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CraigV
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There have been a number of posts with regards to AOFO being used when backing up Exchange, or SQL, or Lotus Notes etc. Symantec's standpoint is that they do not support using AOFO when backing up any databases due to possible problems. It has to do with the manner in which snapshots are carried out on databases that starts the issues.
I have on a number of occasions been advised to separate the jobs (files, databases, System States etc), but when I once asked how to get it done, I never got a response from support. Not a good place to be in, and so I left things as is.
I carried on using this, until I needed to redirect a restore of SQL to a development server, and found out I couldn't. Cutting a long story short, I did a Symantec-assisted restore to the same server, and immediately took off AOFO. However, that led to the job now showing as failing due to open personal folders, and other files.
I eventually got down to working it out myself, and have put the steps and thought processes behind them in below.
If you’re doing this from scratch, you’d most likely be creating new media sets, but if not, it’s a simple task to modify existing jobs.
1.       New Backup jobs
·         Create 2 new selection lists...1 will contain your databases (SQL, Exchange etc), and the other will contain files, System States, installation directories etc. Make sure that they’re given explanatory names to distinguish them.
·         Create a new job for your databases, and make sure you have the following settings:
o   Under Device and Media of each sub-job (if using GFS), choose the option to Overwrite media. Doing this means that it will automatically overwrite any scratch media/media available to be used.
o   Deselect the option of using AOFO.
o   Choose a start time before the second job that will be created.
o   Create new media sets for your jobs.
o   Assign it the selection list containing your database selections.
·         Create another job for the rest (System State, files etc), and select the following:
o   Under Device and Media of each sub-job (if using GFS), choose the option to: Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available. This will autmatically append data to the same tape, or use a new tape if need be.
o   Choose to use AOFO, and make sure it’s: Automatically select open file technology (BEWS will choose which version is best suited).
o   Choose a start time after the job above, and with enough overhead should the DBs grow in size and add to that job’s backup window.
o   Choose the same media sets as above. With the option set to append, it will use the same tape as the job above, meaning both jobs fit onto 1 tape. Having 1 media set also ensures there aren’t any issues with different tapes being used.
o   Assign it the selection list containing the files, System State etc.
·         The DB job will run first, select a tape and overwrite it. Once the data is written, the job completes. At a predetermined time, the second job will start, and because of its setting to append, it will select the same tape to write too. Both jobs have the same media sets selected meaning the data expires at the same time on both jobs, and makes administering tapes and media sets easier.
 
2.       Existing job:
·         The main task here is to create a separate selection list for the databases, and then deselect them on the existing selection list which will now contain only files etc. Give both of them names that will adequately describe what they’re used for.
·         Once done, rename the existing backup job if necessary to distinguish it from the job that will be created. Make sure AOFO is used.
·         Create a new job for the databases. You can use the settings as in 1 above. Set it to start before your files job etc.
·         Point it to the same media sets that already exist. There is no need to create new ones, as this job would then use a new tape, and not append to existing tapes. This would also mean 2 different sets expiring data at different times. AOFO must not be used.
·         The last task here would be to start the job containing non-DB selections after the backup job to backup your DBs.
If you’re using partitions in a tape library/autoloader, make sure to select the same partition for both jobs. This will force BEWS to run both jobs in the same location, and select the same tape for each day. Once the second job runs, the tape is marked as being protected, until overwrite protection expires.
 
Comments
David_Palmersto
Level 4

I've also cross-posted this from another of your replies, but can you see if you can re-write this for use with BE2012?

I don't see how we would deal with the multiple selection lists for the single server under BE2012.

Thanks.

mamilo
Level 2

Thank you Craig for this instructions. Like David said I also do not see a way how to create different selection lists for a single Server in BE2012.

One other question I have: How to deal with the .edb, .stm and log files. Should they be part of the DB-Job or part of the Files- and System State job or should they be excluded?

Thanks for your support

 

CraigV
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...you can't backup those 2 files unless you stop all the Exchange services, and modify Backup Exec's Active File Exclusion (AFE) feature which would automatically exclude those files.

 

adamfs
Level 3

 

I found this article very useful as it is exactly what I am looking to achieve. 

I can backup exchange to tape (with Granular level disabled) and it completes successfully. I then set my files to backup next with 'Append to media, if not fail the job' (I only have 1 tape drive) - The job fails. If I set it as the instructions state ‘Append if not overwrite’, then the second job completes. 

I need to catalogue the tape to check but I assume from this that my previous exchange job has been over written by the second job?

Regards
Adam

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Last update:
‎01-11-2010 06:21 AM
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