For best results before starting Backup Exec, do the following:

• Make sure that your storage devices are connected and configured properly.

• Decide if your backup will be to a tape device or a disk device. You can configure both devices when you prepare your Backup Exec environment.

  Note the following:

  • If you're backing up to a tape device, verify that the device is supported. You can install drivers for the devices when you configure your Backup Exec environment.

  • If you're backing up to a disk device using the Backup-to-Disk feature, decide where you can create a backup folder. You should create it on a disk that won't be included in the backup jobs and that has enough free space to contain the backup job.

• Understand how Backup Exec provides overwrite protection for your media.

• Understand the default media set and its infinite overwrite protection period.

• Learn about creating new media sets with weekly, monthly, or quarterly retention periods.

• Decide which resource credential you want your Backup Exec logon account to use when browsing and making backup selections. You can use an existing Backup Exec logon account, or create a new one.

• Decide the format that you want to display all reports, either HTML or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The default setting is HTML.