cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Which Backup Exec software do I need ?

Zaf
Level 2

I've recently purchased a new server and would like to know which Backup Excec software I need to purchase including add-ons/agents.

Here's my setup:

1 x physical server running MS Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Ed 64-bit - running Hyper-V

Under this I have two virtual servers. Virtual server 1 is File and Print and is running Windows 2003 R2 standard Server.

Virtual Server 2 is an email server (Lotus Domino) running Windows 2008 R2  standard server.

I will have one LTO4 tape drive connected to the physical server and would like to install the backup software on the physical host itself.

I've had conflicting advice from various suppliers today so I hope you guys can help/advise ...

I want to back up both virtual servers and want to know the best way to do this.

One 'must' is that if/when I need to restore, I would like the ability to restore a single file to each respective virtual server and want to avoid having to restore the entire server.

I hope I'm making sense and would appreciate and advise.

Thanks.

Zaf.

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Sush---
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

If you have only two VM then buying the Remote Agent for each virtual machine will be a preferred option instead of buying a Hyper-V agent.

You can backup the Virtual machine by installing the Remote agent in it. But if your future plans are to increase the number of virtual machines to more than 4 then Hyper-V agent license will be cost effective.

In any case you will have to install Remote agent on the machine which has Lotus as Lotus application will be backed up using Remote agent only.

Also It all depends on your requirements and how fast you want to restore the servers in case of disaster.

1) When you backup the servers and the Lotus the normal way using the Remote Agent then during disaster you will have to rebuild the Operating System  and same updates as before and then perform the restore of your C: drive and System State of the server. After that you have to restore the Lotus databases to the pre-disaster state........ Usually this process is time consuming.

2) When you backup the VHD using the Hyper -V agent, then incase if your Virtual machine goes down, you just need to restore the latest VHD for that virtual machine. There is no need to rebuild the Operating System and Exchane. By just restoring the VHD for that machine the Virtual Machine will be up as it was before disaster........ This usually takes less time then the usual Remote agent backup process.

 3) Using Hyper-V agent is much more cost effecting if you have high number if virtual machines. If you are not using Hyper-V agent option then you will have to purchase Remote Agent licenses for each Virtual machine that you need to backup. But if you have Hyper-V agent then you can backup any number of Virtual machine that are hosted on one Hyper-v machine.

 So my suggestions would be as follows:

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus (This will include one remote agent license)

1 Remote agent license for second Virtual machine

 

But if you are planning for more than 4 VMs in future then go for following:

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus

1 Hyper-V agent license.

 

Hope the information answers your query.

 

Thanks,

-Sush...

View solution in original post

7 REPLIES 7

AmolB
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus

1 Agent for Hyper V license. (you can backup all the VM's on the hyper V server with the 

hyper v license). If the VM has any application installed then you need to purchase an 

agent for that application, In your case since Lotus is on VM you will need Lotus agent.

Backup Exec supports 1 tape drive per library wihout any license, every additional tape 

drive in the library will need Library Expansion license.

Sush---
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

If you have only two VM then buying the Remote Agent for each virtual machine will be a preferred option instead of buying a Hyper-V agent.

You can backup the Virtual machine by installing the Remote agent in it. But if your future plans are to increase the number of virtual machines to more than 4 then Hyper-V agent license will be cost effective.

In any case you will have to install Remote agent on the machine which has Lotus as Lotus application will be backed up using Remote agent only.

Also It all depends on your requirements and how fast you want to restore the servers in case of disaster.

1) When you backup the servers and the Lotus the normal way using the Remote Agent then during disaster you will have to rebuild the Operating System  and same updates as before and then perform the restore of your C: drive and System State of the server. After that you have to restore the Lotus databases to the pre-disaster state........ Usually this process is time consuming.

2) When you backup the VHD using the Hyper -V agent, then incase if your Virtual machine goes down, you just need to restore the latest VHD for that virtual machine. There is no need to rebuild the Operating System and Exchane. By just restoring the VHD for that machine the Virtual Machine will be up as it was before disaster........ This usually takes less time then the usual Remote agent backup process.

 3) Using Hyper-V agent is much more cost effecting if you have high number if virtual machines. If you are not using Hyper-V agent option then you will have to purchase Remote Agent licenses for each Virtual machine that you need to backup. But if you have Hyper-V agent then you can backup any number of Virtual machine that are hosted on one Hyper-v machine.

 So my suggestions would be as follows:

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus (This will include one remote agent license)

1 Remote agent license for second Virtual machine

 

But if you are planning for more than 4 VMs in future then go for following:

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus

1 Hyper-V agent license.

 

Hope the information answers your query.

 

Thanks,

-Sush...

Zaf
Level 2

Hi Sush,

really appreciate your detailed response. I think the mist is slowly clearing ! However I just need a little bit more info if you don't mind...

As far as I'm aware there will never be more than 4 VMs. So if we go for your first suggestion:

1 Backup Exec Core Product License.

1 Remote agent for Lotus (This will include one remote agent license)

1 Remote agent license for second Virtual machine

I assume I install the core product on the host itself ? and the agents will be on the host also ? the agents will then communicate with the VMs when backup up ?

So in essence I will be performing the backups on the host.

And if I need to restore an individual file for example to the file/print VM then the whole process is done on the host ?

Apologies for what must seem like basic questions to you but this is quite an expensive solution and I want to ensure I do it right first time !

My usual hardware/software supplier has suggested the following:

Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R2

Email Server Suite with 1 year

maintenance - Kit

and

Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R2

Server Suite with 1 year

maintenance - Kit

Thanks.

Zaf.

Zaf
Level 2

Thanks for responding. Much appreciated.

AmolB
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

You can restore a single file to a VM if you a Remote Agent installed on the VM.

So in your case, go for 1 Remote agent license for File server and 1 Lotus Agent for

the other VM.

The backup will happen on the host as the Tape device will be connected to the host machine.

Zaf
Level 2

Hi Amol,

thanks for the update. I will ask my software supplier to update is quotation accordingly.

Zaf.

Sush---
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

I assume I install the core product on the host itself ? and the agents will be on the host also ? the agents will then communicate with the VMs when backup up ?

YES you will install Backup Exec core products and all the License keys (including the Lotus agent and the Remote Agent license) on the host server only. Then you will have to install Remote agent on the Virtual machines. Make sure that you have network connectivity between the host and the VM and are able to ping eachother successfully.

Installation of Remote agent on the VM will help Backup  Exec to see the resources from the VM so that they can be backed up.

 

And regarding the Restore, you just have to select the data from the host and then it will be restore to its location.

 

Thanks,

-Sush...