Windows Services for Unix and Backup Exec

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Been working on a backup project and needed to use a NFS export as a backup to disk destination in Backup Exec. The best (read free) way to accomplish this is to setup Windows Services for Unix so that your server can map a network drive to the NFS export. Backup Exec does not allow B2D targets to be located on mapped drives but there is a simple work around. Here is the rough break down on what you need to do:

1. Install NFS and export the directory that you want to use as your backup target. Ubuntu users can use the following to install NFS server:

sudo apt-get install nfs-kernel-server nfs-common portmap

Export your directoy however you see fit. I won’t describe the steps necessary to setup /etc/exports as it has been documented numerous times.

2. Download and install Windows Services for Unix 3.5 on your Backup Exec server. You can find that download here. Again, not to be overly redundant, follow the instructions provided on ubuntuforums.org to install SFU 3.5 here. Proceed to step 3 after verifying that you can manually map a network drive to your NFS export and read/write/etc.

3. Create the backup to disk folder in Symantec Backup Exec. In order to create a backup to disk folder on NFS, you must run a simple command. Open up the Windows command line/cmd and make your way over to: c:\program files\symantec\backup exec. Finally, run the following command:
bemcmd -o116 -v -f"Name of your backup to disk folder" -e0 -m1 -d\\NFS-Server-Name\export-name

A fair amount of research and testing went into this setup and the end result was well worth it. We are now using our Ubuntu 9.04 server as a backup to disk target and it is moving some serious IO.

–Himuraken

8 thoughts on “Windows Services for Unix and Backup Exec”

  4. Pingback: Righteous Hack » Ubuntu NFS Target for Symantec BE 12.5

  5. Unfortunately I get this:
    Connecting to local media server…
    Connected.
    Inserting object…
    ERROR CODE: 1
    ERROR: Incorrect function.
    Disconnecting from server…
    Disconnected.
    RETURN VALUE: -1

  6. Hi there,

    I get this message:
    Connecting o local media server…
    Connected.
    Inserting object…
    Error: Logon failure: unkown user name or bad password.
    disconnecting from server…
    Disconnected.
    Return Value: -1

    I am able to manually connect to the NFS export via the map network drive option in windows….

    any ideas would be appreciated

    regards

    Marc

  7. Hi,

    I am seeing the same issue as reported by Marc except for the logon failure. I am receiving the following message:

    Connecting to local media server…
    Connected.
    Success.
    Updating job…
    Success.
    Waiting for job completion…
    JOB ID: {8E05A16C-ABA0-44C0-BFDF-694A944E02FE}
    JOB NAME: QABackupTest

    Disconnecting from server…
    Disconnected.
    RETURN VALUE: -1

    Does any one have any idea on this -1 return code?

    Thanks,

    Arun

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