Note: SP1 (released June 2012)
addressed the 'unable to view all jobs' complaint from the pre-SP1
version by adding a "View All Jobs" button.
Comment: for pure virtual
environments (VMware and now Hyper-V,) Veeam Backup and Replication
comes highly recommend – but if you have a mixture of physical and
virtual, or want to backup to tape ... and want one product that can
do everything, then you need to look at something like Symantec
Backup Exec 2012 or Dell's AppAssure.
Physical and Virtual Environment
Protection
One product:
Complete data, application, and system protection for physical and
virtual environments from one console
One agent for
VM environments: Backup unlimited Windows and Linux Guest
VMs to disk or tape with a single agent (*licensed per vSphere
Host or Hyper-V host)
Deduplication:
Advanced deduplication for physical and virtual backups; with
granular file and application recovery from a single online,
image-level backup
Advanced VMware and Hyper-V
support
VMware virtual machine protection:
- Image-level VM protection
- Direct backup; no proxy server
- Application protection through VSS
Data reduction technologies:
- Optimized data deduplication
- Block
optimization
- Incremental, differential backups
Single pass
backup, all recovery options:
- Full VM recovery
- Application recovery
- Granular application recovery
- Granular file/folder recovery
- Redirected recovery
Enhanced (in BE2012) Microsoft
Hyper-V support
Block optimization – ignores empty
space within a VHD
Change block
tracking – enables differential and incremental
backups
VHD stream handler – increases
deduplication efficiency, especially across VMs*
*The inline dedupe works most
effectively when VMs of similar type are grouped into the same job.
Backup and Convert to Virtual
Convert to Virtual (P2V)
– parallel data streams, one to media server and the other to
hypervisor
Backup to Virtual (B2V)
– serial data streams, backup stream to media server, then
conversion job runs after
Note: Additionally does Virtual to
Virtual (V2V) and
Virtual to Physical (V2P)
Backup Exec 2012 Offsite
Replication Enhancements
Deduplicated
backups replicated without rehydration
Can target most Symantec deduplication
servers/appliances
Example: BE2012 Server A on Site A
replicating deduped backups to BE2012 Server B on Site B.
Backup Exec 2012 Linux
Deduplication Enhancements
Note: Deduplication option needs to
be purchased!
Client-side
deduplication support for Linux Servers – deduplication
calculations happen at the Linux server (client-side) with the Agent
for Linux only transmitting deduplicated data to the media server
Integrated Bare Metal Recovery
using the Backup Exec 2012 Disaster Recovery Disk
Note: no additional license
required.
Integrated
bare metal recovery
Integrated
bare metal, dissimilar hardware recovery
(could be used to perform an upgrade from old
hardware to new!)
Note: The Disaster Recovery Disk is
a 1.3+ GB DVD packed with drivers; there is a 32-bit version and
64-bit version. A customized Disaster Recovery Disk with additional
storage and network drivers, can be created from the media server.
Additionally, the media server can run a scan of remote hardware to
collect drivers.
Credit: Much of the information
above came from the "Backup Exec 2012: Technical Sales Training"
YouTube video by Jason Conine of Tech Data
Additional Resources:
http://backupexec.com
(can obtain the 60-day trial from here!)
Appendix A: System Requirements
for Backup Exec 2012 Server
*see
be_2012_scl.pdf
Installer: Comes in a 32-bit
or 64-bit version.
CPU: Intel Pentium, Xeon, AMD, or
compatible.
OS: Windows Server 2003
SP2+ (& SBS 2003 SP2+)
Note: Cannot install onto Windows
Server Core (but can install the agent on Server Core.)
Memory: 512MB
above O/S requirements, 2GB or more recommended for better
performance
Installation size: 1.44GB
(Typical) or 2.32GB (All options) + additional space of
database and catalogs.
Applications: IE
7.0 or later. SQL Server 2005
with SP4 or SQL Server Express 2005 with SP4 or above is required
(cannot install SQL on a Windows 2008 RODC because does not let you
use the local accounts that are required; if installing on Windows
2008 RODC must select a remote SQL instance.)
*Backup Exec 2012 SP1 comes bundled with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express.
Appendix B: The Symantec Backup
Exec Family
Desktop and Laptop Option
Backup Exec
Backup Exec.cloud
Backup Exec Small Business Edition
Backup Exec V-Ray
Edition
System Recovery
Backup Exec 3600
(appliance)
Appendix C: List of Backup Exec
2012 Agents & Options
*see
BE2012_agents_options_datasheet.pdf
List of Backup Exec 2012 Agents:
Backup Exec Agent for VMware
and Hyper-V
Backup Exec Agent for Applications and
Databases
- Protection for Exchange
- Protection for SQL
Server
- Protection for SharePoint
- Protection for Active
Directory
- Protection for Enterprise
Vault
- Protection for Lotus
Domino Server
- Protection for Oracle
on Windows and Linux Servers
Backup Exec Agent for Windows
Backup Exec Agent for Linux
Backup Exec Remote Media Agent for
Linux Servers
Backup Exec Agent for Macintosh
List of Backup Exec 2012 Options:
Backup Exec Deduplication
Option
Enterprise Server Option
- Backup Exec Advanced Disk-Based
Backup Option
- Backup Exec Central Admin Server
Option
- Backup Exec SAN Shared Storage Option
Backup Exec NDMP Option
Backup Exec Library Expansion Option
Virtual Tape Library Unlimited Drive
Option
Backup Exec Exchange Mailbox Archiving
Option
Backup Exec File System Archiving
Option
Symantec Desktop and Laptop Option
Great post. I am doing research on disaster recovery for a paper that I am writing. Thanks for the great information, it is very helpful!
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