Another possible way to use Replicator
is to synchronize to a nonproduction
SharePoint server that’s used as a backup
for a large development project that involves
constantly changing functional specs, code
updates, and business requirements. Syntergy
provides a reduced price when Replicator
is used in this way.
Backup Exec Agent for
Microsoft SharePoint
Many shops already have an enterprise
backup system in place and prefer to extend
that investment rather than deploy a separate
product. Symantec’s Backup Exec is
almost ubiquitous as a backup solution in
the enterprise, so it’s a real boon to all those
customers that Symantec has released an
agent for SharePoint environments.
Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Share-
Point supports all versions since (and
including) SharePoint 2001, making it a
good choice for sites that haven’t migrated
because you can use the same backup agent
after you upgrade your SharePoint farm.
Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SharePoint
also is a good economic choice because it
includes the backup agent for Microsoft SQL
Server, which lets you back up the entire
SharePoint farm first and perform the more
granular restores later for those special circumstances
when individual objects need
to be retrieved.
The agent supports both 32-bit and
64-bit platforms and deployments ranging
from small shops to server farms. The number
of SharePoint backup agents will depend
on the number of SharePoint front-end servers
you deploy. You will need one agent per
server, plus a Backup Exec Remote Agent,
which allows normal backup of your operating
system and the more conventional data
that might be on your server.
Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft
SharePoint
PROS: Performs well in basic backup and
recovery of items in list and document libraries;
includes the agent to back up the SQL Server
databases; leverages existing Backup Exec
infrastructure
CONS: Requires the basic Backup Exec server
product
RATING: 3½ out of 5
PRICE: $1,095.99 for a single-server environment
RECOMMENDATION: This product is a logical
choice for a shop that already has a Backup
Exec system. If you need more than backup and
restore, look at the other products reviewed in
this article.
CONTACT: Symantec • 800-754-6054 • www.symantec.com |
The interface, shown in Figure 4, is familiar,
which makes for an easy learning curve for already busy administrators. Like Recovery
Manager for Sharepoint and DocAve,
Symantec designed this agent to deal with
the reality that restoration involves mostly
individual items, concentrating on granular
retrieval, including document-version
backups.
Backup Exec Agent also supports multiple
versions of SQL Server. Thus if you
start your SharePoint deployment as a
pilot project using SQL Server Express,
you can upgrade to SQL Server 2005 with
no loss of agent support. Backup Exec
Agent supports both disk-to-tape and disk-to-disk backups, which is important
for organizations using NAS or iSCSI storage.
Additionally, it has the advantage
of extending an interface that’s already
familiar to administrators.
Making the Choice
All four products reviewed reflect their
vendor’s perception of what a SharePoint
administrator needs. If you already have
Backup Exec, you can’t go wrong by purchasing
Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft
SharePoint. Recovery Manager for Share-
Point could be the right choice for administrators
who are new to SharePoint (or just
overworked), and it has a great price point.
Replicator provides a unique method of
disaster recovery that preserves the state
of your SharePoint data, and DocAve is the
total-control solution that large, dynamic
SharePoint environments need. Although
I was impressed with all the packages,
DocAve 4.5 stands out as the most complete
solution, and it’s my pick for Editor’s Choice.
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chamezzzz October 29, 2008 (Article Rating: