BE2010 going into trial mode after reboot

[matt_allford]

Hi all,

We have an issue where Backup Exec keeps going into trial mode after a reboot, in a certain environment.

The Environment:

• Windows 2008 R2 Hyper-V host, in a workgroup (this machine is in a workgroup because Microsoft recommend you do not put your host into the domain as your guest if you only have 1 DC, which most SBS networks do)
• Windows SBS2011 guest machine, in a domain

As per http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH125965 we are allowed to purchase the Symantec BE SBS license and use the license key on the Hyper-V host, so long as there is a SBS2008 or later machine running as a guest.

The problem:

Everything works perfectly, except that when the host is rebooted (updates / hardware installs / whatever), backup exec goes back into trial mode and will not work until we re enter the product key. We currently only have 4 clients in this particular environment, but we will be migrating more clients to this environment and it is really frustrating.

I have logged this call 3 times with Symantec support (can give case numbers if an official Symantec employee here wants them) and have not had a resolution. The techs keep suggesting it is a licening issue. In one instance, we actually received a replacement key from the licensing department to try but that didn't help at all.

I guess I am coming here for a last try to let Symantec know about the issue and ask if it is on the table to be looked into or if the problem has been fixed (although all of the servers that have the issue have the very latest version of BE).

If you require any more information please feel free to let me know. Hopefully you guys can replicate this issue pretty easily in a test lab - We can't be the only ones out there using this setup and BE SBS license!!

Cheers.

[CraigV]

Hi,

Hit the support flag on this, but have you made sure that your media server is fully patched with BE 2010 R3 SP2 and any further updates?

Thanks!

[pkh]

You need to make sure that your SBS VM boot up first before the BE services starts.  Otherwise, they will not detect the SBS VM and BE will go into trial mode.  See this document

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH187499

[matt_allford]

Thanks Craig - yep, these boxes are fully updated (ie nothing more is showing in LiveUpdate).

PKH - thanks for that. Is a bit annoying considering SBS can probably take 5 minutes more to start up than the host does. I can try delaying the BE services using the delayed start option, but this only waits 2 minutes after the host is booted and the SBS VM may still be booting.

If there is no other suggestion I will try the delayed start and I'll reboot a host tonight and see what happens.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

No. There is no other way, other than delaying the start of BE services.  The BE services needs to detect the SBS OS.  Otherwise, the BE SBS licence is not valid.

[Colin_Weaver]

If you go to BE 2012 the SBE licensing model is for 3 servers and means that it no longer has to detect SBS to run.

[matt_allford]

I delayed the services in windows on the host, which delayed the services starting by 2 minutes (so I have read). I didn't think 2 minutes would matter much but it seems to have resolved it. I have only done this at one site so I will implement at the other sites and see what the result is.

Would have been nice if one of the 4 symantec support employees I talked to knew about this (and saved hours of troubleshooting).

[CraigV]

...that's why you did the right thing here by logging a call with Symantec, and opening a query here. Although Connect is a best-effort attempt to help you, and most of us aren't Symantec employees, you can, at times, get a faster response here.

Sometimes logging a call with Symantec really is the only way to get a resolution!

[matt_allford]

Hi Craig, That's my point though - I did officially call Symantec and log a case for this issue on 4 different occasions. None of which ended with a result that worked. Then I came here to try and get the attention of someone and pkh replied with the answer!

[CraigV]

...that's why I pointed out you did the right thing. If Symantec come back to you, I'd make a point of letting them know you golt it solved on the forums!