system recovery 2011 compared to BE2012

[cindy_k]

Hi

Can someone tell me the difference between System Recovery 2011 and BE2012 - specifically -  why would I choose one over the other?

Is BE2012 going to eventually replace System Recovery 2011?

Thanks

Cindy

[criley]

BE is a much more complex product with many more agents/options available. There are too many differences to list here.

Perhaps if you explain your requirements, we can then recommend the most suitable product..

[cindy_k]

We had System Recovery 2010 and now have BE2012.  When we got 2012, I didn't realize that it was a completely different product and that the "old format" was still available and called SR 2011.  BE2012 seems ok for most things that I want to do, but i ran into a problem the other day where BE2012 wouldn't let me restore an image from an IBM machine ( with an EFI partition ) to an HP machine ( without an EFI partition).  We used to do this quite often using SR2010 by simply installing the Windows O/S on the HP machine, and then boot from the 2010 Recovery Disk and simply restore the C: drive image from the IBM machine and we would have a system.  However, with BE2012, there is no way to boot from the SDR disk and ONLY choose to restore the C: drive.  Even though I UNSELECT the checkbox that says "Recover the entire computer with this point-in-time backup set", the Required Backup Sets checkboxes remain greyed out and I can't select ONLY the C drive.  I tried doing a non-SDR type backup of the IBM machine and then installing the agent on the HP machine with the Windows O/S installed and then do a volume restore of the System State and C drive, but none of the applications and services would start after the restore is done.

[criley]

Why don't you do a trial of SSR 2011? - see link below:

https://www4.symantec.com/Vrt/offer?a_id=88724

[cindy_k]

We had 2010 - I'm familiar with what it can do.  What I'm wondering is, with BE2012, is there some way to restore ONLY a C: drive image, or System State image (NOT an SDR restore ) from one machine to another and have all the programs and services from the original machine's C drive run on the new machine?  Haven't been able to get a definitive Yes or No answer from you guys! 

[criley]

It sounds like BESR/SSR is your best bet here. SDR is the alternative option within BE that does something similar but sounds like it is not doing what you need.

I would recommend trying this with SSR 2011 as doing a restore anyware (i.e. to different hardware) is much quicker than it is with BE SDR.

[cindy_k]

Thanks for your responses Chris.  I don't think you are fully understanding what I'm trying to do.  So, I have another question - in BE2012 - when I boot from the Simplified Disaster Recovery disk to do an SDR restore, I come to a window that says "Which backup sets do you want to use to recover the computer".

There is a checkbox that says "Recover the entire computer with this point in time backup set."  I unselect that but still can't unselect the drives under the Required Backup Sets.

I just want to restore the C:drive and System State because the computer that I'm restoring too doesn't have an EFI Partition.  But I can't deselect the EFI Partition.  That's my issue.  With BESR you could boot from the disk and select any drive you wanted to restore.  With BE2012, you are FORCED into selecting ALL the drives.  This is fine if you are doing a Disaster Recovery to the same hardware.  But I have an HP machine with no EFI cabability ( uses old style BIOS ) that I want to restore this image to. 

[criley]

OK, that gives me a better understanding.

Unfortunately this scenario is not currently supported with BE 2012/SDR:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO74439

[cindy_k]

Thanks Chris.

Do you anticipate that this could become supported in future releases?  Right now we're trying

to decide between BE2012 or SSR 2011.  This inablility to select drives to restore is kind of a sticking

point....  I understand the thinking behind forcing all the required drives during an SDR, but I also

think that the flexibility to choose would be helpful in some scenarios ( such as the one I'm in ).

[criley]

Sorry but I don't know if this is going to change. I suspect not as legacy BIOS machines are being phased out I believe.

I'm guessing the partition is listed under 'Required Backup Sets' (?) which is why you cannot deselect it.

The best practices say it's not supported so I think you only have the following workarounds:

1. Do manual DR instead of SDR

2. Restore to another EFI enabled machine (ok, I understand this is more money etc..)

3. Use SSR (although even this scenario may been deemed 'not supported' even if it works..)