Symantec Backup EXEC: How to migrate Data and catalogs to a fresh installation of 11d or above on a different server

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This week our backup server had to be replaced. So we installed the new server. Installed Backup EXEC 12.5 on the new server. But I want on the new server al my jobs, policies, selection lists and catalogs. After some google search I had found all the info I need to do this.

In the following article I’ll show you how you can do this.

SERVER01 the old backup server
SERVER02 the new backup server

To download the latest version check your “Your Symantec License Certificate” email you received from Symantec. Find the Backup EXEC  serial number and Enter the Serial Number from the Certificate to logon to the fileconnect site. Follow the link to the FileConnect User Guide for more info.

1. Install a fresh copy of Backup EXEC on the new server SERVER02. Run LiveUpdate to download the latest hotfix and service packs

2. Upgrade your old backup EXEC version to the latest version. If you are upgrading from 9.X first upgrade to 10.X and then upgrade to the latest version. On SERVER01 and SERVER02 should run the same BACKUP EXEC version. Also run LiveUpdate to download the latest hotfix and service packs.

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3. On SERVER01 stop all backup exec services and stop the backup exec database. Use the Backup Exec Service Manager(C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\BEUtility.exe) to Stop All services. To stop the backup exec database run the following command from the command prompt net stop MSSQL$BKUPEXEC.

4. Copy the mdf and ldf files from the symantec backup exec data folder(C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Data) to your new backup exec server SERVER02.

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5. On SERVER02 run the Symantec Backup EXEC Utility(C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\ServicesMgr.exe). Select All Media Servers right click on your new Backup server and select Copy Database…

image6. click Browse… to select the earlier copied database. To copy the data from the old Database to the new Database.

7. Copy the catalogs folder(C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Catalogs) content from SERVER01 to the same folder on SERVER02. On SERVER02 you will see 2 folders SERVER01 and SERVER02.

image8. Launch regedit on SERVER02 and navigate to HKLM | Software | Symantec | Backup Exec for Windows | Backup Exec | 11.0 | Install. Modify the value of Upgrade to 1.

image9. Navigate to HKLM | Software | Symantec | Backup Exec for Windows | Backup Exec | Server. Copy the value DBVersion. navigate to HKLM | Software | Symantec | Backup Exec for Windows | Backup Exec | 11.0 | Install. past it to modify the value of Upgrade Version.

10. Open a command prompt. Run the command C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\bemig.exe. This may take some time to complete so wait until it returns to a command prompt.  This will migrate all data.

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22 thoughts on “Symantec Backup EXEC: How to migrate Data and catalogs to a fresh installation of 11d or above on a different server

  1. Hi and Thanks,

    it worked with Backup Exec 2010.

    A search at Symantec Website didn’t produce the right results. Symantec Support (Post- not Presales), thougt basic support was acquired, didn’t answer my questions. Got tired talking to a lady, who spoke good german, but not good enough german.

    Greets,
    Georg

  2. Hi Daniel,
    Thank you for putting this guide together. I just successfully migrated from Windows 2003 R2 to Windows 2008 R2 with Backup Exec 2010 R2 using the guide. I had to manually add in the Upgrade and Upgrade Version key in the registry and had to run BEUtility.exe to import the Database and it all worked like a charm. All the service accounts were brought across and all the history. Talk about a painless upgrade!

    Cheers,
    Steve

  3. Hi,

    Just to say thanks for putting this together. Just migrated from Windows 2003 & Backup Exec 12.5 to a 2008 R2 platform and Backup Exec 2010 with no problems

    Thanks

    Vinnie

  4. Hi Vinnie,

    I am trying the same thing, migrating from W2K3 Server with BE v12 going to W2K8 R2 BE v 2101 R2, it seems to migrate the catalogues but not the databases? I am also going from 32bit to 64bit. Was there any other steps you had to do?

    Thanks

    Michael

    @Vinnie

  5. I am doing a server migration of be 2010 R2 ( 2k3 R2 to 2k8 R2 64bit), and am running into an odd issue I can’t seem to find anything on. Full backups are not backing everything up (entire directories) and they are using the same active directory domain privs that the old server had…Anyone have any idea?

  6. Hi guys,
    I recently upgraded our backup server from Windows Server 2003 with BE 12.5 to Windows Server 2008 R2 with BE 2010. I need to migrate our catalogs and I assume the database as well from the old server to the new one. But since it has already been a month now and other catalogs have been created on the new server, I need to know if migrating the database overwrites the database that is already present in the new server? And if it does, will that mean I lose all my catalogue information on the past month we’ve had the server running.

  7. OK took a bit of trial and error but it worked! Wish I’d have seen this page before I did my migration from 12.5 to 2010, would’ve saved me alot of work!

  8. Many thanks for this – just migrated from BE2010 on a 2003 R2 server 32 bit to a 2008 R2 server……………..did as you described excluding the reg changes. All worked well.

  9. Can anyone tell me if this works if with Storage Option installed? I am getting error after the Copy Database when the services attempt to restart. Device and Media Service terminated with the following error %%536837819

  10. So just do a reagualr upgrade to Server01 from 12.5 to 2010 before the move to serv02 (step 2) – I sssume simple ? (server will ask when I try and install if I want to upgrade?)

  11. I found this as the first step. Is this required if the servername is different when using the default backup exec database?

    If you are keeping the same server name (skip the SQL commands below and go right to transfer section). If not you will have to change your SQL instance name accordingly.

    osql -E -S servername\BKUPEXEC
    use bedb press enter
    UPDATE DataPartition SET PartitionName=’SERVERNAME’ WHERE PartitionID = 0 press enter
    SELECT partitionname FROM datapartition press enter
    go press enter

    Thank you.

  12. What if… You are involved in a disaster and don’t have access to that server anymore. Your catalogs that you depend on are gone.

    I need to be able to backup these catalog files with the backup job on a scheduled basis. Is there a way to run this as a backup job in the program itself?

  13. Hi Daniel,
    The Backup exec 2012 was sucessfully migrating the catalog but the devices were not coming online in my setup.
    Can you suggest me a way to troubleshoot it
    I tried to migrate data from Win 2K3 sserver to another 2K3 server

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  15. @Daniel (author of this article): The path for Services and BEUtility is interchanged in your article. Otherwise, the article is crystal clear to follow and works as well 🙂

  16. Instructions were great:
    From: BackupExec 2010 R3 SP4 on Windows 2008 R2 with SQL Server Express 2005
    To: BackupExec 2010 R3 SP4 on Widows 2012 R2 with SQL Server Express 2008 R2

    couple of improvement notes:
    – The Upgrade and the Version Values didn’t exist, had to create them (DWORD, and REG_SZ)

    Thanks !

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