How to migrate Backup Exec to another server with a different Windows OS version.

Article: 100001807
Last Published: 2022-05-30
Ratings: 8 6
Product(s): Backup Exec

Problem

How to migrate Backup Exec to another server with a different Windows OS version.

Solution

To migrate and / or upgrade Backup Exec from one server to another, use the Backup Exec Migration Assistant

Related reference guide:
 
 
Veritas now offers Professional Service for Backup Exec™ — the Backup Exec Installation, Migration and Upgrade Service — this service will help you implement the latest version of Backup Exec.

The service includes the following three options:

Option 1: An installation of the current version of Backup Exec or a previous version if required.
Option 2: An upgrade of the Backup Exec Server to the latest version of Backup Exec
Option 3: A migration of the data from an existing Backup Exec server to a new Backup Exec server

To purchase the service, contact your local software reseller or Veritas account representative today. Click here for more details.

You may also reach out to Authorized Veritas Distribution Partner using following link:
http://partnernet.veritas.com/portal/faces/PartnerLocator

 
 
Before the existence of the Backup Exec Migration Assistant, the following manual steps were used:
  1. Install Backup Exec for Windows Server on the New Server.
  2. Make sure Backup Exec is working fine as a clean install on the New server.  
  3. For Backup Exec 15 and later, sensitive information in the Backup Exec Database is encrypted. On the Old Backup Exec Server, Export the encryption key using the steps mentioned in Exporting the Backup Exec Database encryption key
  4. On the Old Backup Exec Server, stop the Backup Exec Services from "Tools | Backup Exec Services | Stop All Services" and also stop the "SQL Service for  
    BKUPEXEC  instance" from Windows Services Console.
    Note: If it is an older BE Installation configuration being brought back and old BE server does not exist, then Data and Catalog folder can be restored from the backup set as well if they were being backed up from the BE Installation Path before older BE server decommissioned. If Data and Catalog folder are backed up with Backup Exec then the Backup Exec database may need to be restored from BEDB.bak which gets backed up by the file folder backup if a job to back it up was created then. Since SQL service is running when the job runs bedb_dat.mdf and bedb_log.ldf ( BE database files ) will not be backed up from BE if they are selected from the file system level and hence the latest BEDB.bak may be used to restore the BEDB to get back the BE configuration. BEDB.bak is created from a database maintenance activity which creates a backup of BEDB everyday 4 am by default and the file exists in BE Install Path\Data folder.
  5. Copy the Catalogs and Data folder from the Old server to the desktop of the New server.
    Path:- Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\
  6. On the New server, stop the Backup Exec Services from   "Tools | Backup Exec Services | Stop All Services".
  7. On the New Server, rename the Catalogs folder to Catalogs.old.
  8. Copy the Catalogs folder from the desktop of the New Server (copied to the desktop in Step 5) to the Backup Exec folder on the New Server.
    Path:- Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\
  9. From the Data Folder on the desktop of the New Server (copied to the desktop in Step 5), copy all BEX_<servername>_#####.xml files (Job Logs) to the   \Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\ Data folder (only BEX files)
  10. From the Data Folder on the desktop of the New Server, copy the Backup Exec Database encryption key (.dek) file to the  \Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Data\ folder
  11. Locate the BEUtility.exe file under the Backup Exec folder and execute it.
    Path:- Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\
  12. Click yes to open the utility.
  13. Under the middle column, select All Media servers.
  14. In the Right Column, Right Click on the New Server and select Copy Database.
  15. In both prompts, browse to the Desktop\Data folder and select the BEDB data base files.
  16. Click Ok to import and restart the BE services. 
    Note: In case the device and media service does not start review the note in point 4.
  17. For any errors related to Backup Exec Database encryption key (.dek) refer to Troubleshooting database encryption key errors
 

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