Backup exec 2012 sp2 GPT disks are not supported

[Chang_feng]

近期Backup exec 2012 sp2 release裡Agent for VMware notes有提到下列訊息：

The following information applies to virtual machines that use Windows Server 2012 and VMware ESX/vSphere/vCenter 5.1 or 5.0 with Backup Exec 2012 SP2:

§  GPT disks are not supported.

我想了解”GPT disks are not supported”，是指不支援虛擬主機中的磁碟格式為GPT，還是指所有備份主機中的磁碟格式若為GPT均不支援？

若主機中包含GPT格式的磁碟在進行備份動作，會有甚麼樣的影響？或警告訊息?

[Jaydeep_S]

After applying SP2, GPT should be supported for Hyper-V as for Vmware, GPt disks are only supported for VHD backups, no GRT.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH175581

Edit: 

Hyper-V Page 32

VMware Page 36

[Kunal_Mudliyar1]

After translating what you said 

I want to know "GPT disks are not supported", refers to the virtual hosts do not support the disk format as GPT, or is that all backup hosts if a GPT disk format not supported?

It applies to the backup hosts not the virtual hosts

So if the Vcenter server has a GPT disk it does not matter, the Virtual machine hosted on an ESX which has a disk which is GPT formated is not supported for GRT operations, however non grt operations work just fine

If the host contains GPT formatted disk during backup action, there will be what kind of impact? Or warning

messages?

No impact if the host has GPT disk

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

Just to carify this - we are limited by the VDDK capability when it comes to support of GPT.

Backup Exec uses the VDDK (supplied by VMware) to access the vStorage API to perform backups. Part of the backup (and restore) process for GRT needs to mount the image data, so we use the VixMntapi function.

If you review the VDDK release notes, as an example, the VDDK 5.0 Release Notes are available here:

https://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vddk/VDDK-500-ReleaseNotes.html

then these notes contain a statement as follows:

GPT unsupported. Despite its appearance in the Virtual Disk API Programming Guide as a volume type, GPT (GUID partition table) volumes are not supported by VixMntapi.

As such without change to the VDDK to support GPT, we cannot support GPT for GRT operations.

Hope this helps with your understanding of why it is not supported.