Announcing the new beta for Backup Exec
The Backup Exec team is delighted to announce registration for the next beta release of Backup Exec 2010 and 2012!
This beta release supports VMware vSphere 5.1 and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (and Hyper-V). It is available for BOTH Backup Exec 2010 R3 and 2012, and is expected to be delivered automatically to either platform (as long as you are under maintenance).
This beta release demonstrates the concrete strides we’re making to deliver high quality software with up-to-date platform support. But let me be very clear: this release does NOT bring back the jobs monitor or multi-server jobs. Our intention is to get current with the industry before bringing back those legacy features. We still expect to address this request and will keep you appraised.
In the meantime, we’re continuing our efforts to listen and give you the straight story.
- If you want to talk to a Backup Exec product manager please PM me or tweet @backupexec, @packmatt73 or @backupexecdrew.
- Earlier this week we held the first Google+ Hangout that Symantec has ever done. Our friends down under at A Resting Sys Admins’s Blog have already posted the replay.
- This morning we delivered a webinar for channel partners on Agent and Agentless VM Backup and Recovery (watch for it coming soon for end users)
- We did a Reddit AMA a few weeks back and received a 76% approval rating. Another is coming on January 25 at 2pm EST, focused on Virtualization. Sharpen your pitchforks, redditors!
Now, let the commenting commence.
Drew
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Comments 29 Comments • Jump to latest comment
I recently receive 2 servers and want to configure backup on them
1. Windows Server 2012 - with IIS running
2. Windows Server 2012 - with SQL Server 2012
Can i use this beta update to backup these servers to my 2 Backup servers both running dedup one enviornment is BE 2010 R3 and 2nd enviornment BE 2012
how can i get these updates?
Thanks
Junaid
Junaid,
This Backup Exec update is for both BE 2010 R3 and BE 2012 and the update will provide support for backing up remote Win2012 servers. So, in your case, both environments will be able to protect these Win2012 servers but keep in mind that you can only install one version of the remote Windows agent on the Win2012 servers.
If you are interested in obtaining the updates through the beta program, please register using the link Drew provided in the original post.
Regards,
Pete
I stop reading at " But let me be very clear: this release does NOT bring back the jobs monitor or multi-server jobs"
Sorry.
A second of your life, ruined for life.
I get that this is not what you want to hear. Hope the clarity was useful and that the new platform support offers you something you didn't have before.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
Wow - they make a point to note this so obviously they are getting plenty of feedback on what people want and are ignoring it - Does Ballmer run Symantec now?
" But let me be very clear: this release does NOT bring back the jobs monitor or multi-server jobs."
I didnt get what does this statement means, I have a live production enviornment with backups running from multiple server, will i loose all my current jobs and other stuff and settings.
Junaid, that's a comment about a feature that was removed in the shift from 2010 to 2012. If you are using BE2012 in production today nothing changes. If you are using 2010 and are thinking about doing the upgrade, you should be sure to look at the beta and at the upgrade guide to understand the new job management model.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
Do I understand correctly that there's no Backup Exec Agent for Windows Server 2012 yet?
Windows 2012 has been available to developers in beta / CTP format since late 2011 and we're still waiting for Symantec to release a compatible agent in 2013?
We're rolling out four new Windows 2012 servers in our data center and need a working agent now.
We just renewed our BE support contract for the next two years. I wish I'd been aware of the lack of an agent for a server operating system that's been out since last August, prior to renewing our contract.
Am I on track here?
You are 100% correct. Also the DLO product does not backup WIndows 8 clients.
This is a business product and not having support this far into the release of Windows 2012 and Windows 8 is beyond bad.
Dear friends ,
I'm interested to purchase the symantec backup exec 2012 but I need clarification regarding the following
-Can it backup both 32 and 64 Bit Machines
-Is it agent and agentless
-If I buy this software will I manage to backup both Linux , windows , Unix using the same package
Thansks
Hello Thamara,
BE 2012 can do most of the things you want except I'm not sure about the agentless thing. You can't backup certain things unless the agent is on the remote computer.
I STRONGLY suggest you try BE 2012 before purchasing it. It might be OK if you are only backing up one server and you are running the backup directly on the production server but I would not use it to backup multiple servers. Not in a house, not with a mouse...
BE2010 has a much more friendly interface for multiple backups and it makes it far far far easier to schedule backups. It also takes less time to find the details on any backup or to set actions for warnings.
Most IT managers I know (and I know quite a few - actually in my case it is ALL prefer BE2010) who have used the old BE prefer it over the new one and even one client of mine who switched from Arcserve to BE2012 said he was going to switch back until I installed BE2010 which he thought worked great and is even purchasing it for another client of his which currently has no backup.
Thamara-
Kate Lewis has a solid discussion of agent vs agentless and how they all work over on the Backup Exec blog.
As far as the GUI, there are mixed reviews. Some folks, after migratiing, like it better; others prefer to stay on BE2010. BE2012 is available as a 30 day trial download so you can see the difference, or check out the docs and videos.
We're focused on making the migration seamless in the future but this beta is about supporting new platforms. Let us know if you have any further questions.
@backupexecdrew
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
When can I expect an update to officially make BE2010R3 supported on WinSvr2012?
I especially need the drivers for an LTO5 tape drive.
Any news about the official update for supporting hyper-v or WinSrv 2012?
Hello all,
any news for offical release of BE 2010 update?
I'm also looking for Exchange 2013 DAG Support in BE 2010, can't see it in the feature list of actual beta?!
Thx SYM for feedback.
Gang - see the official beta blog for faster answers to your questions and the timeline.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
Hello all
Just received the Beta notification for BE2010 R3 SP3 and BE2012 SP2 (which will support Server 2012) for MAY!! 2013. I understand that it will need time to program the agent for Server 2012 but common Symantec!
