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Backup Exec 2016 running on Windows 2016 Server, with External USB Drives for storage

simonb007
Level 3

Hello,

I am sure someone can answer this very quickly. I am about to order a new Windows 2016 Standard server. We were advised to go for the Backup Exec 16 Standard Server Edition, as the backups will take place on site only.

We were looking to backup to external USB hard discs, as we are doing now with BE 2010 R3. We have BE backup folders on the drives and the backups work without an issue.

However, upon speaking to Dell, they advise that this option is no longer available in the latest BE version.

Are they correct ?

Thanks in advance.

8 REPLIES 8

Stephen_Kent
Level 4
Employee

You can certainly still backup to volumes on USB disks with Backup Exec 16. The only difference from Backup Exec 2010 is that you can only have one back-to-disk location per volume. While it may have been desirable to have multiple locations in Backup Exec 2010 and below for ease of managing backup sets, the sets on disk are managed differently by Backup Exec. Instead of the sets being marked to be overwritable once the overwrite protection period expires, the sets are now simply deleted from disk automatically when they expire. 

I hope that helps clear some things up.

 Thanks for the info Stephen. 

Based on what you have said, if I create a drive pool with 2 separate USB drives, each with a Backup to Disc folder, will that still be supported ?

With regard to the backups being automatically deleted, is there any way to prevent that ? What if you wanted to pull up a file from 6 months ago ? Does the auto deletion only apply to disc-based backups ?

Many thanks.

Yes, creating them, putting them into a device pool, and targeting the jobs to backup to them is supported.

The way that the retention works now is that when you create the backup job, you tell it how long to keep the backup and then the backup set is automatically deleted at that time. Yes, this ONLY applies to disk-based backup. If you are backing up to tape, there are no changes in the way it works.

Here's some more information about disk-based backup set retention.

https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000020840

Thank you Stephen for your assistance.

I have set up a test VM running Windows 2016 and installed the Trial version of BE 16 and it all works as you said.

As we are looking to purchase the Single Version of the software, do we need to purchase the Windows Agent as well ?

We will only be backing up the one server.

I am presuming that the Open File option is built in as standard.

 

The Open File Option is standard. Are you only backing up there server that Backup Exec is installed on or is it a different server? I believe that you wouldn't need a Windows Agent license if you are backing up the server it's installed on, but you would need a license if it is a different server you are backing up. I'm not really a sales/licensing person, so you'd be better of asking them about that. You might get one server with the base license either way, but I'm not sure. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have on the technical side, though.

Thats fair enough. We will only be backing up the one server.

Unfortunately, I have tried getting through to Veritas sales - so far to no avail !

I will try again tomorrow and see if I have any more luck.

You have been really helpful.

Thank you.

Simon

Let me see if I can help get you in contact with someone. Where are you located?

I am based in the UK.