DR File Not Created

[BobR2]

I am running BE 2012 SP1a x64 on Windows Server 2008 R2.  Backups of the media server go to disk first, then duplicate to tape.  I just updated to SP1a hoping it would fix this problem, but it doesn't appear to have done so.  The B2D stage completes successfully, but the DR file doesn't get updated.  I do have some exceptions in the selection list.  One is to exclude some Endpoint Protection files that don't back up correctly (although maybe I should try that again now on SP1a).  The other and more notable selection exception is the B2D folder on the D: drive.  Would these exceptions cause the DR file not to be created?  If so, how do I get around this?  If not, what else could be causing it not to create a DR file after a successful backup?

Thanks,

Bob

[BobR2]

As a test, I removed the one exception leaving only the B2D folder as excluded.  The job ran successfully, but still no DR file.

One note: the tape duplication part of the job is failing because there's no tape in the drive.  Perhaps this is the issue?  I guess I will know tomorrow night when it runs with a tape inserted.

[pkh]

Unless you backup the whole server, SDR will be turned off.  I think this is acknowledged to be a problem and Symantec is looking into it.

You can see whether SDR is available when you create the job at the top right hand corner, there is an indication whether SDR is on/off.

The D2T part should not affect SDR.  You should try re-creating the job and select the entire server.

[BobR2]

pkh, I can't select the whole server because the B2D folder would be backing up itself.  I've tried this.  First, it gets too big that way and fills up the drive (copies of copies of copies of the backup files).  And, second, it errors on backing up the B2D folder because it sees the files as changed during the verify (corrupt data).  Since this is a media server, I don't see how you can ever back up the whole server unless you go right to tape...and I don't want to do that for other reasons.

Thanks,

Bob

[pkh]

Sorry.  Not the entire server.  I mean the entire C: drive of the server.

[BobR2]

Well, I do have the entire C: drive seleted.  The B2D folder is on the D: drive, and it's the only folder not selected.  And, you're right, the SDR does show as off in the selections screen.  If I select everything, it lights up and says ON.  As soon as I uncheck D:\BEData, it goes back to OFF.  Any suggestions?

If not, can I still do an SDR recovery without the DR file?  If so, how?

Thanks,
Bob

[pkh]

Unfortunately, you are in a Catch-22 situation.  As I mentioned before, there is a previous discussion where a situation similiar to yours was discussed.  A Symantec employee said that to allow exclusions with SDR would open up a can of worms and needs to be examined further.  Imagine exclusions are allowed and an unwitting user excludes some important directories rendering a restore impossible.

[BobR2]

pkh,

That makes perfect sense.  However, you mentioned that it only mattered if exclusions were made on the C: drive.  Mine is on the D: drive.  So, why would it affect the SDR status?

Also, can I do an SDR recover without the DR file?

Thanks,
Bob

[pkh]

I guess it is trying to protect the entire server, so any exclusions would turn of SDR.

Without the .dr file, you cannot create the recovery CD.

[Colin_Weaver]

For some reason BE thinks that the D: drive is a critical volume. Maybe there is an application installed on that drive that loads a boot time or system time driver from that volume. Here is a way to manually let BE know that the D: volume is not a critical volume.

Add the following registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec For Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\Simplified System Protection\User-Defined Exclusion Resources\D:

After adding this key, you should be able to exclude files and folders from the D: volume and still perform an SDR job that creates the .DR file.

NOTE: we do want you to add a key - so a container object that just contains a (default ) Reg_SZ value. We are not askign you to cerate any values.

CAUTION: as there may be something that is critical on the D: drive, if using this key, would suggest you still backup D: (with your specific excludes in place) and/or if possible do a test SDR restore of a backup done without any D: content to see if the resulting machine will boot.

[BobR2]

Thanks Colin.  Somehow I missed your post.  I had another thread going from before this one (created a new one when I stopped getting responses on the old one).  Below is the URL to it.  I added the exclusions in the registry, and removed all exclusions from my selection list, and it worked.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/dr-file-not-created-imcomplete-selection-list

Thanks,
Bob

[Parag_Kavitke]

Hi Bob,

To answer your question 'can I do an SDR recover without the DR file?'

Remote recovery (Recovering by connecting to BE server) is possible even if you don't have the .DR file.

Local recovery (BE server is not available, but Backup sets are) is not possible without the .DR file.

It is recomonded to user to have a copy of .DR file to a different location.

Thanks,

Parag

[pkh]

Remote recovery (Recovering by connecting to BE server) is possible even if you don't have the .DR file.

Without the .dr file, how do you create the SDR bootable disk?

[Parag_Kavitke]

hi,

User can create a custom SDR ISO incase of the following requirements

1. Wants to add a driver being used by a backed up system as is not part of the Default SDR CD(User need to select the perticular system during the Custom ISO creation wizard).
2. Wants to manually add driver from a different location
3. Change TimeZone settings
4. Change the Language for boot
5. Change Networking Service start option

For any of the above requirement, the DR file will not be prompted.

If user selects the 1st option listed above, the DR file belonging to the selected system would be automatically injected in the ISO.

Thanks,

Parag

[pkh]

The user wants to create a SDR bootable image so that he can restore his system.  How is this possible without a .dr file?  

Previously, you are saying that a remote restore can be done by SDR without a .dr file.  Without a .dr file, how is the SDR process going to know which backup set to use?

[Parag_Kavitke]

Let me brief about the SDR restore process.

1. User will do a SDR backup of a RAWS system (the .DR file gets created on BE server)

2. All the medata information from the DR file is then updated to the catalog

3. User boots the RAWS system into SDR mode using a SDR CD/ISO

4. Initiates a remote recovery by connecting to the BE server (to which the backup was done)

5. The Wizard will list the backed up RAWS system with the point-in-time backups avaiable for restore (this is populated by the BE catalog)

6. User can select the desired point-in-time backup for restore and proceed.

In the above process, BE catalog provide allthe information which is there in the DR file.

Incase of a Local recovery, DR file is MUST (as the BE server is not contacted and so the catalog is not available)

i hope that answers your query.

Thanks,
Parag

[pkh]

1. User will do a SDR backup of a RAWS system (the .DR file gets created on BE server)

This is the problem at the heart of this discussion.  The .dr file is not created.  Without the .dr file, the user is unable to do a SDR recovery.

[BobR2]

pkh,

If you do the registry exceptions (see the link I posted to another thread showing the details) on the backed up server and make your selection list (on the media server) for the server being backed up have no exceptions, the .DR file DOES get created without backing up the files you don't want to have included.  I have tested this myself.  It's a bit of a cludge to have to do exceptions in the registry of the backed-up server instead of in the selection list of the backup job, but it does work.

Bob

[BobR2]

PS, the D2T part does update the .DR file and when you run an SDR restore using the .DR file from after the D2T has run, the SDR restore shows the B2D and the Tape as options for restore.  I've used this to replace all the hard drives in a server at once...basically a bare-metal restore.  (HP had a recall on drives and mine were included.)  This was on the media server, so tape was the only option that was realistic since the B2D repository was no longer there.

Bob

[pkh]

I did some tests recently and I was able to exclude some folders from a D: drive without turning off SDR.

I can even de-select the entire D: drive without SDR turning off.  I am on SP1.  I don't know whether this makes a difference.