Exchange restores from version 8.6 using 11d

[DaveMimm]

My situation is this:  I was previously running version 8.6 and backing up directly to an HP Surestore 24 DAT tape which was internal to my Exchange 2000 server.

My new backup system is a dedicated media server running 11d, and an Exabyte VXA tape changer.
Since the two versions of software were so far apart, 8.6 had to be uninstalled from the exchange server.

My question (before I go through unecessary work) is this: If I pull the HP tape drive out of my exchange server and put it in the new media server, is there any chance that 11d will be able to restore to the exchange server from the old 8.6 backup tapes?

[SPR_TSE]

This likely has little to do with Backup Exec and everything to do with the tape format(s) supported by your new Exabyte. That would be something that Exabyte would be able to answer.

Even if the two versions (8.6 v. 11d) are "so far apart", they still write in BKF format, so the content should be compatible. The question then boils down to moving the SureStore to your new media server. Here's a link to the 11d Hardware Compatibility List (http://support.veritas.com/docs/282249); this will allow you to see whether your SureStore is (still) supported by 11d; if it is, that would be an excellent move to ensure that you can continue to use those tapes.

[DaveMimm]

Thanks.  I will give it a try, the tape drive is on the compatibility list, so in theory it should work.