Pending Reboot Requirement

[IS_Manager]

We're using Backup Exec 11D for Windows Servers build 7170 and I've run into a major problem with the installation of the remote agent on one of our mission-critical, production servers. I had to uninstall the agent originally but whenever I try to push a new installation, it tells me I have to reboot this server. This is simply not an option as this server is used for our accounting division.

If someone knows what it is that Backup Exec does to the system to require a reboot so I can undo or remove this unnecessary reboot requirement and proceed with installation of the remote agent, I would appreciate it.

As a side-note to any Backup Exec developers or techs that might read this, it would be ideal to modify your application in such a way that reboots aren't required. It's difficult to justify purchasing software that interferes or hinders operations. People use this software in production environments and developers need to code software with this in mind. Reboots should be avoided at all costs and only be used as a very last resort.

[Ken_Putnam]

Your accounting dept works 24/7?

As an/the IS Manager you ought to know that you will be spending after hours time maintaining the systems you are responsible for.  Do you not apply MS critical maintenance because it might inconvenience your accounting dept (or any other dept, including the Executive Offices)?

No - you tell  (not ask) them that the system will be unavailable due to maintenance from 1730-1830 on XXX night, and then you stay late and do your job.

[IS_Manager]

I am well aware of what my job is. I am also aware that my job is not to compensate for poor development practices. It is not necessary to code an application that requires reboots of production servers. Our developers code our application install proccess to avoid rebooting and it doesn't seem to bother our clients. Uptime is important to me and, more importantly, to the person that signs my paycheck. Scheduled maintenance on servers is one thing, but having to step outside our maintenance schedule due to bad development practices doesn't make for happy employers.

So while I will probably wind up having to order maintenance, I was hoping for an alternate solution to the problem that didn't involve taking the server offline or interrupting services used by our company. So while your response is appreciated, I think you might have missed the bigger picture here. Reboots outside standard maintenance scheduling should be avoided at all costs and only used as a very last resort to resolve problems. It should not be standard practice for developers to treat the restarting of a production machine so lightly. Backup Exec is labeled as an enterprise product. It's not too much to ask that they code it like one.

[Brendan_Foley]

This may or may not help you:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312444