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Agent compatibility with old managers

hgpit
Level 2

Hi all,

We currently have seven Windows 2003 Standard servers. One (hostname: RP1) is running the primary Backup Exec v11d software (the 'manager'?). All others are running the v11 Backup Exec remote agent. We are purchasing two new servers soon. If they are supplied with the latest version of the Backup Exec agent, will it be compatible with our v11d manager?

Thanks in advance.

 

Elliot

11 REPLIES 11

RahulG
Level 6
Employee

Incase if you just Talking about the remote agent ,the Media server would be able to perform backup . Thought you might get failures or warnings that incorrect version of remote agent found on the remote server .

Its recommended that the media server and the remote server should run the same version of remote agent As even if you install any hotfix or patch we strongly recommend to update the remote agent .

If you are using Any agent Like Exhcange , SQL , etc you need to make sure you have the upgrade license key so you can install it in the new media server as the Licese key for 11d will not work in the newer version of backup exec .

Hope this helps .!!!

JoaoMatos
Level 6
Partner

Hi,

I am not understanding what you mean "If they are supplied with latest version(...)"

Agents are installed from the cd or trought media server, as I know.

Both versions most be equal whenever possible, Server and agents.

Regads,

JoaoMatos

ZeRoC00L
Level 6
Partner Accredited

When you purchase BE Agents (willl be 2010 version) you normally can downgrade the version to a previous version.

I'm not sture if you still can downgrade to version 11d, but you will need to contact licensing support for downgrading anyway.

hgpit
Level 2

Hi all,

Thank you very much for the comments.

I don't know what you mean by 'media server'. Is this basically where the central Backup Exec software is installed? Like the management console?

My situation is like this (please consider that I did not buy or install the original software, so am making some assumptions :) :(

 

EXISTING SETUP (in an existing live data centre):

1 x Windows 2003 server with Backup Exec 11d

6 x Windows 2003 server with Backup Exec agent v11

1 x Windows 2003 server with Backup Exec agent v11 and MS SQL agent v1

 

We are buying a load of new servers to install into a new data centre (assuming the latest version of Backup Exec is '2010'):

1 x Windows 2008 server with Backup Exec 2010

6 x Windows 2008 server with Backup Exec agent 2010

1 x Windows 2008 server with Backup Exec agent 2010 and MS SQL 2010 agent

 

The thing is that we want to install 2 of the 6 new servers into our existing data centre straight away (eventually the old data centre and it's servers will be ditched). Hence my issue that our existing v11d scenario will then have 2 servers running the newer 2010 agents.

 

It sounds like I need to find out whether I can downgrade the BE 2010 agents in the 2 servers in question to v11d. And then upgrade them back to 2010 when we move them to the new data centre.

RahulG
Level 6
Employee

Media server is the the server on which you have backup exec installed from where you do all you configurtin i.e backup job ,polices,etc . the media server have all the licenses installed

The remote server which you backup shud have the remote agent installed ,so in your case you have 7 remoter server which you are backing up . The Server on which you have SQl installed only have the remote agent installed and the license key for the same is installed on the Media server .

So if you planing to install a new backup exec server running version 2010  you would need to update the remote agent to version 2010 on the remote servers which you want to backup using 2010.

nylsher
Level 3

You can still request for a downgrade license key for the Backup Exec 11d and when you are ready to upgrade, you can use the existing license keys for your new Backup Exec 2010.

However, OS Windows 2008 is only compatible to the Backup Exec 2010 so the downgrade license key will only work to lower versions of the said Operating System.

If you need more information on the product, it is better to contact a Symantec Reseller: http://partnerlocator.symantec.com/public/search/

You can call the Customer Care department http://www.symantec.com/business/support/assistance_care.jsp

RahulG
Level 6
Employee

Also if you wishyou can upgrade the exisiting 11d media server to version 2010 (you would 1st need to upgrade to 12 or 12.5(upgrade would be inplace so you would not loose your data like job configuration , catalogs ets ) )and later migrate it to a different server .

So if you want to backup a remote server from a media server running 2010 , the remote server should be running the same version as the media server .

hgpit
Level 2

Haha, v11d not being compatible with Server 2008 throws another spanner in the works :)

Thanks for all of your input and time guys. I think I have enough info to make a decision now.

 

Best Regards.

Elliot

nylsher
Level 3

You are most welcome. You can always post here if you encounter difficulties again :-))

Turls
Level 6

@hgpit, please come back and mark as solution the best comment that resolved your issue. Thanks!

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

...actually, if he got installed the RAWS agent or BE 2010 R2, his media server which runs 11d would not communicate with it at all...