Licensing & Problems Selecting Content DB's

[TheJackal]

Hi All,

We have Sharepoint installed on 2 Web Front End (WFE) servers with the databases on a seperate SQL 2000 server (all servers are running Windows Server 2003).

The WFE servers are load balanced using Microsoft Network Load Balancing (NLB).

On a seperate SQL 2005 server we have Backup Exec 11d build 7170 with SP2 and hotfix 6 applied. I have installed a remote agent on the primary WFE sharepoint server which is up to date inline with the media server.

I can select the server farm however when I try to select any of the content or configuration databases I get the error message below:

"An error was encountered while attempting to browse the contents of Content-DB 1"

"(servername\dbname)"

"Access to the device is not authorized with this edition of Backup Exec"

Am I right in thinking that this is due to me not having a remote agent on the SQL server that hosts the content databases in question?

If so, does that mean I'm going to have to buy another license? i.e. I would need a full install on the SQL 2005 server, a remote agent on the WFE server and another agent on the SQL 2000 server?

This is fairly urgent and if we need to buy another license I need to inform my client asap so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Many Thanks.

[Ken_Putnam]

So you do not have a SharePoint serial installed, just a SQL serial adn a RAWS?

[TheJackal]

I have three licenses installed:

1 full installation license

1 SharePoint License

1 Remote Agent License

As far as I was aware, I could have a media server (server A) with all three licenses, a remote agent installed on the SharePoint front end server (server B) and that would allow me to backup SharePoint with GRT.

The SharePoint databases are all stored on a seperate SQL server (server C) and when I try to select any of the content DB's for backup I get the error message in the previous post.

The only thing I can think of is that I need to put a remote agent on the SQL server aswell (server C) and if this is the case, will the SharePoint license cover both remote agents?

Thanks.

[Ben_L_]

You need a remote agent installed on every server in the farm.  As far as I recall the sharepoint agent covers all servers in the farm, but I'm having to double check that with sales.

[DY]

We recently got Sharepoint up and running, and I am encountering this problem as well.  I can select it when going through the "Domain\SQL server\Sharepoint Resources"  but not on the top level "Sharepoint Farms". But even if I select it through the Domain the backup job fails.

All I have seen is licensing issues but this shouldn't be a problem.  Anyone have any clue?

Message Edited by DY on 12-31-2007 09:22 AM

[TheJackal]

Unfortunately, this is still a problem!

I've tried installing remote agents on all front end servers, so the setup is as follows:

SharePoint Server 1 - Remote Agent Installed

SharePoint Server 2 - Remote Agent Installed

SQL Server 1 - SQL 2000, All SharePoint DB's - No Agent.

SQL Server 2 - SQL 2005, No relevent DB's - BE 11d Full Installation, with SharePoint License Installed.

I'm going to try moving the SharePoint DB's to the SQL 2005 server and see if that helps, if not, I'm completely stuck and will be looking pretty stupid infront of my client who I recommended this solution to!

[DY]

Actually I had a case open with Tech Support and they informed me this is a known problem that they are working on right now.  One article I found is here: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/288594.htm. 

I don't know why they released the Sharepoint Agent if it's not even functional (in fact it breaks stuff), but that's good old Symantec for  you.  The workaround is backing up the database using SQL, but you do not have granular restore any more.

[TheJackal]

Cheers.

I'm hoping that is not related to my problem though as I'm using SharePoint 2007 and that link only states that it affects 2003.

I'll let you know how I get on though.

[gilagry]

Did you ever get your backup to work?  HF 34 should have fixed selecting content DB's, as it did with us.  But we are not able to do granular restores.  Only full backup of the database.

Thanks.

[Russ_Perry]

Looks like you're covered for licensing but you MUST have a Remote Agent installed on the back end SQL server. 

Russ