Downside of Policy type Standard rather than MS-Windows

[sclind]

I have some windows servers that I just can't get a clean backup using policy type MS-Windows.  I always end up with some sort of snapshot error - usually 156.  And I can spend hours per week working on troubleshooting them.

If I change to policy type Standard I can get a clean backup.  But what do I lose if I do this?

Most of the time we're not worried about getting open files backed up.  Many of these servers are SQL servers in which there is a backup copy of the database made once a day (an export?) - and as long we get a copy of that we're happy.

[revarooo]

If you re using ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES as your file selection, then it will probably be trying to snapshot your shadow copy components. If you set to Standard I am not 100% sure if it will still try and backup SCC.

[Marianne]

With MS-Windows policy, NBU will automatically enable WOFB. You can disable WOFB on the master server with Master -> Client Attributes.
Add Client name if it does not exist in this list, select Client name, then select WOFB tab and de-select Open File backup.

Please remember to add SQL data folder or wildcards (e.g. *.mdf, *.ldf) to Client's Host Properties -> Exclude List. SQL databases should never be backed up as part of Windows filesystem backup. 

Best to have policy type as MS-Windows to ensure that all Windows attributes (permissions and shares) are backed up along with the data.
Disabling WOFB as per above instructions should avoid status 156.

[sclind]

Hi Marianne -  the WOFB box is unchecked for this client.  But I continue to see that this is what NB generates for an MS-Windows policy:

SET SNAP_ID=<hostname>_1372340754
BACKUP e:\ USING \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy170\ OPTIONS:ALT_PATH_PREFIX=C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\temp\_vrts_frzn_img_7020,FITYPE=MIRROR,MNTPOINT=e:\,FSTYPE=NTFS

Then I get the status 156.

I have a copy of the policy that specifies policy type Standard.  It just generates this for the file list:

e:\

(ie, No snapshot attempted).

I have done a bplist compare of an MS-Windows backup vs a Standard backup and they seem to be identical. 

I'd rather have a successful Standard backup rather than a MS-Windows that always fails.  But you indicate that I may not get permissions and shares saved OK?