Is Backup Exec Small Business Edition Right for Me?

[BrewWizard]

I'm helping out a small non-profit who uses Windows 2012 Essential Server. Currently backups are using Windows Server backup to an attached USB fire safe drive. There is a small SQL Express (2008R2) database application, and all the user files are kept on shared folders on the server. There is a QuickBooks database stored there as well, but no Virtual Machine, Exchange Server, or other apps running on the server.

Being a non-profit, they get a reduced rate on Backup Exec (and SBE), so I'm looking into it as potentially a better solution. I've had problems with Windows Server Backup, plus it's very basic and hard to diagnose what's going on.

It's a simple system, so I have a few questions before reading a huge manual and/or setting up a test system:

1. Can't currently automatically backup databases on SQL Express without writing some code and a batch file called by Windows scheduler, from what I've read (SQL Express limitation). Will that still be an issue on Backup Exec SBE?
2. I'd like to backup only a few important files/folders to the cloud, in addition to the local attached drive. Everything else only to the attached drive Easy to do?
3. What about bare metal restores for client computers? Included?
4. Is this overkill for what I want to do? I want easy; this is a simple server.

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

[lmosla]

Yes, I think it would be a good fit  please take a quick look at  http://www.symantec.com/backup-exec-small-business-edition/  but your best bet would be to contact licensing http://www.symantec.com/global/licensing/

[pkh]

1. BE 15 can backup and restore SQL 2008 R2 Express databases without any additional coding and it can be scheduled like any other job.

2. Unless the you have the necessary hardware, you cannot backup to the cloud.  See the HCL below

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH227895

3. SDR is included without additional charge.  You can only backup 2 remote servers with the SB Edition and you would need to purchase remote agent licences for them.

4. Since you have only one server and one database, you might want to check whether purchasing the core BE licence plus an Agent for Applications and Databases licence for the SQL database is cheaper than the SB edition.  The SB edition can backup other applications like Exchange.

Note that your Quickbook application is not supported by BE, so you have to come up with some procedure to backup and restore this application.

[BrewWizard]

Thanks for your reply. We'll actually use BE14, as that's what's available to us; hopefully, it has the same or similar requirements. Follow Up: 2. Why would the hardware make a difference for backing up to the cloud? I read where backup exec should work with most directly connected drives, but it's not clear why a backup to a cloud would require specific hardware.

[pkh]

When you backup to any device, you need to check the HCL to make sure that it is supported.  That is, it has all the functionality needed to support the backup operation.  Otherwise, you will have problems.  See the BE 2014 HCL below to see the requirements for backing up to a cloud

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH214803

While you are at it, check that the disk that you are backing up to is supported.

[BrewWizard]

Yeah, I DID check the compatibilty list, as I already implied. It says any attached drive (not an NAS, tape, or other intelligent device)  should be supported. That list is for tested, more complex devices.

Then it lists Amazon AWS (a cloud) as a backup target, so I just don't understand your original answer, unless you are just giving out a canned response and didn't really read what I said in either post. Or perhaps I'm missing something, but telling me to look at the HCL yet again is not helpfull.

[pkh]

If your disk is NOT an internal disk, then you need to check the HCL to see whether it is listed.  If it is, then it is tested and is supported.  If it is not listed in the HCL, then you need to test it with the B2DTest utility (below).

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH69107

If it passes the B2DTest then it should be o.k. to use, but you might still have problems because it has not been tested.

My apologies for the cloud hardware thing.  I forgot about the AWS VTL Gateway which was only recently supported.  Previously the only cloud solution involves using a Riverbed device.