Can DPM 2012 SP1 installed on Server 2008 R2 protect a deduplicated volume on a Windows 2012 R2 file server?

Hi,

No - Only DPM 2012 R2 installed on Windows 2012 or Windows 2012 R2 can protect Windows 2012 R2 dedupe volumes.

thanks Mike.  

Can an in-place upgrade from a 2008R2 server to 2012R2 with DPM on it be performed?

Hi,

As per: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn554221.aspx#BKMK_Install

In-place upgrade of the operating system on a server running DPM isnt supported

Issue: In-place upgrade isnt supported.

Workaround: Do the following:

• Make a backup of the DPM database. You can use the DPMBackup.exe tool to do this. This tool does the following:
  
  
  • Creates a mount point of the backup shadow copies of each replica volume on the DPM server, in the folder Program Files\Microsoft Data Protection Manager\DPM\Volumes\ShadowCopy\.
• Creates database backups of the DPM database (DPMDB.mdf) and the Report database (ReportServer.mdf).
The tool is located on the DPM server in the folder Program Files\Microsoft Data Protection Manager\DPM\bin.  In order to run the tool the SQL Server 2012 SP1 management tools must be installed on the DPM server. The installation file for these is located at \SCDPM\SQLSVR2012SP1\SQLManagementStudio_X64_ENU.EXE on the DPM installation media. Note that .NET 3.5 is required before installing these tools.
1. Make a note of the DPM version and the last update that was installed.
2. Uninstall DPM. Keep replica data.
3. Upgrade the operating system and ensure that the DPM storage pool disks are imported.
4. Install DPM 2012 SP1 or R2.
5. Restore the DPM database using Dpmsymc restore DB.
6. Run DPMSync Sync to create new mount points.
7. Run a consistency check to get data sources into a green state.

bummer.  Thanks for the how-to.  

Why is this not listed on the requirements page?  I made a decision based on the requirements page roughly a year ago to install it on 2008R2.  I now find out that this scenario has limitations.  

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh758176.aspx

Hi,

I will have a note added to the file server section:

File Servers

Before you can protect a file server running Windows Server 2008 R2, you must apply the hotfix KB977381 DPM 2012 R2 must be installed on Windows server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 before Windows 2012 deduped volumes can be protected.

Thanks.  It just doesn't make up for the lost time and effort that is now required.  Hopefully it will help someone else.  

I'd just like to re-iterate how damn frustrating this is that the requirements for DPM were incomplete.  You don't just quickly upgrade to 2012.  This is a big damn project to upgrade your whole backup server.

I feel like Microsoft needs to compensate me for my time because of their error.  

• Edited by Caleb44 Monday, May 05, 2014 5:13 AM

I'd just like to re-iterate how damn frustrating this is that the requirements for DPM were incomplete.  You don't just quickly upgrade to 2012.  This is a big damn project to upgrade your whole backup server.

I feel like Microsoft needs to compensate me for my time because of their error.  

• Edited by Caleb44 Monday, May 05, 2014 5:13 AM

This information appears to have been, once again, left off the on the system requirements.  

• Edited by Caleb44 16 hours 31 minutes ago

This information appears to have been, once again, left off the on the system requirements.  

• Edited by Caleb44 Wednesday, September 02, 2015 3:12 PM

This information appears to have been, once again, left off the on the system requirements.  

• Edited by Caleb44 Wednesday, September 02, 2015 3:12 PM

Hi,

I know it's easily overlooked, but it is documented under these tech net pages:

System requirements for System Center 2012 SP1 - DPM

Under "File Servers" in the "Requirements for protected servers" section.

DPM 2012 SP1 must be installed on Windows server 2012 before Windows 2012 deduped volumes can be protected.

DPM protection support matrix 

Under File Servers in the Notes section:

DPM 2012 R2 must be running on Windows server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 to protect Windows Server 2012 deduped volumes.