Pre-command doesn't run if remote server is offline

[JonathanLee]

We are using Backup Exec 2012 and I have one backup job that fails frequently.  I am using a Windows Remote Agent to back up a remote workstation that is used to create multimedia content and has a fairly significant amount of local storage.  I have created a script that sends a WOL "magic packet" to the machine and waits until it is awake before exiting.  This script is configured within the job to run on the local media server.  This script works flawlessly when run manually, however setting it as a pre-command to the backup job, it does not even run if the remote machine is turned off (it does run if the machine is on).  I have the pre-command execution timeout set to the default of 15 minutes but the job fails after only five minutes.  The error is "Backup Exec could not log on to the server with the logon account specified for it".  Backup jobs are however successful if the machine is on.

This all leads me to believe that something in the BE job engine is attempting to connect to the remote machine and causing the job to fail before the pre-command ever executes.  I read another thread on this site that discussed whether or not a snapshot was attempted prior to the pre-command but the conclusion was that the pre-command runs before any snapshotting.

My question is: is there some other setting within the backup job that is instructing Backup Exec to attempt to connect to the remote machine prior to executing any pre-command?

Any assistance with this is greatly appreciated.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

Why don't you use Windows scheduler to run the script to wake up the machine way before the backup job starts and not rely on it as a pre-command?  You can even use the BEMCLI cmdlet Start-BEJob in your script to start the backup job after it has checked that the remote machine is up and running.

[Colin_Weaver]

I suspect that this is a consequence of process ordering as the job starts

A pre command is actually part of the job process in that the process to trigger the pre command can't actually start until the job process issues the start request. I suspect the job process checks if the resource to be backed up is available, before we actually start the pre command, hence your problem.

Note: pkh has probably given you your best option to get this to work.

[JonathanLee]

PKH is correct as far as one way that this can be done.  There is also the option to set the workstation to power-on at a certain time in the BIOS.  I just wondered if there was any way to manage this exclusively in BE.  If not, I guess I'll have to make do but it certainly seems like something BE should be able to handle.

[Colin_Weaver]

To do this would need an extra stage (BE 2012) or an extra linked template capability (BE 2010 R3 and earlier) which would count as an enhancement request (as I do not think it has worked like you ask in any version of the product)

As a community member you can make your own enhancement request - use Create Content --> Idea from the menu bar. Ideas can then be voted on by other customers and help us understand what may need adding into a future version.