Fresh install of Backup Exec 2012

[villeah]

Hello,

I have tried to dodge the bullet this time and avoided upgrading to BE 2012 until worst bugs are fixed. Now I think the time is right for upgrade, or is it?

I am planning to uninstall BE 2010 R3 and install 2012 on same server. What do I need to remember? Surely I have to backup catalogs, but what else? We are using deduplication storage, is that going to cause problems?

[Kiran_Bandi · Accepted solution]

If i were you, i will wait till R2 comes out!

Otherwise, what you are trying to do is just migrating BE within the same computer (if i can say that). You have to make use of BEMIG to upgrade database from 2010 R3 to 2012. Take a copy of Data and Catalogs folder before removing BE 2010.

Have a look at this TN: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/migration-2010-r3-2012

[pkh]

We are using deduplication storage

I don't know how you are going to connect to the dedup storage after a fresh install of BE 2012.  You may be able to just define a dedup storage in BE 2012, point to your existing dedup folder and get it recognised.  You got to check wither this is possible.  I suspect that a better option would be to do an in-place upgrade to BE 2012.  You might want to protect your dedup folder by backing it up.  See

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH143335

If you want to do a fresh install of BE 2012, I would suggest that you talk to Symantec regarding how to handle the dedup folder.

[pkh]

You have to make use of BEMIG to upgrade database from 2010 R3 to 2012

The user wants to do a fresh install of BE 2012 so why are you talking about upgrading?

[Kiran_Bandi]

Fresh install but keep existing settings! User said Now I think the time is right for upgrade

Isn't it equal to migrating from one version to another version? That's what i thought!

...and i haven't marked you down! I know that doesn't matter much, but wanted to mention.

[pkh]

Where does the user mention that he wants to keep existing settings? Can you upgrade to a newer version by doing a fresh install of the newer version?

[villeah]

Thank you all for your comments. The optimal scenario for me after installing/upgrading/migrating to 2012 would be that all backup storages are available as they were with 2010, and I can restore old data from them. I dont mind about jobs and policies, I can recreate them. The reason why I started this tread is that some experts doesn't recommend in-place upgrade, and I wanted to collect some information about my options.

[Sush---]

Hello Villeah,

    My receommendation would be to perform inplace upgrade. This will give you all your devices and catalogs as they were in BE 2010 which means no need to re-catalog the media and you can still restore data from it.

Regarding devices only think needs to be remembered is that from BE 2012 you can have only one disk storage on one drive (C:, or D: or E: , etc). So in BE 2010 if you have more than 1 B2D on say D: drive then one of them will be converted to Read only in BE 2012. Good thing is that you can still restore the data from it.

Rest everything will be upgrade including your jobs. If you do not want your jobs then you can delete is after upgrade and then create it as per your requirement.

Thanks,

-Sush...

[pkh]

Personally, I would go for a fresh install.  The jobs in BE 2012 are so different.  There is no point in keeping your old jobs.

For catalogs, you can just copy the contents of you old catalog directory into the new one and you are done.

For you B2D folders, just import them.  Since you can only have 1 B2D folder per volume, one of them would become the read/write disk storage and the rest of them would be read-only legacy B2D folders which you still do restores.

As for your dedup folder, ask Symantec support how you would connect to your new BE 2012.  Is it just a matter of defining a dedup folder and pointing to the existing dedup folder?  I suspect this is the case.

[CraigV]

...I'd be interested to know which experts told you not to do an in-place. At all times if you can you'd want to do this...

[Sush---]

Hello PKH,

    I think the information that you have provided is not full correct.

For catalogs, you can just copy the contents of you old catalog directory into the new one and you are done.

--> This can not be done. If you just copy the Catalogs from one version to another then that will cause problems like ODBC connection-Catalog error and so forth. During upgrade/migration from one version to new one there is processing done on the catalogs too. So just copying from one version to another will not work. Refer to the following technote:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH68896 : How to import Catalogs into a Backup Exec 12.x or later to a new or upgraded installation.

As for your dedup folder, ask Symantec support how you would connect to your new BE 2012.  Is it just a matter of defining a dedup folder and pointing to the existing dedup folder?  I suspect this is the case.

--> Again this will not work at all. Deduplication folder has its own database attached in the background. So just removing it from one version and then after installing new version attaching it that version will note help.

Please refer to the following technote:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH162083 : Steps to move a Backup Exec 2010 R3 Deduplication Storage folder to a new server.

In this technote it mentions that 

• Source and Target Media Servers has Backup Exec 2010 R3 installed and licensed for the Deduplication Storage Option.
• Source and Target Media Servers are at the same hotfix level.

This means that you can not copy paste OR detach /attach Dedupe folder from one version of BE to another version even when it is on the same server. The source and destination version needs to be same.

Let me know if you have any queries.

@Villreah: I still feel inplace UPGRADE is better option.

Thanks,

-Sush...

[pkh]

For catalogs, you can just copy the contents of you old catalog directory into the new one and you are done.

I have tested this by copying my BE 2010 to BE 2012 and it works.  BTW, if you will read the document that you referenced, it basically say you just need to copy the existing catalogs to the new catalog directory and BE will take care of the rest when you restart the BE services.  If need be, you only need to re-index the catalog.  I did not go into details because I had presumed that the user is smart enough to stop the BE services before he copy the catalogs into the new catalog directory so he would need to restart the BE services before he can use BE again.

As for the dedup folder, that is why I ask him to check whether it is possible.  If you also look at my previous answer, I said that he might have to do an in-place upgrade because of the dedup folder.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

[villeah]

According to my calculations the score is now 3-2 for in-place upgrade, but the match is tied to 3-3 if our "expert's" oppinion gets counted. I am going to wait until R2 is released, and then log a case with Symantec and ask their views. Thanks again for help!