Installing BE 2010 R2 on Windows SBS 2008 Premium

[phanp]

Hello,

I'm a beginner in BE (and in SBS ...). I installed the two servers of SBS 2008 premium :

• Server 1 : SBS (Windows 2008, Exchange 2007, Sharepoint ...)
• Server 2 : Windows 2008, SQL Server 2008 (and maybe business application soon)

I bought Backup Exec 2010 R2.

My first idea was to install it on Server 2 (then I thought the Server 1 will not be "bused" by the backup processes) in order to backup :

• Itself (Server 2)
• Server 1
• Some other PC of the network

I ran the installation steps with the default installation choice until the "Installation Revue" step.

There, I can read in the installation summary that :

• I have to "install Exchange 2007 management tools on this server to be able to back up a MS Exchange Server 2007 Instance"
• The SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3 will be installed (or has already been installed) by the process, unless the SQL Server 2008 is already installed and run normally (the process never asked me to choice between both installations)

That means I will complexify this very light architecture.

So my question, after some hours searching on docs, forums and blogs :

With a SBS Premium, what is the best practice to install Backup Exec : Server 1 or Server 2 ?

Any ideas or live experience ?

Thank you

[pkh]

1) You did not specify which version of BE that you have. 

If it is a normal version, then from a licensing standpoint, it does not make any difference which server you install it on.  You install BE on which ever server that you want and then buy the appropriate number of remote agent licences for the applications on both server that you want to back up.  For example, you want to backup SQL Server on both servers then you need 2 SQL Server licences.

If you have an SBS version of BE, then you have all the licences to back up whatever application that you have on that SBS server, but you would need to buy additional agent licences for applications that are not on your server.  You cannot install BE SBS on a non-SBS machine which means that you can only install it on Server 1.

2) Since your Server 2 does not have Exchange, to backup Exchange you need to install the Exchange Management Tool.

3) Normally, when you install BE, you will be given an option to install SQL 2005 Express for the BEDB or use an existing instance of SQL Server.  BE SBS may behave differently because I believe you can only have one instance of SQL Server.

[phanp]

Hello Pkh,

Thank you for your answers, please find here some precisions :

1) The version of my BE :

• on the reseller invoice is : "SYMC BACKUP EXEC 2010 FOR WINDOWS SBS WIN PER SERVER BNDL STD LIC EXPRESS BAND S BASIC 12 MONTHS" (after many questions from me, he swore me, it's the good version for my SBS Premium but I have no proof of that ...)
• The version on the install screen is : "BE 2010 R2"

If I good understand you, I have to install it on my Server 1, although Microsoft, in the Windows SBS Premium does include a licence and product installation for TWO servers. Does that means BE Exec for Windows SBS Premium simply doesn't exist ? Or did my reseller sent me a bad version ?

2) Understand

3) Regarding Microsoft SBS Premium :

• Server 1 has SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3 already installed (sharepoint uses it) and it's not supported to install SQL Server 2008 on the same server
• Server 2 has SQL Server 2008 installed (by myself, following MS recomandations, licence included in SBS Premium). Nothing forbid to install also SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3 on Server 2 but it seams to be stupid, just the BE installation interface (on default mode at least) doesn't propose this option

[pkh]

1) I don't use BE SBS version so I cannot comment on whether there is a premium version which is licenced for 2 servers.  At the minimum, you can use your BE SBS on 1 server.  To confirm your licencing, you can check with Symantec Licencing.

3) The absence of an option to install on an existing instance of SQL Server could be a perculiarity of the BE SBS Edition.  The normal edition has that option.  Did you tried the custom install option to see whether it allows you to choose a SQL database?

On your server 1, although SQL 2005 Express is already installed.  BE will use another instance for its database, so it would not interfere with your Sharepoint.

[phanp]

Hello,

1) let's go, ... I registered on the licensing server but the informations I got were nothing more than what I had (exactly same description, than I showed in my picture yesderday, no more explanation ...).

3) May be .. I'll stop the current install on Server 2 and test again on two different ways :

• Install on Server 1 (the reason of SBS is to have a very simple solution, I don't want to duplicate Exchange Management tools)
• Install with custom option (not yet tested)

I understand BE does create a new instance of SQL. Thank you for your support, I'll keep you informed

[pkh]

Call Symantec Licensing by calling the Symantec support number for your country and choose Option 2.  They should be able to tell you whether you can install on 1 or 2 servers.

Regardless of whether you can install on 1 or 2 servers, you would have to buy remote agent licences for the applications that you want to back up on the other server.

[phanp]

Hello, some words after some weeks in order to help other eventual SBS users ...

I went back to my first idea : installing BE on SBS Premium server 2

I firstly installed for that a new SQL Server instance and the Exchange Management tools (not so hard ...)

The custom option finally permit to select the SQL Server instance created.

I didn't get any answer about licensing but the product seems to do the job for both servers.

(I still have a last question with Exchange but I'll open a new subject when I don't find the answer)