How do i backup over my SAN

[Dominick_Labruz]

Anyone know how i tell backup exec to run my backups through my Host bus adapters instead of my NIC's so my backups will run over my SAN?

[Tim_Nelson]

A little more environment information may help.

1) Storage must be attached to server
2) Tape devices must be directly accessable from server.
3) Backup must execute from server


i.e.
server A has 100GB of attached SAN storage
server A has direct access to tape drive either by SCSI or SAN
server A executes the backup and directly uses the tape

If you are looking to backup server A to Server B's tape, the only option is via the LAN using a remote client. Server B cannot see server A's storage unless it is in some type of cluster.

[David_Sanz]

That's right

Remote agent is not able to send data through the SAN, just IP. The only way ti get this is installing a Backup Exec server and a backup destination (tape or disk) on every machine on the SAN.

Regards

[Dominick_Labruz]

server has 2.7 TB of attached san storage
tape drive is accessible over san
my backup exec server as well as the servers i am trying to backup are connected through qlogic san switches. all the servers have HBA's in them.

i am looking to backup to the 2.7 TB attached storage over my san network.

[Tim_Nelson]

I am not sure of the correct BackupExec terminology but you would need what I call a device manager ( vs a remote agent ) on this specific server so the BackupExec manager server can coordinate the use of the shared tape and allow direct usage.

Hope this helps, at least from the logical view standpoint.

[David_Sanz]

Dominick

You need, in every machine attached to the SAN, a Backup Exec server with the SAN Shared Storage Option. You need to define the Backup jobs from every server to backup its own disks. If this sounds complicated, another approach could be install CASO in this environment, so that everything is managed from just one server (the CAS).

Regards

[Philip_Pearson]

You can do direct san backups to a san attached tape device, your SAN vendor would be a better contact than symantec for support.

What are you using EMC, IBM, Hitachi, HP?

[Hywel_Mallett]

You need what used to be called the ServerFree option.
This allows a SAN attached to device to backup directly to another, all co-ordinated by Backup Exec.
Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be listed under the options for 11D.
Is this a step backwards from 10d?

[James_McKey]

You are correct, there is no more ServerFree option. I believe the cost of the specific hardware needed for such a solution (its more that just typical SAN hardware, it has to be VSS compliant, etc.) was too cost prohibitive for most of our customers so it got very little traction.