Backing up Lotus Domino without a Domino agent

[bsa795]

Hello,

I'm interested in backing up Lotus Domino server databeses using Backup Exec 2010 R2. Since there is no initiative on buying Lotus Domino Backup Agent (~ $1160) I'm interested in backing up Domino databases (.NSF) with usual Remote Agent for Windows Servers (RAWS).

Do I still need to purchase Lotus Domino Agent or is it enough to use normal BE Windows Remote Agent and Advanced Open File Option (AOFO) to backup those Notes databases?

Thanks in advance...

[AmolB · Accepted solution]

To backup .nsf files without domino agent you will have to stop domino services and then backup

nsf files as flat files. You can use the remote agent to backup flat files

[Ken_Putnam]

As well as shutting down the Domino services, you will need to disable AFE (Automatic File Exclusion)

See

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO23287

About automatic exclusion of Lotus Domino files during volume-level backups

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH92375

How to disable the Active File Exclusion feature in Backup Exec

[teiva-boy]

I'm not sure what country you are in, but that price you quoted is pretty much retail.  No one pays that.  Most often agents are in the $700 range.  You need to buy from a good Symantec Partner that discounts products, and not buy from mainstream websites.

You also should be on the rewards program is you are not already, for better tiers of pricing.  Again, a good partner would have done this for you.

[pkh]

I would strongly advise against not using a Domino agent.  First of all it is very disruptive as you would have to forcibly shutdown the Domino service before you can backup the .nsf.  Forcibly shutting down the Domino service may cause .nsf corruption.  If you don't shutdown the Domino service before backing up the .nsf, they would not be usable when they are restored.

I think your organisation got to balance the outlay of the Domino agent with the extra work/precautions that is needed to do a proper Domino backup without the Domino agent.  You just need a couple of .nsf corruptions and recovery to pay for the agent.

[bsa795]

Thanks everyone for such swift answers, they have been most helpful. I'm aware of the corruption risks when not using Domino agent when dealing with those delicate Lotus' .NSFs but this would have to do for the time beeing.

Nevertheless, I'm having another trouble with RAWS (Remote Agent for Win) - when I run backup job which should backup a remote folder (i.e. folder on another server) I'm getting this error msg:

nt-filestest -- The job failed with the following error: Before you can back up this resource, you must purchase and install a license key for the appropriate Backup Exec agent. See Job Log for details.

I'm 100% sure we have a RAWS licence, and what makes it even weirder - when I try to obtain the licence key by typing RAWS' product serial number I get the following msg from Symantec Licensing Site:

The following product does not require a Licence Key...


I attached two screens, one from the 'About box', and another from 'Tools > Install Agents and Licence Keys on this Media Server'.

Do you have any ideas on this or should I contact Symantec Licensing Support?

Thanks again for ideas and advice for Domino backup, I really appreciate it!

[AmolB]

In BE console, click on Tools->Install Options and license key-> If you have installed the license key

for RAWS then you will see the Remote agent license along with the Core product license.

You will get the license violation error if the RAWS license is not installed.

[bsa795]

Hy ZeroCool,

I received BE Core Licence Key but nothing more, no RAWS Key. When I try to get the key (for RAWS) from Symantec Site I get this message:

The serial number you entered does not require a key. You may continue registering this license but you will not receive a license key.
This license can be registered with other licenses for this product. If you would like to register multiple licenses for this product, please enter the serial number and click the 'Add' button.

OK, I understand there is no Key nedeed for RAWS but when I try to install it as a Option, I get a screen like in the first attachment (on my previous post). So, there is no option to Install RAWS (not even in that Trial part - Options available for 60 days...) as there is no Licence Key for it...

This really puzzles me...

[AmolB]

The Core license key includes 1 RAWS which is used by the server on which the core product is 

installed. To backup any additional server you need a RAWS license per server.

[bsa795]

Aha, so if I have these 2 licenses:

1. SYMC BACKUP EXEC 2010 SERVER WIN PER SERVER BNDL STD LIC EXPRESS BAND S BASIC 12 MONTHS
2. SYMC BACKUP EXEC 2010 SERVER WIN PER SERVER I/O BASIC 12 MONTHS

Then the fisrt one is probably for Backup Exec Core application, and the second one (I/O BASIC) is for backing up this same server on which BE is installed?

Thanks again ZeroCool!

[AmolB]

1)  SYMC BACKUP EXEC 2010 SERVER WIN PER SERVER BNDL STD LIC EXPRESS BAND S BASIC 12 MONTHS

This is the core product license.

2) SYMC BACKUP EXEC 2010 SERVER WIN PER SERVER I/O BASIC 12 MONTHS

This is for the basic technical support 

[bsa795]

Thanks again AmolZeroCool, and the last question:

Is it ok/normal for my Licensing window to look like this attached screenshot? There are 3 Remote Agent types, but there is no Remote Agent for Windows Systems on that list at all (it's not listed even as an unlicensed option)?

Is this Agent installed somehow 'by default', or what?

Thansk again for your precise and quick answers.

[AmolB]

This looks nornal. older version used to show "Remote Agent for Windows/Netware"