Agent for Vmware - Vmtools upgrade question

[Calis]

Hi Guys, I'm about to launch into using the Agent for VMware with BE 2010R3 and all latest hotfixes and have been preparing servers and reading all the doco and best practises surrounding this.

In the Vmware agent best practise it states if using GRT :

"Install the Remote Agent for Windows Systems on the guest virtual machine. You must install the VMware tools before you install the Remote Agent for Windows Systems "

The installation procedure is clear, however I have just upgraded to Vsphere 4.1 and upgraded all the vmtools and hardware levels of the vm's.

So the question is:

Does a vmtools upgrade constitute an installation AFTER the Backup Exec windows remote agent and therefore may cause issues with VSS and the like?
My only though was a re-install of the backup exec remote agent to make sure VSS and any other potential issues where taken care of.

Just want to double check and clear my mind about this before diving in and need to wait for another maintenance window to reconfigure.

Cheers,

Shaun.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

The preference is to use the BE VSS provider.  Hence you need to re-install the remote agent so that it will remove the VMTools VSS provider.

[VJware]

Actually, RAWS re-install is not a mandate...After updating the VMWare tools, restart of the tools service or reboot the guest machine is just fine...

[Calis]

Thanks guys, i've just tested this and can confirm the following the following.

Under Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 R2:

1. Upgrade of the vmtools DIDNT disable the vmtools Volume Shadow Copy Service Support. It was still installed as an option.

2. Repairing the BE remote agent DID disable the vmtools Volume Shadow Copy Service Support which is what is required.

3. Performing a clean install of the BE remote agent AFTER a clean vmtools install DID disable Volume Shadow Copy Service Support which is by design oer Symantec doco.

4. Simply restarting the server straight after a vmtools upgrade which is always performed anyway DIDNT disable the Volume Shadow Copy Service Support, well at least I couldnt test this by performing a backup.

Looks like I've got my answer.

Thanks for the help guys.