Backup Exec GRT questions for VMware backups

[KeirL]

Hi

I have a client who is experiencing a few issues with Application GRT for VMware backups on Backup Exec 2014 SP2. They have a SQL server with three instances on, two of which backup fine with GRT and the third says that GRT couldn't be used - the permissions and accounts for all instances are the same.

Is it the case that VMware Applicatin GRT will ignore the entire instance of any of the databases are offline? I'm not sure if there are any offline databases but if this is a possible cause I will investigate further. Are they any workarounds if there is infact databases that are offline?

Secondly with Exchange - the VMware GRT isn't working and yet not giving any errors at all - shows 100% successful backups. What is different here is that the customer used to have a 2 node DAG but has now decided they don't want this and moved all mailboxes to just one database and turned off the other node. The DAG backups used to be successful with GRT enabled but the customer has but the DAG backups on hold in favour of VMware GRT backups just pointing towards the remaining DAG node - as there is an Exchange database that is no longer mounted and effectively in a failed state will this mean that VMware GRT will ignore the Exchnage databases entirely? which is why we get 100% successful backups and yet not backup of the Exchange databases.

Thanks in advance

[lmosla]

What is the exact error for the SQL backup?  

asfar as 'Is it the case that VMware Applicatin GRT will ignore the entire instance of any of the databases are offline? I'm not sure if there are any offline databases'  If the database is offline the backup will skip it.  see this link:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH189440

also check out  http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO99373

[KeirL]

Hello

Thanks for the reply. The exact error of the backup is as described at the very bottom of technote 189440 

Backup Exec was unable to prepare Microsoft SQL resources for Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) operations.  Therefore you will be unable to perform GRT-enabled restores of Microsoft SQL data for 'SERVERNAME\INSTANCENAME' from this backup.

The are two other instances on the same server that back up fine with GRT capability. Also the file level GRT is also fine for the SQL server. The reason I thought that the entire instance could be skipped was from the following thread

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/backup-exec-2012-vmware-host-backups-grt-enabled-exceptions

But I've seen nothing else suggesting this to be the case.

wrt the exchange error - I noticed in the HOWTO99373 technote it says

"Backup Exec supports the granular recovery of individual Exchange and SQL items only in non-clustered and non-distributed configurations."

would an Exchange 2 node DAG be regarded as a distributed environment? In which case I guess trying to backup the surviving node or a 2 node dag wouldn't infact be supported as it may still be regarded as s distributed environment despite only 1 node being active.

thanks again for the help.

[pkh]

Exchange in a DAG is considered to be distributed. To back up this Exchange, you need to back it up using the Exchange agent