Backup status display for VMware VMs

[Artegic]

Backup Exec 2012 SP4 running on Windows Server 2008 R2 backing up a VMware cluster with a pretty mixed bag of VMs via vCenter/AVVI.

In the Backup Exec GUI, on the All Servers page, I see the vCenter server through which the backups are performed, but also some of the individual Windows VMs that are backed up. This includes all of the VMs that have RAWS installed on them in order to use Application GRT (which I understand) but also a few of the others (which I don't understand). If I delete them from the list they reappear on their own. That clutters the display, but I can live with that.

However, most (though not all) of the VMs show up with incorrect status information.

• "Status" is "Backed up with exceptions" even though the last backup run in which they were included completed successfully and the status of the vCenter is correctly shown as "Backed up". (no exceptions)
• The "Last 7 Days" display is completely blank.
• "Last Backup" does not show the date of the last backup run in which they were included, but an apparently random date between 26 and 35 days before that.
• In the server details, the "Jobs", "Job Log" and "Active Messages" panes are empty. "Backup Sets" is either empty or contains a few outdated entries, but not the latest backups.

The servers with wrong status displays include all the VMs that show up even though they don't have RAWS installed, but also two of those that have. If I delete them they reappear with the same bad status info. Other VMs do show correct status data. I haven't tried deleting one of those.

Is there a way to either get rid of the incorrect entries or have them display correct data?

I've attached a screenshot. Legend:

• 10.4.4.130 is the vCenter server through which the VMs are backed up.
• CALYPSO, HYPERION, JANUS, TARVOS, TELESTO, TEST-PC, and THEBE are VMs without RAWS.
• CARPO and TITANIA are VMs with RAWS installed but wrong status displays.
• LEXWARE, MAMMUT, MAYORISRDS, PANDORA, ZAGDC02, and ZAGEXCH01 are VMs with RAWS installed showing correct data.
• For completeness, DOCKER, GOLGI, and ZAGDC01 are backed up separately (ie. not via AVVI). ERDE, URANUS, and VENUS are decommissioned servers whose entries I only keep around in order to still have access to their backups should the need arise.

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

Whilst RAWS is needed for Application GRT it is NOT needed for file system GRT backups. However to restore from file system GRT the object representing the actual VM and not just the ESX vCenter (or Host) must be listed in the Backup and Restore section. As such if you have a valid backup set for the VM (and therefore a valid catalog) it will appear in the server list.

EDIT: As an enhacnment BE 2014 has a retired servers group which allows you to not see a decommisioned server in the All Servers group, but stil restore if needed by using the retired servers group

EDIT2: The wrong status for VMs in 7 days ribbon is something we are aware of being seen by some customers, BE 2014 should solve some of the conditions that cause this.

[Artegic]

Thanks. Another reason to look forward to BE 2014.