Duplicate to Data Centre

[andrewjohnporte]

Hi,

We currently have one Backup Exec 2012 Server which runs backup jobs, dedups them and then duplicates to tape. The company want further protection by duplicating the jobs to a Data Centre and I have been asked to look into this. The last time I used backup exec was when I passed my STS exam two years ago and have since lost my access to the training material to review so I would be very grateful for any help I can get.

I'm assuming it's not as easy as just creating an additional duplicate task to the Data Centre storage (if we get a VPN up and running) as the storage would look like it's a disk within the site? I would guess that I have to purchase further licenses and have a VM backup exec server running in the DC. I've found a PDF on BE private cloud services but am still a bit confused.

Thanks.

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...your best bet is to run optimised dedupe and duplicate your dedupe backups...read below, and while listed as BE 2010, it works for BE 2012 and BE 2014 too...

http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/b-backup_exec_dedupe_optimized_2010_WP_211...

Thanks!

[andrewjohnporte]

Thanks Craig.

So I couldn't just add an additional backup-to-disk (B2D) folder to the Data Centre Storage and add that to the onsite Backup Exec Server?

It seems that whatever option is listed in that white paper requires a backup exec server of some description in the Data Centre.

[CraigV]

...if you want to duplicate to another location, you'd need Backup Exec installed there if you wanted to restore from it in the case of a DR event.

And for this to happen, you'd need the CASO license which is part of the Enterprise Server Option add-in for BE.

Thanks!

[andrewjohnporte]

You can't just create Disk Based Storage > Network Storage then and duplicate to there?

I guess I have to create a BE Server Vm in the cloud and the duplicate the jobs to there. The schedule on the current BE Server is: 1x monthly, 1x weekly and daily differentials. Would I just set up a duplication of every job to the DC cloud and it should run fine with the miminal bandwidth used?

Thanks again.

[andrewjohnporte]

As BE Technical support said with the Data Centre storage:

"You would need to configure it as a local volume on BE Server, then you can create a storage on it for Backup Exec to use."

" the way we configure NAS storage as a local volume."

[andrewjohnporte]

But I guess I can create a network share on the DC storage and connect to it from the local site via VPN or dedicated leased line and create UNC path storage. But then the data goign across would no longer be in dedup format as you can only have one dedup storage can't you?

[pkh]

You are correct. The data would be hydrated before it is shipped across the wire and you can only have one dedup folder per media server

[CraigV]

Hi Andrew,

Correct...hence my suggestion to look at optimized dedupe for which you'd need another BE media server with dedupe license (and any additional application licenses), as well as the ESO license.

Thanks!

[paulta]

Cheers Craig and PKH.

If I were to seed the data in the cloud, I can only do that with a Backup Exec Server at the other end can't I? With a manual option of taking the Backup Exec Server to the CLoud/DC site and backing up the first full jobs there before moving it back on-site?

But then, I think there's no point in doing that anyway if we were to have full backups run every week which wouldn't be deduplicated.

[CraigV]

Hi,

Yes, you'd need a BE server in the cloud to seed to if you want it to restore your data from your cloud provider.

Having a dedupe folder on the remote site will ensure that optimized dedupe is definitely an option!

Thanks!