Backup Exec 21 Administrator's Guide
- Introducing Backup Exec
- Installation
- Methods for installing the Agent for Windows
- Using a command prompt to install the Agent for Windows on a remote computer
- Using a command script to install the Agent for Windows
- Installing the Remote Administrator
- Installing Backup Exec using the command line (silent mode)
- Updating Backup Exec with Veritas Update
- Backup Exec license contract information
- About upgrading to Backup Exec
- Getting Started
- Backups
- Backing up data
- Restores
- How Backup Exec catalogs work
- Job management and monitoring
- About the Job Monitor
- About the Job History
- Viewing the job log
- Error-handling rules for failed or canceled jobs
- Alerts and notifications
- Enabling active alerts and alert history to display on the Home tab
- Adding a recipient group for alert notifications
- Sending a notification when a job completes
- SNMP traps for Backup Exec alerts
- Disk-based and network-based storage
- Configuring disk storage
- Configuring disk cartridge storage
- Backup sets
- Cloud-based storage devices
- Amazon S3 cloud-based storage
- Google cloud-based storage
- Microsoft Azure cloud-based storage
- Private cloud-based storage
- About S3-Compatible Cloud Storage
- About the Backup Exec™ CloudConnect Optimizer
- Legacy backup-to-disk folders
- Legacy backup-to-disk folders
- Legacy backup-to-disk folders
- Tape storage
- Robotic libraries in Backup Exec
- Creating robotic library partitions
- Managing tapes
- Creating media sets for tapes
- Labeling tape media
- Default media vaults
- Storage device pools
- Storage operations
- Conversion to virtual machines
- Configuration and settings
- Changing network and security options for Backup Exec
- Using Backup Exec with firewalls
- Deleting DBA-initiated job templates
- Backup Exec logon accounts
- Reports
- Creating a custom report
- List of Backup Exec standard reports
- Instant Cloud Recovery
- Preconfigurations to be completed in the Azure portal
- GDPR Guard
- Troubleshooting Backup Exec
- Troubleshooting failed components in the SAN
- Generating a diagnostic file for troubleshooting Backup Exec
- Using Backup Exec in cluster environments
- Configurations for Backup Exec and Microsoft Cluster Servers
- Disaster recovery of a cluster
- Simplified Disaster Recovery
- Setting or changing the alternate location for the disaster recovery information file
- Creating a Simplified Disaster Recovery disk image
- Preparing to recover from a disaster by using Simplified Disaster Recovery
- Recovering a computer with Simplified Disaster Recovery
- Performing manual disaster recovery
- Integration with Veritas™ Information Map
- Integration with Veritas SaaS Backup
- Forever Incremental Backup
- Appendix A. Backup Exec Agent for Windows
- About the Backup Exec Agent Utility for Windows
- Appendix B. Backup Exec Deduplication Feature
- Creating or importing deduplication disk storage
- Selecting storage devices for direct access sharing
- Appendix C. Backup Exec Agent for VMware
- About establishing trust for a vCenter/ESX(i) server
- Backing up VMware virtual machines
- About instant recovery of a VMware virtual machine
- About Recovery Ready for VMware virtual machines
- Appendix D. Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V
- Backing up Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
- About instant recovery of a Hyper-V virtual machine
- About Recovery Ready for Hyper-V virtual machines
- Appendix E. Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SQL Server
- Backing up SQL databases and transaction logs
- Restoring SQL databases and transaction logs
- Disaster recovery of a SQL Server
- Appendix F. Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Exchange Server
- Backing up Exchange data
- Appendix G. Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SharePoint
- Backing up Microsoft SharePoint data
- Appendix H. Backup Exec Agent for Oracle on Windows or Linux Servers
- Configuring the Oracle Agent on Windows computers and Linux servers
- Configuring an Oracle instance on Windows computers
- Viewing an Oracle instance on Windows computers
- About authentication credentials on the Backup Exec server
- About backing up Oracle databases
- About restoring Oracle resources
- Appendix I. Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault
- About backup methods for Enterprise Vault backup jobs
- Restoring Enterprise Vault
- About the Backup Exec Migrator for Enterprise Vault
- Configuring the Backup Exec Migrator
- About retrieving migrated Enterprise Vault data
- About the Partition Recovery Utility
- Appendix J. Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Active Directory
- Appendix K. Backup Exec Central Admin Server Feature
- About installing the Central Admin Server feature
- What happens when CAS communication thresholds are reached
- About job delegation in CAS
- How to use Backup Exec server pools in CAS
- How centralized restore works in CAS
- Appendix L. Backup Exec Advanced Disk-based Backup Feature
- Appendix M. Backup Exec NDMP Feature
- About restoring and redirecting restore data for NDMP servers
