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SharePoint backup on SBS 2011

Pike
Level 3

We are a small business with a single SBS 2011 Standard server using Backup Exec 2012 Small Business Edition to backup onto RDX cartridges. I'm not particularly familiar with Backup Exec or SharePoint but hopefully the following questions make sense.

Earlier this week we installed Hotfix 189571 and Hotfix 180964. Since then we started getting the following exception:

Backup- \\[domain].local\C:V-79-57344-33925 - Error: SharePoint_AdminContent_deed[...].mdf is a component of a SharePoint server farm. It must be backed up using the Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server. Select it for backup from the Microsoft Server SharePoint Server Farms node.

The same exceptions are also reported for the following files: SharePoint_AdminContent_deed[...]_log.LDF, SharePoint_ConfigurationDatabase.mdf, SharePoint_ConfigurationDatabase_log.LDF, ShareWebDb.mdf, ShareWebDb_log.LDF, WSS_Search_[server].mdf, and WSS_Search_[server]_log.LDF.

We don't appear to have a "Microsoft Server SharePoint Server Farms" node that I can see, only "Microsoft SharePoint Resources" (and the exceptions occur regardless of whether that is selected or not). According to the Backup Exec License Informaton window we have "Agent for Microsoft SharePoint" but there is no mention of "Agent for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server" are they two different things?



According to the following technote: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH51230

"In order to completely protect the SBS Sharepoint environment, a license for the Backup Exec Sharepoint agent must be purchased and implemented."

That technote appears to be referring to an older version of Backup Exec but as mentioned previously our License Information window says we do have "Agent for Microsoft SharePoint" (we didn't purchase it separately, it must be part of Backup Exec 2012 Small Business Edition). Does this mean that Backup Exec 2012 Small Business Edition doesn't back up the version of Sharepoint that comes with SBS 2011 Standard?

In order to allow the backups to complete without exception I followed the workaround in TECH51230, it mentions renaming bedssps2.dll but in our install there is also a bedssps3.dll. I renamed both, is that correct for Backup Exec 2012?

We don't use SharePoint at the moment so my main concern is whether the issues above and the workaround would affect Simplified Disaster Recovery. The following technote gives separate instructions for restoring SharePoint:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH179341

What would happen in our situation since we do not have specific SharePoint backup? Would the backup of C: and of the SHAREPOINT database suffice to get the server fully operational after a disaster recovery?

Thanks.
 

18 REPLIES 18

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Since you have a Backup Exec SBS license, it should you already have Agent for SharePoint checked.

Renaming bedssps2.dll and bedssps3.dll will disable Backup Exec's ability to backup SharePoint databases using the Agent for SharePoint.

Having said that, considering you requirement of DR scenario, you should be good with a full backup of C:. System State and Exchange IS. 

A good full backup of the above mentioned components willl allow you to rebuild the server during a disaster revocery process.

 

You can keep this article handy:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH179341 - How to perform a disaster recovery of a Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 using Backup Exec 2012.

Pike
Level 3

Thanks for your reply Bhavik.

Yes we definitely have Agent for SharePoint checked as you can see in the screenshot. However the exception says we need to use "Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server". So I'm not sure if that is something different? If it is something different why isn't it part of small business edition if it's needed to back up SBS 2011? If it is the same thing then why does the SharePoint backup give that exception to begin with and tell me to select a node that I don't have ("Microsoft Server SharePoint Server Farms")?

We're backing up the components you mentioned so it sounds like this problem won't affect our disaster recovery (which is the main thing we're concerned about), but I'm still curious as to what is causing it.

DigitaleWerke
Not applicable

Hi Pike,

we're having exactly the same problem on two different separated SBS2011-servers, also after installing the two hotfixes from last week, seems to be a bug. Did you already open a case at symantec?

Best regards,

Mike

Pike
Level 3

Hi Mike,

No, I haven't opened a case at Symantec.

samueljn
Level 5
Employee Accredited

Hi Pike,

When you launch BE, In the Server list, you will also see the "Server Farm" seperately added. Configure the Sharepoint backup job from the Server farm and deselect the sharepoint resources from the Physical server backup itselft. This should take care of the issue and update us the status.

Regards,

John

Pike
Level 3

Hi John,

I won't be able to try this until sometime next week, I'll reply back then.

Pike
Level 3

Sorry for the delay John, I've tested your suggestion now and unfortunately it did not solve the problem.

The server farm backup is treated as a separate backup by BE so it seems to have no effect on the main server backup. The server farm backup completed successfully but the SBS server backup "completed with exceptions" as described in my first post.

Here's the steps I took in case I did something wrong:

  1. Undid workaround by stopping services, renaming bedssps2 and bedssps3 back to .dll then restarting services.
  2. Selected the SBS server in "Backup and Restore", selected our backup job, edited backup selections to uncheck "Microsoft SQL Server Instances\SHAREPOINT" and "Microsoft SharePoint Resources".
  3. Selected "Server Farm 1" in "Backup and Restore", created a "Back Up to Disk Cartridge" job, left backup selections at default (all selected), changed Schedule to "Run now with no recurring schedule" (and removed the automatically created incremental backup).
  4. Ran the server farm backup (it completed successfully).
  5. Ran the SBS server backup (it completed with exceptions as described in my first post).

Thanks.

samueljn
Level 5
Employee Accredited
  • Open the SBS sever backup
  • Click on Edit
  • Click on 'View selection details'
  • Delete everything from there
  • Click "View by resource"
  • Make the selections again except the Sharepoint resources
  • Run the backup and it should complete successfully

Pike
Level 3

I tried running the test again as before but this time using samueljn's instructions to change the server backup, however the result was the same as before, "Job Completed with Exceptions".

samueljn
Level 5
Employee Accredited

Please open a support case with us.

