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Symantec Backup Exec - Exchange 2007

I wish to use Symantec Backup Exec to backup Exchange. Should I install Symantec on the Exchange server or a separate server?

My reason for asking is that Symatec requires a SQL instance to be installed - Exchange and SQL Server shouldn't be installed on the same server.

What is the best option/normal setup?

1.) Symantec & Exchange & SQL on same server

2. )Symantec & Exchange on same server - SQL instance on separate server

3.) Symantec and SQL on same server - Exchange on separate server

Option 1 has been tried already using SQL Server 2005 and Symantec won't back up properly as SQL services keep randomly stopping. Would SQL Express be a better option here?

Jarrod

You can point Symantic backup to a SQL Server instance not running on your exchnage server if you wish. That way Symantec & exchange are on the same server, and sql is not.

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tigermatt

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Jarrod

Quite correct ... That would be best practice.

SuperCranium

ASKER

Would you say that this is why the SQL services are stopping at the minute then? i.e. having SQL Server 2005, Exchange and symantec all running on the same server?

If I was to go with option 3...

Exchange Server is in domain A

Could I place the Symantec/SQL Server on domain B

the domains are trusted.

tigermatt

Yes, in theory, the trust between the domains would allow Backup Exec to backup servers in another domain. That is the whole point of creating a trust in the first place!

I can't say exactly why the SQL Services are stopping repeatedly, but it could be related to lack of system resources, meaning SQL Server simply shuts down. What is the specification of the Exchange Server? What RAM and CPU is available?

You can restrict SQL Server RAM usage (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178067.aspx), but I wouldn't bother. Unless it's a major concern for you to get it working on this server, moving Backup Exec and SQL Server to a different server would be a better option. This may have licensing implications though, so if that is a problem, consider moving just the SQL Services to another server.

-Matt

SuperCranium

ASKER

Tigermatt...

"I have a couple of Exchange Servers on smaller networks which run Backup Exec on the server itself, and they have not suffered any problems"

So..you have Symantec running on the Exchange server....

SuperCranium

ASKER

Sorry...I didn't finish that last comment...

you have Symantec running on Exchange server...

where is your SQL instance? A designated SQL server I presume? i.e. not on the Exchange server?

tigermatt

I didn't configure Backup Exec on those servers, so I don't know. Give me a few moments to check.

-Matt

tigermatt

The SQL instance on the servers I mentioned above is actually running on the Exchange Server itself. Not an ideal configuration, but it is SQL Server Express (the version which is bundled with Backup Exec).

Ideally, this SQL instance should not be on that server as the network has a dedicated SQL farm. The decision was apparently made on installing BE that SQL Express would be used simply to get the system up and running as quickly as possible.

What are the specifications of your server? It could be a memory issue causing this issue - I doubt it, but it's possible.

-Matt