- Viewing the properties of an NDMP server
- Viewing storage properties for an NDMP server
- Appendix N. Backup Exec Agent for Linux
- About installing the Agent for Linux
- About establishing trust for a remote Linux computer in the Backup Exec list of servers
- Editing configuration options for Linux computers
- About backing up a Linux computer by using the Agent for Linux
- About restoring data to Linux computers
- Editing the default backup job options for Linux computers
- Uninstalling the Agent for Linux
- Appendix O. Backup Exec Remote Media Agent for Linux
- About installing the Remote Media Agent for Linux
- About establishing trust for a Remote Media Agent for Linux computer in the Backup Exec list of servers
- About the Backup Exec operators (beoper) group for the Remote Media Agent for Linux
- About adding a Linux server as a Remote Media Agent for Linux
- Editing properties for the Remote Media Agent for Linux
- Creating a simulated tape library
- Viewing simulated tape libraries properties
- Appendix P. Accessibility and Backup Exec
- About keyboard shortcuts in Backup Exec
- Backup and Restore tab keyboard shortcuts
- Storage tab keyboard shortcuts
Backing up Exchange data
To back up Exchange data, you can select the following:
Individual databases (Exchange 2010 or later only)
Database availability groups (DAG)
You must enter an Exchange Agent license on the Backup Exec server for each Exchange Server in the DAG that you want to back up. You must then install the Agent for Windows on all the servers in the DAG.
Each database in the DAG must be backed up through the DAG container that displays in the list of servers on the Backup and Restore tab. The DAG container displays an Exchange logo on the server.
Note:
If you add Exchange databases after you create a backup job, you must edit the backup job to include the new selections.
You can set backup job default options for all Exchange backup jobs. Each time you create a backup job, the job uses the default options unless you change the options for that particular job.
If you select a volume that contains Exchange data for backup, the Exchange Agent uses Active File Exclusion to automatically exclude Exchange data that should not be included in a volume-level backup. For example, .EDB and .STM files, as well as transaction log files, should not be part of a volume-level backup because they are opened for exclusive use by Exchange.
Without this exclusion, these files appear as in use - skipped during a non-snapshot backup. During a snapshot backup, these files may be backed up in an inconsistent state, which could create restore issues.
While it is not recommended, if you want to include Exchange data in a volume-level backup, you must first dismount the databases that you want backed up, and then run the backup job.
To back up Exchange data
- On the Backup and Restore tab, right-click the server that contains the Exchange data that you want to back up.
To back up multiple servers, Shift + click or Ctrl + click the server names, and then right-click one of the selected servers.
- Select Backup, and then select the type of backup that you want to perform.
- On the Backup Definition Properties dialog box, in the Selections box, click Edit.
- On the Backup Selections dialog box, check the resources that you want to back up and uncheck the resources that you do not want to back up.
- Click OK.
- On the Backup Definition Properties dialog box, in the Backup box, click Edit.
- On the Backup Options dialog box, in the left pane, click Schedule, and then select the schedule for this job.
- On the Backup Options dialog box, in the left pane, click Storage, and then select a storage device for this job.
- On the Backup Options dialog box, in the left pane, select Microsoft Exchange.
- Set any of the following options for this job:
Perform a consistency check before the backup when using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot provider
Select this option to run a consistency check when the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service option is selected. The option Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service is automatically used whenever a software backup is selected on the Advanced Disk-based Backup properties. You can also select the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service on the Advanced Open File backup properties.
The consistency check, which is run on the snapshot, determines if possible data corruption exists.
If this option is selected, and the dependent option Continue with backup if consistency check fails is not selected, then data for specific Exchange objects that are determined to be corrupt are not backed up. All other non-corrupt Exchange objects are backed up.
For example, if a specific Exchange database file is corrupt, then backup is skipped only for that corrupt database file. All other non-corrupt database files and transaction log files are backed up.
When the option Continue with backup if consistency check fails is enabled, then all Exchange data is backed up regardless if corrupt files exist.
