Backup Exec 21.1 Upgrade Woes
If a backstory/rant is not desireable, scroll down now to "BEGIN TLDR" I have used BE since before Y2K. I watched it become truly awesome with zero real competition in the space, then looked on in horror as an AV company turned it to complete S**T as they 'stubbed their toe'. Then there appeared a glimmer of hope, and for about 2 years, though it was never 'great', a few things got fixed each update without something else being broken worse. Sure, in the last couple years I have spent over 70hrs trying to get a case resolved while bouncing all over support to no avail. That case involved SQL : (a) Backup production sql instance (b) Create a redirected restore job to restore that instance to a different one. (c) Run the redirected restore job. (d) Shut down the instance you just restored the production instance to. (e) Open the redirected restore job which you just used. This will 'bug/glitch' the job. (f) Run the same restore job, no need to change anything, the only thing required is that the instance you are trying to redirect to must be down.. g) Watch in terror as it now blows away your PRODUCTION instance with the backup. Hope it was recent! :) It also wipes your logs and any hope of a manual recovery. We lost an HOUR of production data. First time I have lost data in 25 years. Fun times. Their solution? Don't reuse restore jobs, it is not supported. WTF?!? WHY DOES IT LET YOU THEN! They said they were not able to duplicate the issue, except on my installation. Right. See ETrack 4019012 at this URL. I've seen others like this, and I believe they are all related but regardless it never gets fixed. I don't have that kind of time to deal with their issues. I have had other issues, none ever get resolved. My new clients don't get BE because of above and an endless list of other crap ove the last decade, but I still have some installs to support out there, and 21.1 brings with it some negative trends. "BEGIN TLDR" 21.1 new issues: 1) Incremental file backups (just files, from a file server, simple right?) now take 5 to 6 times longer. What took 10 to 15 minutes now takes over an hour. We do incrementals every hour. See the problems? 2) 21.1 Agent will NOT WORK with Server 2019 (GUI) running SQL 2019. Tried everything, takes forever to acknoledge the agent even exists, backups hang, agent crashes, complete crap. Reverting to 21.0.1200.1008 'resolves' the problem, but it is a REAL PAIN getting a hotfix applied to a BE Agent when your media server is running 21.0.1200.1204.It involves iso's, MSIX, cabs, and some msiexec kung fu, but it can be done. I have searched but could find neither of these as an outstanding issue. Has anyone experienced either of these issues with the latest release? "END TLDR" My client has a support contract (since 2009 or 2010). I could open a ticket, but the last 5 never got resolved. It borders on insane. Get bounced around continents for weeks, all asking for more and more info (often the same), never getting anywhere. Staying on top of the ticket as they write INCORRECT INFORMATION CONSTANTLY about the latest support session so much so it feels like I am doing both sides of the support call. So why this post? I told the client I would reach out to Veritas, but caught myself before the words "open a support case" came out of my mouth. So this is my final attempt at Veritas support for this client. If I don't hear back from someone willing, competent, and able to take ownership of these issues (YEAH RIGHT!), we will just run a bit crippled for a few months until a bit closer to renewal cycle and then wash 10 years of grime off our hands. So very tired. I tried. And tried. But it really is starting to appear as though your toes were just far too damaged from stubbing them into Symantec for so long to ever walk again - but I would love to be proven wrong.