N5200 backup to Tape under Windows.

[jormaster2k]

Hi all,

I own a N5200 from a bit now and I would like to backup the content in tapes for safekeeping ;D.
I have a tape backup unit in my lab and I usually adopt Symantec Backup Exec (10d) for Windows Servers.
It works just fine for my Win2k/XP boxes, and even external USB drives when mapped into one or the other box.
The issue started when I tried to use it with the Thecus shared folder . Long story short, after unending talking with Symantech and unnerving research in the internet for solutions, I realized that this software is just going to give me the boot for any NAS attached to my network and its shares .
Bottom line is that Backup exec wants/needs (not sure of that) an agent software installed on the box where the shares are, and while I could install it in a Windows or even Linux box - which I dont have - I cannot certainly install it into a NAS, like the Thecus (btw, its also like 50 Mb in size) .

Do any of you know of any other Tape Backup software that will read from the Thecus shares in the network or of a Module that will allow me to back up the Thecus using my tape drive?

Thanks in advance for any hint or direction .

[kniteowl]

I haven't given it a try myself with the N5200, but can't you just use the personal folders to back the N5200 from Backup Exec. I know you can backup other NASes this way from Backup Exec.

Teng

[jormaster2k]

Ho do you do it?

[kniteowl]

I'll test it and if it works, I will give a write up.

Teng

[kniteowl]

Well, finish testing it out and YES, you can backup the N5200 with Backup Exec without installing the agent.

Here is my test system, Win2003 with BE 10 and 10d, both work. May work with other versions, but did not have to test.

The setting is the same for both of these version, so I would assume that it is the same for the other versions also.

*** NOTE: this is very important *** Although you do NOT need to install the remote agent on the N5200, you MUST have at least one remote agent license loaded on your server or it will not work.

1) Go to "Tools->Options->Network", and place a check on the "Enable Selection of user shares", then click "OK". This is the only thing that needs to be added, you can keep everything else as you normally have it.

2) Make sure that the account used to run Backup Exec has access to the share(s) that you want to backup. You can test this by login into the Windows server with this account and see if you can map a drive to the share in question on the N5200. You do not need to keep the share mapped, just make sure you can get to it with this account.

3) Create a backup job as normal. For your "Source Selections", you can either browse to it with the "Remote Selections" or create a "User Define Selections" for the shares on the N5200 that you want to backup.

4) Go to "Resource Credentials" and run a test verification. You will get two responses, one that is successful and one that complains that the Remote Agent is not installed and that your data will not be protected. This is normal, as there really is no agent installed.

5) Complete your backup job as normal with any schedule you want.

That is it, when you run the backup, it will complete successfully but with exceptions. The exceptions that is generated is just to complain that the Remote Agent is not installed, so you will not be getting the best performance, blah blah blah. Just ignore this as it is valid, but the backup did complete just fine. I tested backing up and restoring from and to the N5200 as well as backing up from the N5200 and restore to the Windows server just to make sure I can get to the data if necessary and it all works just fine.

Hope this helps you.

Teng