XP_CMDSHELL

[jayoub]

Current Specs

Software: Backup Exec 12.0 Rev. 1364

Database: SQL Express 2005 located on the same server

Server OS: Windows Server 2003

Issue:

We are required to disable the Extended Stored Procedure XP_CMDSHELL on the BKUPEXEC instance that operates our Backup Exec software.  I am required to run the fullowing command. 

EXEC SP_CONFIGURE 'show advanced options', 1

EXEC SP_CONFIGURE 'xp_cmdshell', 0

RECONFIGURE

I was just wanted to know if this will cause problems with our SQL backup jobs or with BE

Your help is appreciated. 

[Colin_Weaver]

I am not sure excatly what the procedue does but there are parts of Backup Exec that specifically call external procedures directly from SQL - the ones I know about relate to DLO and are responsible for creating the shares and restricted permissions for the end use network data paths. If you disable the XP that is used by DLO it will break DLO.

As such if you disable the XP you mention above, then you will amost certainly put your Backup Exec install into an unsupported state. - although it is possibe that it will only break something which you do not use.

[VJware]

This procedure is usually disabled by default in SQL 2005 & above. (I would feel this would not be an issue disabling it, however there is nothing documented/tested to validate my answer)

Verify is this is actually enabled or not from the Surface Config Manager.