Backup Exec 2012 upgrade prep

[rdeshields]

Howdy,

I am preparing to upgrade our Backup Exec 2010 R2 environment to 2012 soon and want to make sure I have all the prep work done and everything in place before I start the upgrade. Our environment consists of 1 primary server with 5 secondary servers running SSSO with CASO. All servers are running BE 2010 R2 and are up to date with patches. All jobs are created by policy and currently run to tape.

I plan to upgrade each server one at a time over several days starting with the primary server. Will I be able to attach BE 2010 servers to the BE 2012 primary server? Is there anything I should be aware of before or during the upgrade?

Are there any other considerations I need to check before beginning with the upgrade?

[rsellers]

I too and preparing for the same upgrade.

Is there any specific documentation or step by step instructions to follow? I understand there are some differences in the GUI and such.

Is it better to uninstall the current version and do a clean install of version 2012? If so, what preparation steps should be done before hand?

Thanks

[teiva-boy]

Typically the CASO server is upgraded first, and then all servers follow suit.  

I believe the Symantec guides for upgrades state something to the effect that a version upgrade should happen quickly and that running different versions is not recommended for any length of time.

As for documentation, Symantec is almost always good at that, and you can find that in the support site knowledge base, often as a quick link.  Even the BE2012 ISO will have those docs.

[pkh]

You might want to look at my article as part of your prep

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/preparing-install-or-upgrade-be-2012

[BE_EPM]

Agreed, you should review pkh's article which includes information on the educational videos and much much more.

I strongly suggest that you view the educational videos available for 2012.  You may have seen these in the featured articles at the top of this forum.

There is an overview which might seem a little sales-like, however there are many others which dig deeper into the new models and workflows in the product.  We've done years of user research leading up to this redesign, and it is quite different.  You might consider installing a trial version in a lab before upgrading (if you haven't thought of this already).  Viewing the videos will help a great deal in knowing what to expect and how to use the new workflows.  Also, if you are upgrading, be sure to review in detail the migration report that is presented during installation.  This will give you information about how your jobs might be affected.

Link to videos: http://www.backupexec.com/videos

If you are interested in participating in usability studies for Backup Exec, please email us at mailto:beusability@symantec.com