Discussion: Backup Exec 2010: Archiving Options - White Paper Questions

[dl2rcf]

After a symantec employee, Mr. Jaydeep S. recommended the following option, I read the option as a newb to BE until my eyes bulged out...

http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/b-backup_exec_2010_archiving_options_WP_20...

Reminder to my situation to explain it:

- (few) users store their huge files ~50GB onto a ~10TB disk and normally do not change them afterwards

- All files shall be archived (forever!) by adding them to the tapes (scalable tape robot Overland Neo8000 with LTO5 tapes at 1,5TB each). This shall be done at day one the user stored the files on the server automatically

- ~half a year later the files get deleted from the server semi-automatically by a routine that deletes them with approval of admin according to the oldest date

- uses may demand (phone call) restoring VERY OLD files from tape to server years after. No user is allowed to restore from tape on his own.

- Server is a Win2008 64-bit (! no active directory but simple network shares NTLMv2) and an Overland Neo8000e Tape robot locally connected

Here are my questions to that white paper (we would use only raw file server environment), first the serious points:

...page 13:

Migrate Archived Data to Tape: Backup Exec does not have the capability to migrate data to tape devices for
long-term retention.  Use Enterprise Vault in conjunction with the Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault,
which includes Enterprise Vault Migration features.

I seriously considered suicide after reading that...

...so for LONG-TIME retention to tape even the Archiving Option of BE isn't good enough? Do we then mandatory need Enterprise Vault (only for the long-term issue, we neither use Mail, nor Exchange, nor Outlook, nor End-user recovery...)? I am confused!

...on page 13 & 14 the paper talk on various occasions about "migration".

What is meant by "migration" in this regards? General process of putting stuff from HDD to tape forever?

The rest of the questions I wrote directly into the modded PDF...which I will upload here now for discussion.

/connect/sites/default/files/users/user-2713741/b-backup_exec_2010_archiving_options_WP_20999104.end...

Many thanks in advance for participation and with best regards,

Ruben

[teiva-boy]

Ruben,

 Let's be realistic here.  The BE Archiving option is Enterprise Vault(EV)  "Lite."  There is no hiding this fact, and the features in BE were never meant to replace some of the enterprise features within EV.  This helps distinguish and separate an entry level product from an enterprise product.  It also allows Symantec to sell upgrades.

What you get from the BE archiving option is what I like to call "Storage Optimization."  Move old data to another tier off storage, and expire it when done.  One policy, one movement, and thats it.  Anything more granular or more feature rich, move up to Enterprise Vault.  Need eDiscovery features, Move to EV.  Want to migrate from disk to disk to tape; move to EV.  

That said, certain features will be unique and will always be EV only features.  Just like how NetBackup the enterprise version of backup software, where as BE is SMB focused; can do Multiplexing and Multistreaming.  BE has to do everything in a serial fashion of via concurrent jobs.  Thus it can never take advantage of LTO4, 5 or 6.  It can never speed up backups, nor can it shrink backup windows with some simple tweaks.

As for your document and its questions.

1.  File indexing, BE can read a certain amount of files and file types, to allow searching within.  If it's custom, odds are it won't be able to index.  EV can read more file types than BE, and their eDiscovery product Clearwell can read more and even custom files as you mention.

2.  The deletion of data from the source after an archive job; not possible in your request.  The WHOLE point of an archive solution is to automate tasks.  But to satisfy most of your requirements, you do need EV for those functions.

3.  I'm pretty sure you must be on a domain.  workgroups are not supported.

4.  Fingerprint database - files that change are archived as a whole new file.  One period, one comma change constitutes a whole new file.

5.  Vault Store Partitions - Disk only.  UNC path is okay too.

6.  PST is an oulook function of moving files to a local PST file.

7.  Migrate Archived Data to Tape - With a BE agent installed on the EV server, you can backup data from EV to mover to tape, and potentially close out a partition and delete it, since you have a tape copy.  No word on how easy a task it is to recover a file(s) years later.  I don't recommend what the article alludes to.

Oh and yes all those IIS and web requirements are real.

So to sum up, BE archiving is a teaser into Enteprise Vault.  It's built on EV, but many features stripped away.  Symantec does make the process of upgrading from BE archiving to EV simple (subjective IMO) but the longer term issues of that upgrade are what scare me.

lastly, BE2012 does change some of the archiving features, some for the better, some for the worse.  Be sure to read up on those changes.

[dl2rcf]

Thank You, teiva-boy, for Your detailed remarks!

distinguish and separate an entry level product from an enterprise product.  It also allows Symantec to sell upgrades.

and I thought we bought the real deal...as for selling upgrades: nothing wrong with that. For me it's much easier to purchase an upgrade then a whole new system...

2.  The deletion of data from the source after an archive job; not possible in your request.  The WHOLE point of an archive solution is to automate tasks.  But to satisfy most of your requirements, you do need EV for those functions.

Do You know, if automatic file deletion must occur directly after archiving, or is BE's AO that intelligent, that can mark files internally for user defined deletion lets say 3 months later?

Oh and yes all those IIS and web requirements are real.

So, this would include quite some work to do for us. I am not familiar with IIS/ web servers.

...Want to migrate from disk to disk to tape; move to EV.  

7. Migrate Archived Data to Tape - With a BE agent installed on the EV server, you can backup data from EV to mover to tape

... and You cannot do this with BE2010's Archiving Option? Why? Even BE2010 naked standard edition can access a tape robot smoothly and write to tape (even though with the problems I am describing...)

lastly, BE2012 does change some of the archiving features, some for the better, some for the worse.  Be sure to read up on those changes.

Do You know, where to find a list of those changes regarding archiving. Please a list that touches the "changes for the worse" as well that is :-), no sales department list ?

Many thanks in advance,

Ruben