Upcoming Beta Programs for Backup Exec
I have a Server with 4 TB which need's to be migrated to Server 2012 so we can use dedup feature from Microsoft. But I can't finish until BE Agent is availabe, Backup over shares is to slow!
Please Symantec hurry up.
Regards
Patrick
Any word on Exchange 2013 GRT? I can't believe how far behind the curve Symantec is. It is a shame they wasted so much time make BE2012 as it is less popular than Windows ME - they could have used that time to make BE2010 work with current operating systems and email systems.
Exchange and SQL 2013 GRT is not in the coming Service Packs, but agent support for these apps is (on both BE2010 and BE2012). The GRT feature will come in the following release.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
Ok. Does anybody from BE team has a courage to share the real reasons for delays. Those anouncements are polite and nice, but do not tell us anything. What we should say to the customers?
Vladimir Vucinic
Net++ technology
Vladimir - it's really simple. We're not releasing anything that we have not tested thoroughly, rested and then tested with real users in real environments. It's clear that 2012 didn't meet the needs of some customers and we're just not going to do that again.
On Feb 20 we released Hotfix 14. It has since had over 20,000 downloads and zero calls for support. Quality matters.
You should tell customers that support for new platforms is coming in July, and you should get in on the beta in May so you are fully up to speed when the release goes live. They will have the choice to stay on 2010 or move to 2012 as they wish.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
Hi Drew,
My company has one major risk that is big plus at the same time - we are almost "yellow" company, dedicated to selling and supporting Symantec solutions. Risk for us are those situations like the one with BE at the moment, or like the SGS appliances several years ago. We are not in a position (like many other system integrators or partners on the market) where we can simply tell the customer to switch to Networker, Veeam or any other solution, since it would be like putting a foot into our own face.
So, I have a customers that are complaining, that have other department's project stoped because of backup, all kind of pressures to backup team to move on and pick anything that works with vSphere 5.1 or Windows 2012. Any customer that goes is a lost customer for me, it is not just a switch to other program's manager account - and then, they will also start to rethink about other Symantec products and the pressure from competitirs will do its job.
I am having difficult times to ask them to wait for May release, and I simply do not know how I would ask them to be patient until July!
It is clear that software releases are faster and competitors will and are using any opportunity that is on sight. You are not giving us any chance, I am afraid.
Vladimir Vucinic
Net++ technology
At my workplace we have an internal joke. "It will be supported in the next version".
In the beginning based on our CEOs answer if we suggested new features for our ASP platform.
But the last years this joke is a company I have liked for many years, Symantec.
I have worked with IT and hosting since 2001. In IT incidents and problems will happen.
What do we do if our customers needs a new feature, an update to their accounting software with this years tax and vat percentages?
What do we do if a server or network component breaks down?
We work day and night until the problem is solved and our customers are happy.
They need a working product today, not next year. And they hate big changes in UI ;)
I believe that most Symantec products are used with products from Microsoft.
Often very depentent connections exists between your products and their.
It is too late to release your product when M$ releases their product to GA, the man in the street.
A lot of enterprise and partners get the products long before that. And I believe that is a big part of your customers.
It is far, far too late to use one year or more to support new M$ products.
Our backup team holds on to BE 2010 after trying 2012. They hated it. I love new stuff, but I understand them.
Why try to create the wheel instead of tuning the engine and add new features?
Our Windows 8 clients was unsupported by SEP for several months until it finally got supported. So I had to put my security in your competitors hands for a while. Not good marketing. "What AV software are you using?" ... err normally SEP, but they don't support my new Windows OS.
I hope you guys at Symantec manage to turn the tide. I hate to be a bitch and know most of the issues is "PEBKAC" in management. I like many of your products, when they finally releases.
You should learn from the Dynamics CRM team, they release updates with both bugfixes and new feature every second month.
And they listen to customer demands and wishes BEFORE they release stuff.
Now they have just released an major update to their UI.
Why aren't their customers screaming, like we see here with BE 2012?
Because they listened to their users before doing major changes, so that when major changes happens, those changes are wanted by customers and are heartly welcomed.
I hope that BE 2012 have learnt you guys at Symantec a lession and that BE 201x and other new products to come will be awesome. I hope you remembered support for Exchange 2013 and Sharepoint 2013 in your next update? You remembered that, didn't you?
Just in case you have not seen this, we've put new information about the next releases up.
Beta in May, GA in July for both BE2010 and BE2012.
Director of Marketing, Backup Exec
@backupexecdrew
I haven't completely read every comment, but i am confused..
I have been running BE 2012 and protecting windows server 2012 for a few weeks now, maybe months..
I manually installed the BE2012 agent on my Windows 2012 IIS Server and have been backing this up..
interesting, have you tried to restore some files / IIS Settings?
We have BE2010 R3 but as soon as I read about Server 2012 is not supported I don't try to install the Agent anyway. Maybe I will try with a Testserver.
The thing is, if you need support and they figure out the Machine that causing errors is 2012 they won't assist you.
Regards
Patrick
Greetings ajhstn & Patrick099 -
While it is true that BE 2012 will not officially support Windows 2012 until SP2 is released in June, we are seeing more & more users successfully using them together.
Beyond traditional phone technical support, you can also work with our Web Based Tech Support Engineers. You can reach out to us here in Connect or via Twitter
Do not hesitate to reach out with any and all things related to Backup Exec.
Thanks!
Matt Stephenson - @PackMatt73
I don't know what is about BE agent, but you can not install BE 2012 to Hyper-V or WinSrv 2012 host!
regards
gebeq
HI gebeq -
The current version of BE 2012 does not support WinServ 2012. The SP that we are beta-ing is all about platform support. You can sign up for the beta here. It will ship in June.
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