error trying to back up user defined selections

[mtmazzitello]

I created a "user defined selection" in Backup Exec 9.1 to backup a directory on a web server that is in my DMZ. The job definition is able to read the directories & sub directories just fine, but when the job runs I get this error:

"The job failed with the following error: A communications failure has occurred between the Backup Exec job engine and the remote agent."

What is causing this? How do I troubleshoot this error? Is there some way I can test the connection between the backup exec job engine and the target server without actually running the complete backup job?

[Mani_2]

Hello,

This error could occur if connection is lost between the Remote Agent and the Job Engine.

Refer the following Technotes for the same



http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/267770.htm





http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/255814.htm



Title:

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/256120.htm



Tile:

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/258331.htm



Try lowering the remote agent priority.


Please refer to the following technote:


http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/253094.htm




Also ensure that Antivirus and non-essential third party services are stopped prior to backup operation.


Also refer the following Technote for further troubleshooting



http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/263776.htm


Hope this helps.

[mtmazzitello]

Thanks for the direction, but I went through all of the articles & procedures below and none were of any help. There is no port conflict, I tried many different port configurations, there are no NIC card issues, and there is no restriction on any port or any traffic between the Backup Exec server and the remote server (which is located in a DMZ and is not a domain member server) as long as the session is initiated from the Backup Exec server.
I suspect it is a problem with authentication or something, but if that was the case I don't think I would be able to browse to set up the "user defined selections" in the first place?

I think I'm going to need to pay for a support call and get someone to actually look at the problem; it took me hours to go through all of the above articles related to this problem (all to no avail) and that's time that I don't have to spare. When I bought this product they assured me that it would be "no problem" to back up data from a server located in a DMZ - I guess they neglected to tell me that I need to pay them for tech support to tell me how.

Thanks again for the help & the links. If I ever figure out what the problem is I'll post it here.

[Rohit_Sonawale]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

As most of the network settings have been done I would suggest you to reinstall the Remote agent on the remote server. For uninstalling the remote agent you need to use "Add remove programs". To install remote agent(s) you may also refer to the following technotes.




http://support.veritas.com/docs/253058





http://support.veritas.com/docs/265736


After reinstalling the remote agent(s) please check whether Backup exec user account also have Local administrator rights to the remote server.

It is must that Backup exec should have Domain administrator as well as Local administrator rights.


Hope this helps.

Please advice the result.

[Abhinav_Bindroo]

Assuming the solution provided is correct. Also, there is no response from the customer within 2 days from the last reply by Veritas

[mtmazzitello]

No, the problem has not been fixed, I just haven't had time to work on it for a while.

I did everything you said in both replies, nothing fixed the issue.

The server I'm trying to back up remotely is not a domain member server, it is a stand-alone server in a DMZ so domain user accounts will have no meaning to it. In the job setup I am using the local administrator account & password to access the directories under "user defined slecetions" and it is working fine there, and I specified that same administrator account and password for the job to run under. When I do a "test run" of the job it succeeds with no errors but has a 0 byte count. I have removed & reinstalled the remote agent several times, always having the same result when I try to run the actual backup job. Since I am using the administrator account I am concluding that it is not a permissions issue.

How much $$ is a support phone call going to cost me?

[mtmazzitello]

Got my problem solved by paying for a support phone call.

Turns out that opening all ports in the firewall from the media server to the remote target server isn't good enough after all - there needs to be open ports from the target server to the media server also. Since opening the firewall from the DMZ into the LAN defeats the entire purpose of having a DMZ in the first place, Backup Exec will not work for backing up data from my web server and I'lll need to find another method.

Thanks everyone for your attempted help.