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Backing up Enterprise Vault

moniker131
Level 4

Is there a good guide on backing up Veritas Enterprise Vault? The 20.3 admin guide is a bit lacking there.

I selected my Symantec Vault servers (let's call them EV1 and EV2). When I create a backup job, I went to EV1 and EV2 but don't see my Vault components in the selection list. I opened a case for this, and they showed me that there is a server "LISTENEV" with server type Enterprise Vault. I select this and can see my enterprise vault components. Then I notice this LISTENEV host is my DBA's SQL availability group listener. I look in EV1's remote agent utility, and confirm that it is indead publishing EV-DDB, EV-DIR,EV-MDB, and EV-SIT as all being on host LISTENEV. Are these components supposed to be pointed at our SQL server?

PS - I do have a follow up call with support on my case, but they said it won't be until tomorrow evening. Surely there is a blog post or guide somewhere that has step by step instructions, with pics.

5 REPLIES 5

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Unfortunately we cannot support backups of SQL Availability Group Listener names - which kind of means we cannot directly support Enterprise Vault backups in such a configuration. (Lack of full support for SQL Availabilitty Groups and limitations on listener names are both mentioned in sections of our SCL relating to SQL and EV)

You therefore have to backup such an EV environment not using our Enterprise Vault agent (in effect using the mechanism you would have to use if you were backing up EV with a non-Veritas backup product)

You will probably need to check with the EV forum for advice on using the below info however, the description I have for how to do it (which we do intend to eventually document more formally) is:

Rename the bedsev.dll the EV servers and the SQL nodes.

 Then run the pre command  

powershell -psconsolefile "C:\Program Files\Enterprise Vault\EVShell.psc1" -command "& {set-vaultstorebackupmode -name <sitename> -evservername <EV server alias> -evobjecttype site}"

 
 

Set Index Backup Mode:

 powershell -psconsolefile "C:\Program Files\Enterprise Vault\EVShell.psc1" -command "& {set-indexlocationbackupmode -evservername ev}"

 Run the multi-server backup with the file path selections and SQL agent selections from the active node (note, if active node changes the backup will fail)

 Then run similar post commands to end the backup mode

 

Thanks. What would be my backup target? Under Backup and Restore tab, am I selecting the listener with server type Enterprise vault? Am I selecting one of my SQL nodes? Or Am I selecting the Symantec Vault server itself?

Edit: I had my follow up call with BE support. This guy was on the EV team, and still wasn't sure how to get this done. I have posted this on the Enterprise Vault forum as well.

https://vox.veritas.com/t5/Enterprise-Vault/Backing-up-Enterprise-Vault/m-p/859180#M110132

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

If you mean your backup source you have to get advice from EV team about what needs to be backed up and what server those items that need backing up are located on.Once you know this you may be able to get advice from BE specialist on how to make those selections.

In BE  your backup target would be  a disk device, deduplication device, tape device or perhaps cloud device

If you have a formal case open with EV support then, they should be able to get some cross product advice. I unfortunately I do not have any further details to provide (over and above what I posted earlier which included info that you cannot use listener names and have to backup the SQL data from the active node. )

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I did mean backup source. I understand now. The workaround in changing that dll essentially disables the Enterprise Vault agent compoent of the remote agent service. And then I'm just backing up a database and some files that make up enterprise vault. That makes sense.

Quick question. I think I have misunderstood something. I was under the impression I'd be able to do granular restores in EV. As in, create a restore job and drill down into EV and select John Doe's mailbox. After re-reading the guide, that doesn't seem possible. Restores consist of restoring the EV application itself (database, index, vault, etc). Is that accurate?

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

For info we have written an article now to help with this

 

https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/article.100044397.html

 

We would appreciate feedback if any affected customers try it.