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Backup Exec licensing in shared environments.

stnz
Level 2

I cannot find a clear answer to this anywhere, so.. Let's try this way. How does Backup Exec licensing work in an environment where a single media server is used to backup systems owned by multiple customer companies? Basically a private cloud, but using a tape library and not deduplication folders like in the private cloud configuration document by Symantec.

In this case there would be 2-5 customer environments with a couple of servers in each of them backed up to a single small tape library, so it' a small environment and one media server would be technically enough. Licensing is the thing I'm more conserned about at the moment.

So, if the customers already own Backup Exec Media Server licenses and Remote Agents would it be possible to use the Remote Agents owned by the customers in this kind of environment? Basically, is it enough if we as the service providing company just buy one Media Server license and the Remote Agents are owned by the customer companies?

Or should the Media Server license and all the Remote Agent / Application and Database Agent licenses be owned by us? And if so, is it possible to transfer the ownership of existing licenses to another company to consolidate them onto a single Media Server?

(The point of all this is to consolidate the backups of those small hosted customer environments, to fully utilize the library capacity. Would like comply with the license terms, though.. :)

2 REPLIES 2

ZeRoC00L
Level 6
Partner Accredited

I think you need to have Backup Exec Exsp licenses:

http://www.emea.symantec.com/exsp/downloads/ExSP%20Overview%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf

But it's better to contact your Symantec partner manager to make sure you are compliant.

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi,

 

This is an interesting question, and I can give a bit of background from my side of things having come from a large outsource team.

My old outsource team ran a competitor's product in the data center, backing up numerous client machines and data to a single media server with attached tape library.

The media server and any licenses pertaining to that media server were purchased by us...we owned that.

If a client was taken on, we sold them the necessary licenses, and these servers were added to the media server and backed up.

Any questions asked and the licenses could be provided as proof we weren't breaking any licenses requirements.

I've hit the support flag here, but the licensing department knows best around this, as you have been advised above.

Thanks!