Backup Exec 20.6 Best Practices

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Product(s): Backup Exec (20.6)
  1. Backup Exec Best Practices
    1.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec software encryption
    2.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec installation
    3.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec tape management
    4.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec disk-based storage
    5.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec data lifecycle management (DLM)
    6.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec catalogs
    7.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec backups
    8.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec backing up critical system components
    9.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Exchange Server
    10.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SQL Server
    11.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Linux
    12.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SharePoint
    13.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Central Admin Server Option
    14.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Oracle on Windows and Linux Servers
    15.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec NDMP Option
    16.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec reports
    17.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec and Veritas Update
    18.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Simplified Disaster Recovery
    19.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Enterprise Vault and the Backup Exec Migrator
    20.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology
    21.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Remote Media Agent for Linux
    22.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V
    23.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for VMware
    24.  
      Best practices for using Backup Exec with server clusters
    25.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec Deduplication Option
    26.  
      Best practices for using Backup Exec Deduplication Option with the Central Admin Server Option
    27.  
      Best practices for using hot-pluggable devices such as USB devices in a drive rotation strategy
    28.  
      Best practices for Backup Exec database encryption keys
    29.  
      Best Practices for Using the Veritas Backup Exec Cloud Connector

Best practices for Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V

Best practices include tips and recommendations to help you effectively use the Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V. For more information about the Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V, see the Backup Exec Administrator's Guide.

General recommendations for using the Agent for Hyper-V
  • Perform a periodic full backup.

  • Back up to a disk-based storage device instead of to a tape device.

  • Ensure that each virtual machine has a unique name. If you have two virtual machines with the same display name, backup jobs may fail.

  • Ensure that the correct version of the Hyper-V Integration Components is installed. The version of the Hyper-V Integration Components should match the version of Hyper-V that you use. Note that Hyper-V Integration Components cannot be disabled.

Best practices for using Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) with the Agent for Hyper-V
  • To use GRT, install the Agent for Windows on the virtual machine on which data is to be restored.

  • Do not use GRT for system file restore for disaster recovery of a virtual machine. Instead, restore the full virtual machine.

  • If you want to use GRT for some virtual machines, but not for others, set up jobs as follows:

    • For virtual machines that do not require GRT, create a backup job with all GRT options disabled.

    • For virtual machines that require GRT, create one of the following jobs:

      • For virtual machines that require file/folder GRT, but do not have SQL, Exchange, Active Directory, or SharePoint installed, create a backup job and select the option Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual files and folders from virtual machines.

      • For virtual machines that require GRT for SQL, Exchange, Active Directory, or SharePoint, create a backup job and select the appropriate application GRT checkboxes. For example, to use GRT for Exchange, select the option Enable GRT for Microsoft Exchange databases and mailbox items on virtual machines. File/folder GRT can also be enabled in this job if you also require file/folder GRT. The Agent for Windows must be installed on the virtual machines that you include in this backup job. You must provide the appropriate credentials to access the virtual machines and the applications that reside on them.

    • For virtual machines that do not support GRT, such as Linux and Mac, create a separate backup job and deselect the four options to Enable GRT for <Microsoft application name> on virtual machines. If a virtual machine does not support GRT, but the options to enable application GRT are selected, the job will complete with exceptions.

    Note:

    Do not include the same virtual machine in multiple backup jobs. If Agent-based backups are also being performed, schedule them so that they do not overlap with the GRT-enabled backups of the virtual machines.

  • If you have Microsoft SQL installed on a virtual machine, you can select the option Run a SQL Log backup after backing up the virtual machine to back up the SQL logs for the databases that use logging. After the logs are backed up, the data from the logs is committed to the database and the log is emptied in order to receive more data. If you do not select the option to perform SQL log backups, the SQL logs continue to grow until the disk is full or until you perform a manual backup job to back up the logs. The option to run a SQL log backup is located on the Virtual Machines dialog box.

  • To use GRT for individual items from Microsoft Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, or SQL, do the following:

    • Install the Agent for Windows on the guest virtual machine.

    • Ensure that you have a valid license for each application that you want to protect.

    • Ensure that the credentials for the guest virtual machine are valid for the application that you want to protect.

    • Use the same requirements for backing up Microsoft Exchange on a physical computer when you back up Exchange on a virtual machine.

Best practices when using the Instant GRT option for GRT-enabled jobs
  • In a CASO environment, ensure that the logon accounts used for backups are added to the list of logon accounts on the central administration server and the managed Backup Exec servers.

  • The storage that hosts the backup sets must be online when you browse for individual items that you want to restore because Backup Exec mounts the backup sets dynamically. For incremental and differential backup sets, all such related backup sets should also be accessible during restore.

  • If a CASO environment, if a Backup Exec server tries to browse the backup sets of another Backup Exec server and if a firewall is configured between them, you must open ports on the servers.

    Veritas recommends to browse backup sets either from the managed Backup Exec server on which the backup jobs were run or from the central administrative server.

    For the list of ports, see the "Backup Exec ports" and "Backup Exec listening ports" topics in the Backup Exec 15 Administrator's guide.