Backup Exec 12: Remote SharePoint Agent – Access Denied

Just coming to the end of fixing a very frustrating problem with Backup Exec 12, and backing up our SharePoint 2007 farm. After over 8 hours on the phone and extra work done by email with Symantec engineers, I have a solution.

Here’s the basic information:

SharePoint Server:

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard x64
  • SharePoint Server 2007 Standard x64
  • Backup Exec Remote Agent for SharePoint
  • A second server runs the Backup Exec program, and a third dedicated database server hosts the Backup Exec database.

    The main problem is described well in the following Symantec document (which is what they keep referring me to) http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/300675.htm

    After going through a number of fixes, mainly checking that you have actually given permissions to all of the necessary areas (I can’t say exactly what you need at the minute, I still have some very sweeping permissions in place from testing) and creating the SPSWrapperV3.exe.config files, we still weren’t getting anywhere.

    After fixing another program (on Vista this time) which had issues relating to User Account Control, gave it a try.

    On Windows Server 2008, go into Control Panel -> User Accounts then select Turn User Account Control On or Off.

    After a restart backups start working!!

    Not sure who I am more frustrated at right now: Symantec for not making software that works with UAC, but is supposedly designed for Server 2008, or Microsoft for putting the feature in. Totally see why it exists, and most of the time I like it’s existence. Some of the time it is a total pain.

    11 people found this post useful.


    14 thoughts on “Backup Exec 12: Remote SharePoint Agent – Access Denied

    1. I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my very first remark. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this site very often.

    2. I thought it was going to be some boring old site, but I’m glad I visited. I will post a link to this site on my blog. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.

    3. In my opinion UAC is an extremely useful extension to Windows which provides an extra safety net to accidental changes to a system.

      I think that it should be enablew wherever possible. Software developers then need to be aware of the requirements of UAC, and ensure that software and services that they develop and supply to users can meet the requirements of UAC.

      So, therefore I think Microsoft are actively working and providing solutions to real world problems, and Symantec are failing to consider these solutions when supplying software.

      Congratulations Microsoft – a feature that I appreciate, and has saved my bacon a couple of times.

      1. No, I mean 12. We are still using SQL 2005. Backup Exec upgrades are one of the main reasons for that too.

        I do know that I have got to upgrade before October for SIMS.

        Shortly going to be trying to find out if you can run SharePoint 2010 on SQL Server 2005 or not.

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