Upgrading Backup Exec 2010 to R3 SP2

Okay, so you use Symantec Backup Exec 2010 and you’re facing lots of problems including job rate issues well it seems that its the time you’ve moved on to R3 SP2 and clean the dust of your backup server.

Okay, there are two ways to do this:

1- In place upgrade:

This is a direct upgrade of the existing installation, and here is how you do it:

1. First its always backing up your configuration, so stop the BackupExec SQL instance service, and copy the directories “Data” and “Catalogs”  which are located here <root>:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\.
2. Download the ISO image from here https://fileconnect.symantec.com/ you can either burn it, mount it via a virtual drive or extract it.
   The installation is straight forward, just next your way out till its done.
3. When the installation is done, run live update where you’ll get SP2 and some hotfixes.
4. Finally, the setup doesn’t require a reboot but I do recommend to reboot the server in case you’re utilizing AOFO (Advanced Open File Options).
5. When the server is up, push the new agent to the already published servers (a reboot might be required for those servers) and you’re done.

2- A fresh installation setup:

The draw back of this, is that Symantec DOES NOT SUPPORT TAKING A COPY OF THE BACKUP CONFIGURATION FROM 2010 AND THEN APPLYING IT TO AN 2010 R3 INSTALLATION using BE Utility, if you do so the Backup Exec services won’t start because of a database schema mismatch.

Even though I tried taking the BEDB.bak and recovering it, then I tried upgrading the schema via BEMIG.exe which is supposed to fix the database and insert the new schema in it along with all its tables and views yet at a certain point it fails because it can’t find a certain column.

So eventually you will have to return into a blank database and start all over.

After you’ve finished the installation and updated your server to SP2:

1. Push the new agent to the published servers.
2. Print all your jobs to an XPS file and copy them to the new server.
3. Configure your devices, Backup-to-Disk folders, tape libraries, etc.
4. Configure the default System Log-On Account.
5. Now you can have fun and create all your jobs once again and get bored ever after while doing so.

 

Note: R3 doesn’t support Windows 2000 server any more.

Have fun and you can always count on your life being super happy because you’re an IT ;-).