Hi, gang,
There have been numerous postings, scattered across various Internet forums
(including this one), about problems encountered using Veritas Backup Exec 8.6
and higher with Samba-sourced shares from *nix servers. In my particular case, I
have a Windows NT Server 4.0-based backup system, which is supposed to be able
to back up the other Windows systems on the LAN, plus several SPARC boxes
running NetBSD 1.6.1 and Samba.
I started running into problems when I updated from Samba 2.2.8a to 3.x.
Specifically, trying to browse and select the Samba-sourced share, from within
Backup Exec, would cause a Dr. Watson error of the 'Exception: Access
Violation' nature, which was also causing the main Backup Exec server engine
on the NT side to shut down.
When I switched back to Samba 2.2.8a on the BSD side, all my problems along
those lines vanished.
I'm definitely not anywhere near enough of a programmer to begin to make
sense of the source code, but I am really curious as to what, exactly, changed
between 2.2.8a and 3.x that caused Backup Exec to choke. I will add that I
sometimes got other interesting errors on the NT side, with Samba 3.x on the BSD
side, like 'The Remote Procedure Call Failed' or 'The Handle is
Invalid.'
I've also tried other backup software. Computer Associates 'Brightstor
ARCServe' 9.x package works fine no matter what the Samba version is, but I
didn't like the way CA did their UI, nor was I fond of the program's
reluctance to sequence to the next tape cartridge in line, and the resultant
self-aborting of the backup job, if the first cartridge it loaded was not to its
liking.
The bottom line for those of you in similar situations to mine, at least from
what I can see: If you're using Backup Exec, and your *nix boxes are not
Linux-based (they can usually use the Backup Exec Linux Agent if they are), then
don't go above Samba 2.2.8a if you expect your backup system to work with
your existing *nix-box shares.
Constructive criticism and countering viewpoints are welcome, of course.
Keep the peace(es).
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy,
Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com
kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech do/t c=o=m
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped with
surreal ports?"
