Backup Exec on Windows 2008 R2 Domain

[khleong]

Hi,

My customer want to install backup exec 2012 and System recovery on a server and push/install agent on other 4 client servers. Backup Exec master server will backup all the backup to a Storage.

All server running on windows 2008 R2 Standard.

Current envrionment is workgroup, initial setup backup exec and symantec system recovery will be in workgroup environment but customer plan to move to Active Directory environment later.

My question is if i setup and configure backup policy for backup exec and system recovery in workgroup. After all the setup and configuration done and those client servers only will join to domain after 1 or 2 month. Will this having isssue? Any precaution to do before move from workguop to Active Directory?

My customer want me to do the installation and configuration in workgroup environment first.

Backup Master server will remain on workgroup environment but all client servers will join to Active Directory domain.

My concern is after all client servers join to domain, all the configuration and backup policy will not work.

[pkh]

BE is design to work in a domain because of all the permissions and rights that are needed to backup and restore files.  It is not impossible to implement it in a workgroup environment, but it will take a lot more work.  When you move to a domain, this work will essentially be undone.  Ideally, you should implement the domain first before implementing BE.

[khleong]

Hi,

If i just install backup exec master server and backup agent to client server only. After that join to domain, do i still need to redepoly agent and make client agent connect back to Master server?

Can i do as below:

1. Install backup exec on master server.

2. Install/deploy backup agent for application and database to application server

4. Symantec agent and symantec recovery agent on client server.

5. Setup AD sever and all client join to Active Directory Domain

6. Configure backup policy symantec system recovery.

[pkh]

I cannot comment on SSR which is a different product from BE.  You would have to post your SSR questions in the SSR forum.

As for your deployment plan, installing the remote agent is the easy part.  It is setting up the permissions to allow you to do your backup and restores whether in a workgroup or domain.  Both these deployment have different permissions to set.  A domain deployment will be the easiest.

[khleong]

Hi,

How about workgroup serve install with backup Exec 1st and aill promote as domain controller after this?

Thank you for the explanation. I will discuss with my colleagues.

[Matt_Freestyle]

Hi, I don't think it would be a good idea installing BE and then promoting to a DC no - you would have to change all of the service accounts that BE uses (no local users or groups!) after promotion and as PKH said, it is designed to be an enterprise level solution and rolled out in a domain, not a workgroup.

Thanks

Matt

[pkh]

When you start your backups, you got to get your permissions right.  This is the difficult part when you are in a workgroup environment.  I am not saying that it cannot be done, but there will be a lot more work than if BE is implemented in a domain environment with the BE media server as part of the domain.  There is no requirement for the BE media server to be a DC.  All it needs is to be part of the domain and the BESA has domain admin rights.

[khleong]

Hi pkh,

Thank for your explanation.

We have total 5 servers,  2 server will be promote as AD server, the rest of the servers are remain in workgroup environment.

BE will be installed on one of the server in workgroup. That mean i will facing permission issue when implement this solution in this environment? BE server will backup all the servers include AD server so i will having problem to backup AD server? Right? There will be lot more work i need to configure for the permission access right?

[khleong]

Hi Matt,

Thank for explanation...

BE will be installed on workgroup server and backup the AD server. What you mean is BE are more designed to be and enterprise level soltion and rolled out in domain not a workgroup?

[CraigV]

Hi,

Running a domain doesn't necessarily mean you are an enterprise company. A domain is just a centralised management platform basically. That said...

Not sure why the client won't move to a domain immediately, but it is still possible to run BE in a workgroup (many of the guys above have correctly advised that it is preferable to run in a domain!).

When you do your push installs, make sure you use the IP address of the remote servers. Create a username with the same name/password on each of the servers to get around a non-AD account for the BESA. This account needs to be a local admin on each server.

You're going to have to create each of these user accounts on the media server, and when you browse to each of them, you need to select the correct user account. When adding these accounts, use: IP_Address\username as the convention.

You use the IP address as there is no DNS in the environment...otherwise you need to edit the hosts file on each server to reflect Name --> IP Address.

When you move to a domain, create the domain BESA with all the correct permissions. Once done, join the media server to the domain, and after restarting, open up BEutility.exe and change the BESA to use the new domain account.

Thanks!

[pkh]

Yes to all your questions.  It is a lot more difficult to configure BE to work in a workgroup environment.  You can see CraigV's answer below.  You need to repeat what he said for each non-domain server.  The complication in your case is that you are trying to backup servers in a domain from a media server which is in a workgroup.  I don't know how you are going to set this up.

[KingMus]

Hi,

Can anyone help me with this? I have six servers in the same domain. I have installed Symantec backup Exec 2010 to run backup jobs.

I realized that 2 of the servers are running Windows server 2008 standard edition while the remaining 4 are running the Enterprise edition of  windows server 2008 R2.

With this differences in the OS, but in the same domain, can the backup jobs run sucessfully without errors. So far the jobs have failed.