Anyone used symantec backup exec 2012?

Soldato
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I can get a good backup, but it's taking up to 3 days sometimes due to the poor transfer rate.

I've inspected the logs and it seems to be the exchange database that's causing the problems. The transfer rate drops to 10-15mb/min. If I exclude the exchange database from the backup plan the transfer rate is fine.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I've tried altering the snapshot settings and even disabling it but it doesn't seem to help.

I've raised this with symantec but they didn't have a clue.
It's quite a simple setup too. 10 users, server 2008 R2, exchange 2010 (only 75gb db).

What I'm thinking of doing is leaving the exchange database out of the backup plan and using windows server backup to back up exchange, but the point of using backup exec was so I could restore individual mailboxes. I'm assuming I can't do this with WSB?

Any ideas?
 
First of all I'd update Symantec as there is a recent update to do with exchange although this isn't really related to your issue.

Do you backup to disk first or straight to tape or other external storage? Try backing up to disk and then duplicate to tape if possible.

Is it all datastores that or slow?
 
Are you doing a brick level backup or a store backup? A brick level will take forever, typically the speeds you are seeing.
 
Really, what dont you like about it? Maybe theres something better out there but I am quite used to it having used it for around 15 years ... probably more actually, I remember looking after some netware servers in the nineties that used it.
 
Really, what dont you like about it? Maybe theres something better out there but I am quite used to it having used it for around 15 years ... probably more actually, I remember looking after some netware servers in the nineties that used it.

Personally it seems like some big part of it is broken for me in every revision since 12.5

Not a fan of the redesign in 2012 either, seems a lot less intuitive.......especially considering i have to show some rather.....lets say "lacking" people...how to use it :/
 
Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Had massive issues everytime a restore is neccesary and massive slow down - switched to StorageCraft.
 
Where moving away from backup exec now, the fact they still don't support server 2012 is quite frankly shocking.
If your virtual use veeam!
Unitrends is also worth a look if you need tape
 
loltim, are you still having this issue? What version of Backup Exec are you using? Can you backup the databases seperately to find the culprit?

Also, know that Backup Exec has just released a Beta that supports Windows 2013 and other platforms.
 
Good to hear you have a beta supporting Windows Server 2012 ready, what with 2012 being so new to the marketplace. Oh, hang on...
 
First of all I'd update Symantec as there is a recent update to do with exchange although this isn't really related to your issue.

Do you backup to disk first or straight to tape or other external storage? Try backing up to disk and then duplicate to tape if possible.

Is it all datastores that or slow?

Tried backing up to a local disk and it ran fine...

I wonder if it's an issue with the NAS file system (EXT4). What if I created an iscsi LUN on the NAS so in theory I'd be backing up to a local NTFS partition? would make restoring the backup a bit of a faf though.

Just to try and answer a few questions above, it's 2012, not sure of the build, fully updated including the recent exchange hotfix. This is a physical server too.
 
Are you doing a brick level backup or a store backup? A brick level will take forever, typically the speeds you are seeing.

Sorry missed this, yes I am, I'm using GRT.
Symantec did try telling me GRT will slow down the transfer rate, but surely not to 10mb per minute?
 
Personally it seems like some big part of it is broken for me in every revision since 12.5

Not a fan of the redesign in 2012 either, seems a lot less intuitive.......especially considering i have to show some rather.....lets say "lacking" people...how to use it :/

Couldn't agree more. We had 12.5 installed previously and it worked......just about but that wasn't the greatest software. When we went up to 2012 everything was so much more hassle and way less intuitive.

Where moving away from backup exec now, the fact they still don't support server 2012 is quite frankly shocking.
If your virtual use veeam!
Unitrends is also worth a look if you need tape

We're on Veeam now and it never skips a beat. Back up direct onto external HDD's.
 
Guys, try Macrium Reflect... we used BackExec in the past... its not bad just very pants at the moment, with their new HTML5 interface potato!

Stelly
 
I thought the beta only supported remotely backing up 2012 servers and not being installed directly on Server 2012?

That's correct can't install directly on Server 2012. Also no support for simple disaster recovery for Server 2012.

Been waiting over year for this update and all it does is provide partial compatibility for new products like Exchange 2013, Server 2012 etc but even then GRT doesn't work with new Exchange or SharePoint.

There's also no new features or added any features that they removed. No backup multiple servers with single job to tape. Also still no replacement for Continuous Protection Server which I was using to backup so big file servers.
 
What is everyone using as an alternative?

I've got 4 Server 2012 units I want to deploy but I can't because I'm still waiting for Symantec to sort their act out
 
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