Product Reviews
Administrators, Start Your Backup Engines...: BackUp Exec 8.6
The latest in backup software handles the complexity of Windows 2000.
Veritas Backup Exec comes in five editions, ranging from Datacenter Edition
with full robotic library support, to a Small Business Server Edition
and even a non-server QuickStart Edition. Whichever edition you choose,
you’ll probably want to purchase additional agents and options. The software
is compatible with NT 4.0, Service Pack 4 or better, and all Win2K versions.
In addition to its own tapes, Backup Exec can read tapes from some versions
of ARCserve.
Backup Exec has dedicated agents available to handle data from MS SQL
Server, MS Exchange Server, Lotus Domino, Oracle Server, R/3 Agent for
Oracle, SharePoint Portal Server and more. Advanced options include open
file backup, network storage executive (to manage larger installations
of Backup Exec centrally), SAN shared storage support, Intelligent Image
(which backs up file metadata separately from the file data), intelligent
disaster recovery, and library expansion (for multiple robotic drives)
as well as antivirus software. This release also includes the ability
to use a dedicated LAN for backup, reducing network traffic, and the ability
to backup to disk.
Win2K-specific backup choices include AD, COM+ class registration database,
registry, SYSVOL and system files. I tested backup and restore of AD information,
a registry hive and a junction point successfully. Backup Exec’s open
file option won’t back up encrypted files, and the entire system state
is restored as a single entity (registry, COM+ database, boot and system
files).
The restore wizard lacks some control over options such as relocating
restored files. This is only available in the Restore Job properties dialog
box. For specific Win2K properties, the default under Junction Points
is to restore these points from backup media, not to preserve the ones
existing on the to-be-restored device. A mount point (a directory reference
on one volume mapped to another volume) can be restored, but the backup
will fail if the junction point recursively includes itself. Other specific
Win2K information that can be restored includes disk quotas, Terminal
Services database and cluster quorums.
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| The Backup Exec user interface offers fine-grained control
over many application options. (Click image to view larger version.) |
With Backup Exec, my typical backup job averaged 10-plus MB/minute on
an older DDS tape unit, and the counters appeared accurate in the job
monitor. Quibbles aside, Backup Exec has some useful advanced options,
such as cluster support, and good integration of NetWare and Windows backups.
About the Author
Douglas Mechaber, MCSE, MCNE, CCDA, is a network consultant and dive instructor and is always on the lookout for utilities that make his life easier, or panulirus interruptus, the California spiny lobster.