIC. Have you tried that? Then select that interface on the media server.

Thanks!

There are no VLAN aware options in Backup Exec. If the VLAN creates a logical NIC then use that, or configure yur NIC so it only has one VLAN bound to it.

 You can also force traffic to specific network routes by adjusting name resolution beteen the servers so that only the address on the VLAN are ever name resolvved between Backup Exec Server and Remoet Server being backed up. (this will probably need local host file entries.

Craig,

I was thinking about installing the agent via the specific Backup VLAN but saw this response from Symantec

"You can configure the Agent to publish to the Backup Exec server with just one IP address but that would be used for the TCP actions to instruct the agent and control the agent alone but for the FTP there is no option to specify that the agent should use only one IP address or a particular NIC. It is been designed in such a way to have successful backups through any way posibble without loosing and data over the network."

Colin

I was also thinking about setting a new HOST A record for each end device and having it resolve to the Backup VLAN IP on each server, but the above quote from Symantec makes me think it'll still use any availble NIC to the agent, when performing the backup.

(Unless you have a specific DNS server only for the VLAN), don't play with Host A records on your DNS server as if you do that everything in your environment might try to use the wrong address. Hence use local host files on each server you want to use this backup VLAN. Make sure you have not security blocked the use of local hosts files. You need to end up in a state where:

1) When you ping the name of  Backup Exec Server from any server you want to backup that these server resolve to the VLAN IP address of the Backup Exec Server

2) When you ping any of the servers you want to backup from the Backup Exec Server also name resolve to the VLAN IP addresses

Then make sure the routing order on your operating system would choose the VLAN first (it's been a while since I have used this command but I think route print in a command prompt will show you the routing order)

Then do tracert tests in the same way you tested with ping above to make sure the traffic is not taking an odd route

One you hacve done this Backup Exec should use the correct network with the settings for use any available NIC applied.

Colin,

I might be missing the boat some here, but you are saying to create a host file on each end device with the name of the BE server and the backup VLAN IP, then change the NIC preference oder on each end device to use the backup VLAN NIC first.  Also, create the HOST file on the BE server with an entry for each end device and its Backup VLAN IP, followed by setting all jobs to use the Backup VLAN NIC and not connect using any NIC available? 

Thanks.

Colin,

Thanks for the feeback.  I guess this would be the best option to try and ge it funtional.  Symantec stated they had tried this setup but it was not always successful.  They simply stated its not something that BE supports.  I'll continue testing in my lab.