Backup Exec 2012 VMWare Backup

[SubnetMask]

I have a fully virtualized environment running VMWare ESXi 4.1u2, and I'm trying out BE2012 to see how it works. So far, I'm hating it. I thought the point of the 'V-Ray Technology' was to allow BE to use the VMWare Storage API's to be able to run full, file-level backups of virtual machines without agents installed on the VMs?

Another (Major) issue is Job creation. In 2010, you could create a selection list, add servers to the list, select what you want to back up (or what you wanted to exclude) on each server and then save that list. Then you create job(s) off that list or multiple lists. In 2012, it seems you can't set up jobs the same way. Each machine type has to be it's own job. I tried setting up a server group and creating a job off that group, which added the servers and probably would have allowed the job to be backed up the way I would like (all servers as part of a job), but I couldn't drill down into the (virtual) servers that I had installed the agent on or the VMWare environment to de-select the VMs I don't need to back up or the VMs that have the agent installed. It also seems that without an agent, BE2012 is unable to back up VMs with independant disks or RDM/iSCSI volumes. I have several VMs that I want to have independant disks on, and my fileserver's main file storage is a Windows iSCSI-mounted volume, which BE apparently can't get without an agent.

Am I missing something here? I was looking forward to 2012 because it seemed promising, but I've been messing with it for about the last 4 hours and I've only managed to get extremely annoyed. Based on my experience so far, BE2010R3 was far superior.

[pkh]

You would need to install RAWS in the VM's if you want GRT restores of individual files/folders from your vmdk backups.  This has not changed from BE 2010 to BE 2012.  When a AVVI licence, you can install RAWS in any number of VM's on the physical host that is licenced for it without any further charge.

What you have described in job creation is the result of the change to a server-centric approach in BE 2012.

[SubnetMask]

So the V-Ray is really just a licensing thing, nothing more. If BE2012 does still require the agent in order to do a GRT backup, then BE2012 really is no different than any other version of BE, other than the HORRIBLE change to the 'server-centric' approach.  I may have to take another look at Acronis. It's been a while, but I think it did allow file level restore from backup without agents installed on all the VMs. I've liked Several Symantec products, BE being one of them, for some time, but I don't think I'm going to move forward with BE2012.

[teiva-boy]

You are annoyances with shortcomings that are the FAULT of the vStorage API in Vmware and NOT backupexec's fault.  e.g. RDM is a vstorage limitation.

You would not believe how many holes there are in vStorage/VADP.  

The only one shortcoming that BE truly does have is the requirement to install an agent for file level recovery.  There are some other products that do this without an agent.

Outside of that, BE is one of the best bang for the buck products out there, and it can work very well when setup.  Frankly if you can get 2010 R3 to work, there aren't too many compelling reasons to upgrade actually...

[dwaxman]

By requireing an agent onteh VM and hte EOL of RAWS for windows 2000 Symantec has effectivly cut of support for backing up Windows 2000 servers. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who still rely on  Windows 2000 for some services and are now left with no solution.

[SubnetMask]

Honestly, my annoyance with the RDM portion is relatively minor. If I needed the agent on one VM to get my RDM LUN, so be it. but to have to install the agent on 35+ VMs (some of which are linux) so I can get file level backup/restore is crazy. The main issues to me are the requirement for the agent for File level backup/restore and the 'server-centric' layout. What was wrong with how BE2010 and pretty much every version prior to that worked?

[pkh]

For Windows severs, you can push out the RAWS.

[Colin_Weaver]

As you should not need an agent to do a GRT enabled file level backup and when it comes to do a restore you can redirect the file restore to anywhere ( even the local disk of the media server), it is only if you want to restore straight back to original location that a remote agent is needed inside the VM. 

As such although I have not specifically tried it and Symantec won't specifically have tested it, I suspect you can still backup and restore files from a Windows 2000 VM as long as you either a) Restore the complete VM or b) Redirect the file level GRT restore to a share or somewhere that does have a remote agent.

[WLGS]

We have upgraded our BE from 2010 to 2012 recently and still struggle with it.

A few comments based on my experience:

The change from Job-centric to server-centric makes no sense but our job much harder.

We use tapes for off site data security. Job-centric backup can easily give us a set of tape to take away each day. But for server-centric backup I will have to do a lot more work to get tapes right. By looking at the features of backup to disk and Dedupliction, etc. it seams BE is trying to shift from tape to disk or network. It may be ok if I have a second data center and fast network connection to it. By the way VMware Data Recovery provides disk and DeDuplication solution already.

Secondly, Upgrade from 2010 to 2012 does a terrible job. After upgraded old jobs become a mess and useless. When I try to edit them or even delete them I got more trouble. BE management console crushes that even Symantec tech could not help. I ended up un-install BE 2012 completely and re-install it.

So far I have managed to backup my VMs and physical machines twice. It looks VM backed a little better. GRT seams working fine on exchange information store but staging takes nearly half day before emails restored. SAN option for VM restore is still not available.