How to migrate and upgrade Backup Exec to another server

[Duy_Nguyen]

Dear Symantec Support Team,

     I have Backup Exec 12.5 is running on Windows Server 2003. I have bought the new server that server is running Windwos Server 2012 and Backup EXEC 2014. I want backup data on the old server (2003 and 12.5) and restore data on the new server (2012 and BE2014).

     Please help me.

Best regards, 

[pkh]

You should upgrade BE to BE 2014 on your existing server and then migrate BE to the Server 2012 machine. See this document http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH67768 Make sure you make a copy of the Data and Catalog directory under the BE installation directory first.

[VJware]

May be slightly tricky as BE 2014 does not support Win 2003 as a media server OS. (It does support Win 2003 R2 though).

[Steve-Young]

The best method is to upgrade existing server from 12.5 to 2014 first. Backup Exec 2014 support only Windows 2003 R2 as Vjware noted above.   There are manual migration technotes but it can be complicated.  Backup Exec 2014 introduces DLM changes.  If you use BEMIG to migrate the database you wont see how your jobs will be affected until after the BEMIG process is done.

[Duy_Nguyen]

Dear PKH, VJware and Steve Y,

    Thanks for your information. I will upgrade from 12.5 to 2014 and after that migrade to windows server 2012.

Best regards,

[pkh · Accepted solution]

You would need to upgrade to Server 2003 R2 before you can upgrade to BE 2014, so yours is a 3-step process, instead of 2

[Phoenix195]

In a similar case we have Symantec BE 12.5 running on Windows 2003 R2 but in 32 bit.  We just purchased a new server with MS Server 2012 in 64 bit and Symantec Backup exec 2014.  What is the best way to move the cataloguesand migrate the data from the 32 bit server to the new 64 bit 2012 server? 

[Laurie_Downey]

@ Phenix195,

It is not advised to migrate the Backup Exec data from a 32 bit to a 64 bit server or from one OS to another. You can refer to the following documentation for more detail: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH67768

Refer to the section:

Do not follow this procedure if any of the following are true

• The computer where Backup Exec is installed and the computer where it will be installed are running two different versions of the Windows Operating System.

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  NOTE:  If any of the above mentioned conditions are true, this procedure cannot be performed and Backup Exec will need to be re-installed and re-configured.