What Version should I buy

[Steve09]

Hi all,

I am running a windows SBS2008 with a few additional VMware Virtual Environments.

I am looking to be able to backup my SBS environment, - Exchange Mailboxes, Users folders etc.

I have created a backup virtual machine (on a different VM from the SBS2008) with SAN storage attached to it. I want to install BackUpExec on this Virtual Machine to have it as a backup machine then deploy my agent onto the SBS to do the backups. I believe if I buy the SBS version of BackupExec then i must install it on the SBS. I dont want to do this as if my SBS fails then i dont have a backup agent to restore.

Thanks

Steve

[AmolB]

You may buy BE2010 R3 for SBS and install it on the host machine instead of the SBS guest machine.

Refer to  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125965

[Steve09]

So...my understanding of the above article is that the SBS version on BackupExec can only be installed on Windows SBS operating system. Can i get away with my Virtual Machine running windows SBS operating system, but i can deploy the agents onto my Physical SBS Server for the backup?

Ie if i was to have a VM with windows server enterprise edition, I couldnt install Backup Exec for SBS. but if i did have a VM with Windows SBS Server I could install. I just want to make sure that the SBS agents wont be restricted to the server Backup Exec is installed on?

Thanks

Steve

[pkh]

When you use BE SBS editition, you use either of these 2 configuration

1) load BE into a SBS machine, either physical or virtual

2) load BE into a Hyper-V physical host with a VM running a SBS OS,

No other configuration is allowed.  The second configuration is preferred, if you are going to back up to tape.

[Steve09]

Hi pkh,

Thanks for your response, but can i deploy the agents from a VM running SBS onto my actual SBS server? or are the agents locked down to the server BE is installed onto?

Thanks

Steve

[pkh]

I presume you are talking about loading BE SBS into your SBS VM and then backing up another SBS machine.  In this case, you would need to buy the whole suite of agents to backup all the applications, like Exchange, etc, on the second machine.  BE SBS is meant to be loaded onto a SBS machine and backing up itself.  For any machine outside of this SBS machine, you would have to buy the appropriate licences.

[Steve09]

Hi,

Thanks for this, so would i be best just to buy a basic windows server backup exec and add the exchange agent license it would seem.

Thanks

Steve

[Steve09]

I cannot understand why they would sell like this. If you lost a disk partition and your SBS went down then surely you have lost the ability to recover until u build a whole new SBS server.

Thanks

Steve

[pkh]

BE SBS edition is a special packaging of licences for people who operates SBS boxes.  Its bundle of agent licences is cheaper than if you were to buy them separately.  If you just need to backup Exchange, then just go for the BE licence plus the Exchange.  However, if you are just runnng Exchange, you would not be using an SBS version of Windows Server.