Best practices for Backup Exec 12.5 SAN Shared Storage Option

Best practices include tips and recommendations to help you use the Backup Exec 12 SAN Shared Storage Option effectively. For more information about the SAN Shared Storage Option, see the Backup Exec for Windows Servers Administrator’s Guide.

The following best practices help you use the SAN Shared Storage Option effectively:

• Ensure that the devices in your SAN are on the supported device list. You can find a list of compatible devices at the following URL:

  http://entsupport.symantec.com/umi/V-269-2

• Ensure that the drivers are up to date and are started. You can find a list of drivers at the following URL:

  http://support.veritas.com/rd/bews-drivers.htm

• Configure the hardware in the SAN and ensure that it works before you install Backup Exec.

• Use the server that performs the fewest number of operations as the primary server.

• Use a separate primary server for each SAN.

• Ensure that when you install a hotfix or a service pack, no backup or restore jobs are in progress on the SAN SSO media servers. Install the hotfix or the service pack on the primary server first, and then install it on all of the secondary servers.

• Create backup jobs on the local Backup Exec media servers that contain the data to prevent data from moving across networks.

• Use the same, latest version of the firmware and of the driver levels for all HBA cards.

• Use the same Microsoft Administration domain for the SAN servers.

• Do not use cross-domain environments. They can cause authentication problems during installation and can block access to resources during backups.

• Change the display names of libraries and drivers to names that reflect the servers or jobs for which you use them.

• Do not use cascaded drive pools in a SAN environment.

• Back up the entire Backup Exec directory tree on the shared database server frequently.

• Create separate media sets on the database server for backup jobs for the Backup Exec directory tree and backup jobs for the Windows operating system. A smaller media set reduces the number of tapes you need to catalog before you restore the ADAMM database and catalogs.

• Use a switch administration tool to verify that each server is in a zone configuration with the tape devices. Verify that only media servers are zoned to use the tape devices.

• Disable the operating system's removable storage service.