Will installing AOFO as part of R3 update prevent install of SQL /Exchange Agents

[ALO_UK]

I am currenlty in the process of updating a number Remote Agent Servers (Server 2008 Ent R2 ) with R3 Backup Exec client. Can anyone confirm whether installing the AOFO feature as part of the update will prevent this install of SQL and Exchange Agent on my SQL and Exchange servers. If this is the case then I am reluctant to go ahead wit the update since I can risk any possible issues /downtime to Production servers

Any feedback /comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated  

[Kunal_Mudliyar1]

You need to install AOFO if you are willing to backup Windows 2000 servers

otherwise AOFO does not have any significance

As with Windows 2003 VSS got introduced so it takes care of Open file backups

Edit

Installation of AOFO feature as part of the update will not  affect this installation  of SQL and Exchange Agent on our SQL and Exchange servers

Note: There is no SQL and Exchange Agent , its just a remote agent which you need to install on your remote server and this publish information  related to sql and exchange applications to the BE server

[CraigV]

...it isn't recommended that you use AOFO when backing up databasaes...it can cause issues during backups (Exchange logs not flushing) and restores (not being able to use SQL redirection). I've had both of these issues and ended up splitting my backups (data vs. databases) from each other.

Thanks!

[ALO_UK]

Thanks for your comments and assitance. Do you know if and how its possible to roll back from R3 to R2 if I experience any issues with the R3 Remote Agent updates?

[pkh]

There is no way to uninstall R3 once it is installed.

[ALO_UK]

Really? You can't manually unistall R3 and then perhaps download and reinstall R2? 

[pkh]

You can do this, but I am not sure whether R2 is still available for download.  You would also need to keep a copy of the Data and Catalog directories which existing before the upgrade and replace the existing directories after re-installing R2.

When I said you cannot revert from R3 earlier, I meant you cannot simply uninstall the R3 upgrade.

[ALO_UK]

ok, thanks for your comments and clarification