Continue with the backup if consistency check fails
Select this option to continue the backup job even if the consistency check fails. You may want the job to continue if you think a backup of the database in its current state is better than no backup at all, or if you are backing up a very large database that may have only a small problem.
Specify one of the following backup sources for Exchange:
Back up from the passive copy and if not available, try the active copy (recommended)
Lets you back up a passive copy of the database by default. For Exchange 2010 or later, Backup Exec selects the passive copy based on your selections in the Preferred Server settings. However, if the passive copy is not available, Backup Exec backs up the active copy of the database. During the backup, database performance degradation can occur if you have to back up the database over a WAN.
Back up from the passive copy only (job fails if not available)
Lets you back up a passive copy of the database. If Backup Exec cannot access the passive copy, the job fails. In this case, neither the active nor the passive database is backed up. Select this option when you do not want to affect the performance of the active copy of the database.
For Exchange Server 2010 or later, Backup Exec selects the passive copy based on your selections in the Preferred Server settings.
Note:
You must have the preferred server settings configured to use this option.
Back up from the active copy only (job fails if not available)
Lets you back up the active copy of the database. If Backup Exec cannot access the active copy, the job fails. Therefore, neither the active copy nor the passive copy is backed up.
The active copy contains newer information than the passive copy. When you back up the active copy, you have a backup of the most recent database data.
Back up from the preferred server configuration only (Use the passive copy first and if not available, use the active copy. Job fails if copies are not available in the preferred server configuration.)
Lets you back up from the preferred server configuration that you specify as the preferred backup source. Backup Exec selects the passive copy of the database as the backup source first. However, if the passive copy of the database is not available, Backup Exec selects the active copy as the backup source. If no copies of the database are available for backup on the configured preferred servers, the job fails.
See Managing preferred server configurations for Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups.
Preferred server configuration
Specify the preferred server configuration that you want to use for the High Availability Server options.
Click Change to create a new preferred server configuration or manage existing preferred server configurations.
See Managing preferred server configurations for Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups.
Backup method
Specify one of the following backup methods that you want to use for this job:
Full - Back up databases and logs (truncate logs)
This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. After the databases and transaction logs are backed up, the transaction log files are deleted if all transactions are committed to the database.
Full Copy - Back up databases and logs
This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up.
You can use this option to make a full backup of a database without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.
Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual mailboxes, mail messages, and public folders from Information Store backups
Select this option to enable the restore of individual items from Information Store backups. Ensure that the backups meet the requirements for Granular Recovery Technology.
Note:
It is recommended that you do not send an incremental GRT-enabled Exchange backup to a deduplication disk storage device. The transaction logs contain primarily unique data that does not deduplicate well. For best results, create a backup definition that runs a full backup of Exchange to a deduplication disk storage device, and then runs an incremental backup to a disk storage device.
See Granular Recovery Technology.
See Configuring Instant GRT and full catalog options to improve backup performance for GRT-enabled jobs.
Backup method
Specify one of the following Exchange-specific backup methods that you want to use for this job:
Full - Back up databases and logs (truncate logs)
This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. After the databases and transaction logs are backed up, the transaction log files are deleted if all transactions are committed to the database.
Full Copy - Back up databases and logs
This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up.
You can use this option to make a full backup of a database without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.
Differential - Back up logs
This option backs up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full backup. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up.
To restore from differential backups, the last differential backup and the last full backup are required.
If circular logging is enabled, differential backups cannot be performed.
Incremental - Back up logs (truncate logs)
This option backs up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full or incremental backup, and then delete the transaction logs that have been committed to the database.
To restore from incremental backups, the last full backup and all the incremental backups done since the last full backup are required.
Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual mailboxes, mail messages, and public folders from Information Store backups
Select this option to enable the restore of individual items from Information Store backups. Ensure that the backups meet the requirements for Granular Recovery Technology.
Note:
It is recommended that you do not send an incremental GRT-enabled Exchange backup to a deduplication disk storage device. The transaction logs contain primarily unique data that does not deduplicate well. For best results, create a backup definition that runs a full backup of Exchange to a deduplication disk storage device, and then runs an incremental backup to a disk storage device.
See Granular Recovery Technology.
See Configuring Instant GRT and full catalog options to improve backup performance for GRT-enabled jobs.
- Set any additional options for this job.
See Backing up data.
- Click OK.