Backup Exec Best Practices

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Product(s): Backup Exec (20.0)
  1. Backup Exec Best Practices
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      Best practices for Backup Exec installation
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      Best practices for Backup Exec tape management
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      Best practices for Backup Exec disk-based storage
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      Best practices for Backup Exec data lifecycle management (DLM)
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      Best practices for Backup Exec catalogs
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      Best practices for Backup Exec backups
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      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Oracle on Windows and Linux Servers
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      Best practices for Backup Exec Simplified Disaster Recovery
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      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault and the Backup Exec Migrator
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      Best practices for Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology
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      Best practices for using hot-pluggable devices such as USB devices in a drive rotation strategy
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      Best Practices for Using the Veritas Backup Exec Cloud Connector

Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault and the Backup Exec Migrator

Best practices include tips and recommendations to help you use Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault and the Backup Exec Migrator effectively. For more information about the Enterprise Vault Agent and the Backup Exec Migrator, see the Backup Exec Administrator's Guide.

The following best practices help you use the Enterprise Vault Agent and the Backup Exec Migrator effectively:
  • Use the Enterprise Vault service account or an account with rights to access the restore selections as the default logon account. Otherwise, you may have to enter credentials for each Enterprise Vault resource that you restore.

  • Avoid backing up the Enterprise Vault folders and databases using SQL and NTFS agents. SQL and NTFS agents can interfere with Enterprise Vault Agent backup jobs and may affect the Enterprise Vault Agent's ability to restore the data.

    Note:

    You cannot select Enterprise Vault entries such as NTFS folders and SQL databases for backup. However, you can select Microsoft's Common Internet File System (CIFS) folders on network-attached storage devices where these entities may reside.

  • Back up the Enterprise Vault Directory database after you make any configuration changes in Enterprise Vault.

  • Make sure Enterprise Vault 8.x components are not in Backup mode before you back up the Enterprise Vault 8.x Directory database.

  • Do not allow the backup window and archive window to overlap.

  • Do not allow the backup window and the Backup Exec migration window to overlap.

  • Restore the Directory database in a separate job when you restore an Enterprise Vault installation. After you restore the Directory database, you can restore other Enterprise Vault components and partitions.

  • Restore all Full, Differential, and Incremental backup sets of the vault store database in a single restore job.

  • Run the Enterprise Vault recovery tools after you restore Enterprise Vault. The recovery tools synchronize Enterprise Vault with the newly restored databases.

  • Ensure that the appropriate Enterprise Vault product scripts (SQL scripts) run after a redirected restore job completes, but before the redirected restore job is scheduled again.

  • If you install both the Veritas Backup Exec NDMP Option and the Enterprise Vault Agent, pick only one product to protect an Enterprise Vault partition that resides on NDMP filers.

  • Create separate backup jobs for NDMP backups of Enterprise Vault data. You may see a performance improvement when you use the Veritas Backup Exec NDMP Option.

  • Do not change the recovery model of any database that Enterprise Vault creates. Enterprise Vault configures each database in full recovery mode when it creates them.

Consider the following best practices when you use the Backup Exec Migrator:
  • Veritas recommends that you regularly back up the Backup Exec catalogs.

    If the catalogs become corrupt, you can restore them from backups. After you restore the catalogs, you must re-catalog the storage media on which Backup Exec Migrator data is stored. Re-cataloging the storage media ensures that the latest catalog entries are available.

  • For best performance, configure the Backup Exec Migrator to migrate data to a backup-to-disk folder and then to a tape device by using a duplicate job.

  • In the Enterprise Vault Migration options tab, set the time period for Remove collection files from primary storage to something greater than zero days.

    If you set the time period to zero days, Enterprise Vault immediately deletes the migrated data from the partition.

    If you set the time period to zero days, Veritas recommends the following:

    • Increase the number of concurrent jobs that are allowed for the backup-to-disk folder you use for migration purposes.

      Increase the number of concurrent jobs based on the following formula:

      <number of recommended concurrent jobs> = <number of installed tape drives plus two>

      For example, if you have two installed tape drives, you should configure the backup-to-disk folder to allow four concurrent jobs.

      Concurrent jobs let the Backup Exec Migrator to continue migrating data to disk storage while tape drives process duplicate jobs in a staged migration environment.

      Note:

      You can increase the number of concurrent jobs that run by increasing the total concurrency level of the backup-to-disk devices.

    • Veritas recommends that you first collect all of the archived files in one collection and migration operation, and then migrate these files in the next collection and migration operation. This process ensures that the Backup Exec Migrator creates a single job for each migration operation, which improves the migration performance.