ChM
Level 2
Partner

I have the exact same issue.

Do you solved it ?

Tanks for youy reply

Pike
Level 3

We don't use Sharepoint so we are still using the workaround, we have not solved the issue.

ChM
Level 2
Partner

Pike,

I renamed the two dll this morning.

Answer tomorrow...

Thanks

Krst
Not applicable

I had excactly the same problem.

Looks like Symantec made it a bit confusing.

In BE 2012 they renamed "SharePoint Server Farm" option to "Microsoft SharePoint Resources" but the LOG entry stayed the same as in previous versions of BE. (Even Symantec's support people keep using the old name).

That exception means that you can't use SQL Agent ("Microsoft SQL Server Instances") to backup SharePoint DB.

My Solution was:

1) disable Sharepoint instance backup from "Microsoft SQL Server Instances"

2) exclude D:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.SHAREPOINT\MSSQL\DATA (SharePoint DBs location)

3) select everything under "SharePoint Resources".

No more exceptions now.

Hope that will help you as well.

SteliosKotsifos
Level 3

So,

I have created a "Microsoft Sharepoint server farm".

I have created a backup job where I make a full backup and selected all the available options:

(These are the options that I can see)

-ConfigurationV4-DB ([ServerName]\SHAREPOINT\Sharepoint_ConfigurationDatabase)

-Microsoft Sharepoint Foundation Web Application

-Services

-Shared Services

-Sharepoint Foundation Search

-WSS_Administration

BUT when I go over to my local Server and go to edit my backup there, under the "Microsoft SQL Server Instances" I can see a "SHAREPOINT" option which isn't available to me from the Sharepoint Farm I've created.

What do I have to do to secure that everything will be backed up?

EDIT: I just noticed something strange when I chose to test the credentials. For some of the options, the "Credential Status" is "Test Failed" ,and then for the same options later is "Success"

 

 

Ian_Watts
Level 2

I have had a case opened since Christmas 2012 about this issue.. it is stuck in engineering and I see no forward progress being made on it at all.. despite my asking every other week and getting the same "still working on it" response from my contact.

 

The issue has less to do with the backup "working" to the extent that SharePoint content is being backed up successfully on our farm backup.. availing all the expected restore options.

The issue has more to do with the fact that what they say should happen does not happen:  The underlying SQL files are NOT being covertly excluded from your server backup after a good farm backup.

Worse, the suggestion to exclude them or the DATA folder altogether infers your Simplified Disaster Recovery option is lost.  Watch it do dim when you exclude the file or folder.. then tell it to select all the necessary components again and reselect the files/folder you excluded.

I work for an MSP.. this issue runs rampant on our SBS 2011 and 2008 installs.. but also rears its ugly head on Server 2008R2 + SharePoint Foundation installs.  In short, I have this problem at MULTIPLE SITES with different configurations.  Some have SQL on C:.. others on D:.. same for BEWS2012.. doesn't matter.

The only possible recourse would be to try shrinking the volume and migrating the DBs to a new one.  Frankly, that's a lame workaround.  Worse, in working with Symantec.. they flat out asked if my client was using SharePoint.  Serious?  That's the question?

I will say that in a few instances we have outright uninstalled SharePoint Foundation from the SBS install.
It makes BEWS happy.. but makes SBS very very sad.  Again.. not a solution.

I do not expect this to be resolved in BEWS 2012.. I have serious doubt that it will be resolved in "the next version" either.. so we are pursuing other backup solutions for our thirty clients.

Russ_Perry
Level 6
Employee

There are two types of situation that can cause similar errors:

1) In SBS, if the Sharepoint environment isn't used, it is fairly common that it doesn't get backed up.  If Sharepoint never gets backed up, every time the file system is backed up or the SQL instance is backed up, the Sharepoint agent recognizes that there are Sharepoint resources present that aren't being protected and you get the job log exceptions.  In these situations, simply doing a single backup of all the Sharepoint satisfies the agent and the exceptions no longer occur.  This is described here, http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH161674.  In this situation, the exceptons are kind of intended since the object of Backup Exec is to be sure that all resources get backed up.

2) In fixing an issue with Sharepoint databases hosted in a default instance of SQL, Hotfix 180964 introduced a problem where even though you back up your Sharepoint databases via the Sharepoint agent, you get exceptions during the file backup or SQL backup stating the resource belongs to a Sharepoint environment. This problem is described here, http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH196215. This issue is cosmetic in nature and is presently in engineering where it has been reported fixed as of a couple days ago and is scheduled to be in the next hotfix. Normally after a Sharepoint agent backup is performed, the subsequent file and SQL backups receive file/db exclusions of all the resources that make up the Sharepoint environment so that those resources are 'covertly excluded' as Ian mentions above.  In this case, for some reason those exclusions aren't passed across and the exceptions come up.  As I stated, this is cosmetic in nature and all resources are fully protected.  The hotfix will correct the passing of exclusions from Sharepoint agent to SQL and NTFS agents and the exceptions will no longer occur.

Russ

Jaydeep_S
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

Hey Ian, the issue that you are facing would be fixed in BE 2010 SP3 and BE 2012 SP2. The beta for these patches would be availbale some time in May (including Windows Server 2012 and VWMare 5.1)

You can track information about schedule for Beta and General Availability for this patch on this blog