Using resource discovery to search for new resources

Backup Exec's Resource Discovery feature allows detection of new backup resources within a Windows or Active Directory domain. Using this feature, you can create and schedule a job that searches for new server volumes or databases. You can specify which types of resources to include in the search, and can have Backup Exec send a notification when a new resource is discovered.

Using the discovered resources identified in the job log, you can then create a backup job to ensure that the new resource is protected.

When you set up a resource discovery job, Backup Exec lists all of the Windows domains it has discovered. If you have Active Directory domains, you must add them to the list manually. When the list of domains is in place, you select which domains you want to search for new resources.

The Remote Agent is required to discover resources on remote computers. However, installing a MAPI client on the media server enables Exchange resources to be discovered on remote resources on which the Remote Agent is not installed.

On Windows Server 2003/2008 resources, Backup Exec's Resource Discovery feature detects the Shadow Copy Components; it does not detect System State.

To use resource discovery to search for new resources

  1. On the navigation bar, click Job Setup.

  2. Under Backup Strategy Tasks in the task pane, select New job to automatically discover resources.

  3. To add an Active Directory domain to the list of domains to search for new resources, do the following in the order listed:

    • Click Add Active Directory Domain.

    • In the Name field, type the fully qualified name for the domain.

    • Click Add.

    • Click Close

  4. Select the domain you want Backup Exec to search for new resources.

  5. If you need to change the logon account for the domain, click Change Logon Account and enter or select the logon credentials to access this domain.

  6. If you want to exclude computers from the search, on the Properties pane, under Target, click Exclude and then do one of the following:

    To browse for the computer name

    • In the Domain field, select the domain that contains the computers you want to exclude.

    • From the list of computers, select the computer that you want to exclude.

    • Click Exclude.

    To type the computer name

    • In the Servers excluded field, type the name of the computer.

    • Click Add.

  7. On the Properties pane, under Settings, click General and then complete the appropriate options as follows:

    Job name

    Enter the name for this job.

    Job priority

    Select the priority level for this job. If another job is scheduled to run at the same time as this job, the priority you set determines which job runs first. Your choices are:

    • Highest

    • High

    • Medium

    • Low

    • Lowest

  8. On the Properties pane, under Settings, click Resources and then complete the appropriate options as follows:

    Network administrative shares

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new administrative network shares or volumes.

    Network user shares

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new user-defined shares.

    Microsoft SQL databases

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new Microsoft SQL databases.

    Microsoft Exchange servers

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new Microsoft Exchange servers. Backup Exec searches for Information Store, Exchange Directory, or Storage Groups; it does not discover individual databases under storage groups.

    Lotus Domino databases

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new Lotus Domino databases.

    System State and/or Shadow Copy Components

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to search for new System State resources or shadow copy components.

    Oracle databases

    Select this option if you want to search for new Oracle databases.

    DB2 databases

    Select this option if you want to search for new DB2 databases.

    Send separate notification for each new resource found

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to send separate notifications when each new resource is found.

    Send one notification for all new resources found

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to send out a single notification for all new resources found.

    Include previously discovered resources when sending notification

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to send a notification that includes all resources previously found during resource discovery jobs.

  9. If you want Backup Exec to notify someone when this job completes, on the Properties pane, under Settings, click Notification.

    See Assigning notification recipients for completed jobs.

  10. If you want to run the job now, click Run Now. Otherwise, on the Properties pane, under Frequency, click Schedule to set the scheduling options you want to use

More Information

Scheduling jobs