Symantec Has a Hit in Backup Exec System Recovery 8.5

Of course, Symantec has not eliminated any of the features that previous versions of BESR were known for. Purchasers (or upgraders) will still find features such as “Restore Anywhere,” which allows a backup to be restored to dissimilar hardware, while eliminating most of the problems created by Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) changes.

Other returning features include the ability to create customized recovery disks, which can store all of the drivers and other custom information that is needed to restore a system from a backup. The idea here is to create a CD with all of the necessary drivers and a rudimentary OS that can boot a repaired system into a state where it is ready to restore the complete backup. That eliminates the tedious task of reinstalling an operating system and drivers before being able to restore the system from a backup.

Environments that are subject to frequent malware attacks will benefit from Symantec ThreatCon Integration – which uses a global “Threatcon”  rating (determined by Symantec) to trigger automatic backups. That could prove to be a life-saver during a rampant virus outbreak or coordinated malware infestation. Backup triggering is not only unique to Threatcon, administrators can also define numerous events that can trigger the creation of a restore point (backup event), ranging from detection of a new application installation, to the deployment of a patch or even based upon a physical event, such as a shutdown or reboot. Properly defining those triggers can help to alleviate some of the stress created by common system changes, allowing administrators to quickly roll back a system if the change misbehaves.

A major feature of the product, “Granular Restore,” has been enhanced to support more Windows applications. Administrators can use that feature to restore esoteric items such as individual exchange e-mails, accounts or attachments. The granular capability extends to SharePoint and SQL server also, allowing selective restores to be done for troubleshooting, forensics or e-discovery tasks. Deployed properly, BESR 8.5 can be used as a replacement for expensive dedicated archiving utilities that are typically required by sites performing frequent e-discovery or auditing chores.

BESR offers a “lights-out” capability that can be used to remotely restore a failed system. Although a little complicated to set up and manage, the “lights-out” portion of the product allows a solution provider to access a system remotely and perform a complete restore, even if the system cannot boot to its native OS. A handy feature for solution providers looking to offer MSP-style solutions for disaster recovery.