Symantec Backup Exec Server

Symantec Backup Exec Server

This template assesses the status and overall performance of a Symantec Backup Exec Server.

Note: This template was created on Backup Exec version 13.0 R3, SP1.

Prerequisites:WMI access to the target server.

Credentials:Administrator on target server.

Monitored Components

Note: You need to set thresholds for counters according to your environment. It is recommended to monitor counters for some period of time to understand potential value ranges and then set the thresholds accordingly. For more information, seehttp://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/2415. All Windows event monitors should return zero.

Service: Backup Exec Agent Browser

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Agent Browser service. This service allows the Backup Exec job engine to discover the Backup Exec agents that are available on the network.

Service: Backup Exec Device and Media Service

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Device and Media service. This service provides several COM server interfaces for managing and accessing devices and media.

Service: Backup Exec Error Recording Service

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Error Recording service.

Service: Backup Exec Job Engine

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Job Engine service. This service receives job requests from the Backup Exec Server and moves data to the specified media.

Service: Backup Exec Remote Agent for Windows Systems

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Remote Agent service. This service provides Backup and Restore services to Backup Exec.

Service: Backup Exec Server

This monitor returns CPU and memory usage of the Backup Exec Server service. This service implements job scheduling, server configuration, job definitions, job history, and the Backup Exec Management SDK.

Engine: Aborted Jobs

This monitor returns the number of jobs that have been aborted since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started. The returned value should be as low as possible.

Note: by default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked, so it will return .

Engine: Backup Job Count

This monitor returns the number of backup jobs that have been run since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Differential Job Count

This monitor returns the number of differential backup jobs that have been run since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Error Skipped Objects

This monitor returns the number of objects that have been skipped because there was an error opening the object during backup since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started. The returned value should be zero at all times.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Failed Jobs

This monitor returns the number of jobs that have failed since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started. The returned value should be zero at all times.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Failed Verify Objects

This monitor returns the number of objects that failed to verify during verify operations since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started. The returned value should be zero at all times.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: In Use Skipped Objects

This monitor returns the number of objects that have been skipped because they were in use during backup since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Incremental Job Count

This monitor returns the number of incremental backup jobs that have been run since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Normal Job Count

This monitor returns the number of normal backup jobs that have been run since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Engine: Successful Jobs

This monitor returns the number of jobs that have completed successfully since the Backup Exec Engine Service last started.

Note: By default, this monitor has the Count statistic as difference box checked. This will return values between polling cycles.

Server: Active Job Count

This monitor returns the number of jobs that are currently active.

Server: Ready Job Count

This monitor returns the number of jobs that are ready and waiting for dispatch.

Server: Acknowledged Message Count

This monitor returns the number of messages acknowledged by the message queue.

Server: Acknowledged Message/sec

This monitor returns the number of messages acknowledged by the message queue per second.

Server: Active Message Count

This monitor returns the number of active messages in the message queue.

Server: Received Bytes/sec

This monitor returns the number of bytes received by the message queue per second.

Server: Received Message/sec

This monitor returns the number of messages received by the message queue per second.

Server: Sent Bytes/sec

This monitor returns the number of bytes sent out by the message queue per second.

Server: Sent Message/sec

This monitor returns the number of messages sent by the message queue per second.

Server: Currently Queued Work Items

This monitor returns the number of work items currently queued to the general thread pool.

Server: Active VSN Count

This monitor returns the number of simple notification messages currently being handled by the server.

Backup events

This monitor returns the number of events that occur when:

  • There is an ODBC access error, possible lost connection to database, or unsuccessful access to the catalog index in the database;
  • There is an error copying the machine specific Intelligent Disaster Recovery information to an alternate data path.

Type of event: Error. Event ID: 34338, 57751.

Check your network connections. Check the status of your database. Check the event log for other error messages. Ensure the remote agent service is running on the target server.

Job events

This monitor returns the number of events that occur when:

  • The job was canceled;
  • The job failed with an error;
  • The Symantec ThreatCon Level is not up-to-date.

Type of event: Error and Warning. Event ID: 34114, 34113, 33919.

If the job was canceled, you should review the job log for details. The job may be canceled for various reasons.

If the job failed, you should look at this event in Event Viewer and determine what error occurred. Some possible errors can be found here: http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?eventid=34113&source.

If the ThreatCon Level is not up-to-date, refer to the following article: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH65649.

Device events

This monitor returns the number of events that occur when:

  • There are different device errors;
  • The dismount operation was cancelled.

Type of event: Error and Warning. Event ID: 58053, 59054.

If you are encountering device errors, refer to the following article: http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?phase=1&eventid=58053&eventno=4253&source=Backup%20Exec.

For cancelled dismount operations, you should manually remove the media from the drive and then unpause the drive.

Media events

This monitor returns the number of events that occur when:

  • The Backup-to-Disk device is offline;
  • The Backup-to-Disk device is out of free space.

Type of event: Error and Warning. Event ID: 58057, 58058.

The first alert occurred because the server could not access the Backup-to-Disk device. This is typically caused by the folder becoming inaccessible due to it being deleted, renamed, or unshared. It may also be caused by a disk full condition or the folder state has been set to offline.

The second alert reported because the disk volume where the Backup-to-Disk device resides is out of free space. Either create additional free space on the disk volume where this Backup-to-Disk folder resides, or go to the Job Monitor and cancel the job. Media Overwrite Protection settings should also be reviewed and set to an appropriate level of retention.

Tape events

This monitor returns the number of different Tape events.

Type of event: Error and Warning. Event ID: 65314, 65313.

Look for details in the Event Viewer.

Server and service events

This monitor returns the number of events related with:

  • Backup Exec Name Service failures;
  • Database maintenance failures;
  • Failed to initialize objects;
  • Schema version mismatch.

Type of event: Error. Event ID: 34338, 57751.

For Backup Exec Name Service and database maintenance failures, look for details in the Event Viewer.

For Failed To Initialize Objects events, restart all Backup Exec services, reboot the Backup Exec Media Server and then ensure the latest Backup Exec patches and service packs have been installed.

For schema version mismatch errors, refer to the following article: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH126790.

TCP Port: Agent Browser

This component monitor tests the ability of the Agent Browser service to accept incoming sessions. By default, TCP port 6101 is monitored.

TCP Port: Job Engine

This component monitor tests the ability of the Job Engine service to accept incoming sessions. By default, TCP port 5633 is monitored.

TCP Port: Remote Agent

This component monitor tests the ability of the Remote Agent service to accept incoming sessions. By default, TCP port 10000 is monitored.

TCP Port: Backup Server

This component monitor tests the ability of the Backup Server service to accept incoming sessions. By default, TCP port 6106 is monitored.

Portions of this document were originally created by and are excerpted from the following sources:

Symantec Corporation, Copyright Copyright 2012, Symantec Inc.  All rights reserved.  Available at

http://www.eventid.net