Backup Exec 2012 Service Pack 2

[PPD_Tech]

Hello, I have a CAS server and 2 Media Servers running at SP1.  Hotfix up to 200433 have been installed on all three.  I would like to install SP2 but have some questions. 

I have an Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, SQL server, 2 Linux servers and many flavors of Windows agents (Win2003, Win2008, WinXP and Win7) doing straight flat file backups (very few backing up System State). 

1) Can I install SP2 on just the CAS and 2 Media Servers without updating the agents right away?  My reason is that I have 100 agents to push and due to our business needs, these agents will have to be rolled out based on outages approved by the business which never occurs at the same time.  Will the agents running at SP1 still back up?  Migrating all of servers to BE 2012 took 3 months.

2) For the SharePoint and Linux servers, I am primarily backing up a directory for the Administrators of these servers not the System State.  Is there anything to note in terms of updating the agents?

3 ) Will updating the new agents require a reboot?

4) Would I still be able to backup my Exchange GRT if the agent on the mail server is at SP1 level?

5) Are there additional Hotfixes following SP2 that I need to plan for?  If so, will the additional hotfixes require a reboot?

6) Are there specific application servers that should be updated at the same time as the CAS and Media Servers - Exchange, Sharepoint, Linux, SQL, Remote Application Servers running Terminal Services?  I am trying to determine the best order to update the agents on these servers.

Any information you can provide would be appreciated.  Thank you for your time.

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

Hi,

1. Start with the CASO server upgrade, and then move on to your MMS servers. You should ideally update your remote servers immediately, but backups will continue to run. You MAY get a warning that the remote servers run previous versions of the RAWS agent!

2. Check the release notes on the link below:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH208600

3. Most likely yes. Prepare as if you will require a reboot.

4. Yes, but you may get a warning about the RAWS agent being on a different patch level, and be advised to upgrade as soon as possible.

5. Not sure on this...I would assume there are. You should run LiveUpdate on the CASO and MMS servers after upgrading to SP2 as a rule of thumb!

6. In my environment (as per Symantec best practice), it was CASO first, MMS second, and then remote servers. I had no preference for the order of updates to remote servers, and I have yet to see any documentation around this.

Thanks!