Veritas Activates Backup Exec 8.5 - Product Announcement

ENT, Oct 11, 2000 by Christopher Mcconnell

With Microsoft Corp.'s release of Datacenter Server and Exchange 2000, Windows 2000 is now a full platform, and one storage management vendor is ready to address the needs of the platform.

Veritas Software Corp.'s (www.veritas.com) 8.5 release of Backup Exec adds functionality that supports some of the advanced and core features of the Windows 2000 platform. Active Directory, which is necessary for Exchange 2000 use, tops the list of supported features.

Backup Exec 8.5 is certified for Microsoft's Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Like most backup software, Backup Exec is a "kernel-touching" application -- an application that requires a direct connection with the operating system kernel. Kernel-touching applications, such as backup and restore as well as anti-virus software and hardware drivers, can pose major threats to the stability of an operating system. The application must undergo rigorous testing before it can be certified. Veritas plans to get Backup Exec 8.5 certified for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. In fact, Backup Exec supports four-node cluster failover, a feature found only on the Datacenter Server iteration of Windows 2000.

Previous to this upgrade, Backup Exec 8.0 could backup and restore Active Directory, but the product did not integrate with the service to complement the functionality. Version 8.5 publishes itself into Active Directory and integrates with other operating system features, such as the Windows Management Interface (WMI).

Users can drill down through WMI to manage the backup of servers across the network. Backup Exec acts as a WMI snap in, working with network management frameworks, allowing administrators to include Veritas in a holistic view of the network.

Backup Exec is also available through the Windows Explorer browser.

In addition, Backup Exec 8.5 can create kernel-level restore disks or tapes. When a system fails to the degree that the machine has to be wiped clean and completely rebuilt, a CD or tape created with Backup Exec will contain a Windows 2000 kernel and sufficient data to restore the hard drive to its state at the time of the last backup.

Having a kernel on the restore disk allows a machine to be booted with the restore disk, which manages installation of the operating system and applications, rather than needing to install Windows 2000 first.

Mike Garcia, product manager at Veritas, says Veritas worked closely with Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) to enable kernel-level restore in Backup Exec 8.5.

Veritas also nurtured tight integration with Microsoft's Exchange 2000 and SQL Server 2000 since the packages are believed to be critical applications for Windows 2000. "We see those [products] as the enablers or drivers moving users to Windows 2000," Garcia says.

Backup Exec 8.5 also supports SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0, allowing administrators to use the product to protect both new and old databases that might be running on the network. "It's important for administrators to have one solution to protect all of their assets," Garcia says.

In addition to incorporating features specific to Windows 2000, Veritas leveraged its experience in Unix environments to add functionality appropriate for the data center.

Much functionality is geared toward database use in high-end environments. For example, Veritas can treat multiple instances of the same database on the same machine as different databases, which is crucial for protecting partitioned data center boxes and multipurposed machines with more than one database.

Not only does Backup Exec support Microsoft's four-node cluster failover features, but Veritas also incorporates its own flavor of cluster failover into the 8.5 release. If the machine used for performing backups fails, Backup Exec can push itself to another machine, protecting data if the usual machine is not running.

Backup Exec manages the backup process, queuing jobs from different machines to ensure that the system is not overloaded and adjusting for maximum efficiency.

"We expedite the protection of the data itself," Garcia says.