Best practices for Backup Exec 12.5 Desktop and Laptop Option

Best practices include tips and recommendations to help you use the Symantec Backup Exec for Windows Servers Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO) effectively. For more information about DLO, see the Backup Exec for Windows Servers Administrator's Guide.

The following best practices help you use the Desktop Agent effectively:

• Use a local Administrator account to install the Desktop Agent.

• Deploy the Desktop Agent incrementally to reduce the impact on network and file servers. Begin with a small pilot deployment to access the impact and analyze the results.

• Open the Desktop Agent only when you need to restore files or modify selections.

• Ensure that all desktops and laptops that you want to synchronize use the same time settings.

• Set up Microsoft Outlook to deliver email to the server first instead of to a local .pst file.

• Try to schedule backup jobs for times when the desktop or laptop user is not logged on.

The following best practices help you to use the DLO Administration Console:

• Set up profiles to back up only user documents. Do not back up the entire computer.

• Use the option Limit Bandwidth (KB/sec) to minimize network bandwidth issues.

The following best practices help you to get the best performance from DLO:

• Back up a maximum of 400 desktops to a server at one time.

• Use the following guidelines to determine the maximum number of Desktop Agents that a server can support:

  • Use a low-end server to support up to 1,000 desktops.

  • Use a standard server to support up to 1,900 desktops.

  • Use a high-end server to support up to 3,900 desktops.