Verdict: Backup Exec 25.1 remains a broad, capable backup platform for Windows servers, VMware, Hyper-V, Microsoft 365, databases, disk, deduplication and tape. It is a particularly practical fit for existing customers with established media servers and tape procedures. But Arctera’s current Product Use Rights document says new Backup Exec purchases ended after March 31, 2026, and its maintenance documentation says every Backup Exec product will reach End of Support Life no later than April 29, 2029. That makes 25.1 a reasonable product to maintain temporarily, not a sensible strategic choice for most new deployments.
What Backup Exec 25.1 is
Backup Exec 25.1 is Arctera’s traditional, centrally administered backup software, formerly associated with Veritas. It protects physical Windows servers, VMware and Hyper-V virtual machines, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, SQL Server, Exchange, Oracle and other application workloads. Backup targets can include disk, deduplication storage, cloud storage, virtual tape and physical tape.
This is not a pure SaaS backup service. A media server, its database, catalogs, agents, credentials and storage targets remain central to deployment and administration. Arctera was separated from Veritas in 2024 (Arctera’s separation announcement). Cloud Software Group announced an agreement to acquire Arctera in 2025, but the available announcement does not independently establish the transaction’s final closing status (acquisition announcement).
What is new in version 25.1?
Microsoft Entra ID protection
The 25.1 release adds protection and restoration for Microsoft Entra ID tenant data, including users, groups, application registrations, enterprise applications and the relationships between those objects. This is materially broader than backing up Microsoft 365 mailboxes alone: identity objects and their relationships can be essential when recovering from an account compromise or rebuilding a tenant.
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- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
After upgrading an existing Microsoft 365 tenant configuration, administrators must select Update > Update Configuration to use the new capability. The release details are documented in the 25.1 readme.
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
Version 25.1 adds support for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and granular recovery of individual items through Granular Recovery Technology (GRT), also covered in the official release documentation.
These are targeted workload and compatibility additions, not a complete redesign into a SaaS-first backup architecture. Instant VM Recovery, application agents, deduplication, encryption, tape and the media-server model are established platform capabilities.
Core protection and recovery capabilities
Physical servers
Backup Exec can protect Windows servers and, where supported, Linux and UNIX systems through agents. File and folder recovery, application-aware protection and disaster-recovery workflows are available. The current Software Compatibility List (SCL) specifically recommends Simplified Disaster Recovery for Windows Server 2025 for a faster and more reliable recovery experience; manual disaster recovery remains possible but requires additional post-recovery steps.
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Host-level virtual-machine protection supports full-VM recovery, Instant VM Recovery, file-level recovery and application-level recovery on supported configurations. Recovery to another host can be valuable during hardware failure, but “supports VMware and Hyper-V” does not mean every hypervisor release, virtual hardware layout, guest operating system or storage design is supported. Check the live SCL and the applicable hardware list before committing to a design.
Microsoft 365, Entra ID and SharePoint
Keep these workloads separate when evaluating the product:
- Microsoft 365 user data and configuration;
- Entra ID users, groups, application registrations, enterprise applications and object relationships;
- SharePoint Online; and
- SharePoint Server Subscription Edition with 25.1’s granular recovery.
Microsoft 365 mailbox protection alone is not equivalent to recovering identity configuration or application registrations. Include an object-level Entra ID restore in acceptance testing.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Databases and business applications
Agents and application-aware jobs cover supported versions of SQL Server, Exchange, Oracle and SharePoint, with granular recovery and transaction-log handling where the application and edition support them. The existence of an agent is not proof that every application release is supported; use the current SCL and the 25.1 documentation for exact version combinations.
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Tape and long-term retention
Tape remains one of Backup Exec’s strongest differentiators. LTO and robotic-library workflows support offline or air-gapped retention, media rotation and, on compatible drives, hardware encryption. Catalog management and regular test restores are essential, especially when media is retained for years.
The SCL says the purchase includes support for the first drive in each robotic library; additional robotic-library drives require the relevant licensing. Confirm the exact drive, library, firmware and interface in the hardware compatibility list.
Deployment and administration
Backup Exec’s strengths are breadth from one console, policy- and job-based scheduling, remote agents, mixed disk/tape/cloud targets, deduplication and a Remote Administration Console. Its trade-off is infrastructure. Administrators must maintain the media server, database, catalogs, agents, credentials, storage and compatibility relationships. New users may find the traditional interface and recovery choices complex compared with a SaaS service.
Deployment checklist
- Confirm a supported 64-bit media-server operating system and database requirements.
- Check the exact Windows, VMware, Hyper-V, SQL, Exchange, Oracle, SharePoint and Microsoft 365 versions in the SCL.
- Verify tape drives, robotic libraries and firmware in the HCL.
- Plan catalog, deduplication and repository capacity, including immutable or offline copies.
- Define separate backup credentials and least-privilege administrative roles.
- Document retention, media rotation and encryption-key custody.
- Test complete VM, file, application, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, deduplicated-storage and tape restores.
The media server cannot be installed on Windows Server Core, although the Windows Agent can. Backup Exec and the Windows Agent also cannot be installed on a Windows Server 2012-or-later volume enabled for Windows deduplication or on a ReFS volume. The SCL, dated October 30, 2025, warns that unlisted or unvalidated combinations may work but may not be eligible for support.
Updates
Arctera Update installs automatically with Backup Exec. It can be run manually or configured to check, download or merely alert administrators. An update stops and restarts Backup Exec services once during the update session. When launched from a Remote Administration Console, it updates the local server where that console is installed, not necessarily the remote media server being administered. See the update documentation.
Restore performance: useful evidence, not a benchmark
An independent IT Pro review restored a SQL Server virtual machine to a new VMware host in approximately one minute during its test. The reviewer also scanned a Hyper-V backup with Microsoft Defender and reported malware detection. Scan times were approximately 30–40 minutes and could consume substantial media-server CPU; throttling and reducing concurrent threads lowered the load. These are that reviewer’s conditions, not universal performance guarantees. Results vary with backup size, storage, network, host hardware, deduplication, encryption and workload.
Rank #3
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Before production sign-off, test:
- A complete VM recovery to an alternate host.
- An individual-file restore.
- A SQL Server, Exchange or other application-consistent restore.
- A Microsoft 365 and an Entra ID object restore.
- A restore from deduplicated storage and from tape.
- Recovery when the original media server is unavailable.
The independent test is reported at IT Pro.
Security and ransomware resilience
The independent review observed AES-256 backup encryption, T10 hardware encryption on compatible LTO drives, role-based access control with five user roles and malware scanning through Defender or the SPE engine. These controls are useful, but they do not make a deployment ransomware-proof.
Resilience depends on architecture: separate backup credentials, protected administrative paths, immutable or offline copies, geographically separated recovery points, available encryption keys, malware scanning before recovery and rehearsed incident restores. A repository reachable with domain-administrator credentials remains a high-value target. Tape is offline only after it is physically removed or otherwise disconnected from the attack path.
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The current Product Use Rights document lists Simple, Simple Restore Only, Bronze, Silver, Gold, V-Ray and Custom editions. Meters can include front-end terabytes (FETB), instances, CPU sockets, devices, agents or per-server/per-application rights. Simple Restore Only permits restores but no new backups.
The Simple Core Pack is metered by FETB or instance. An instance license includes five instances plus protection for an additional ten Microsoft 365 users. That allowance applies to the described licensing structure, not automatically to every edition or contract.
| Meter | When it may fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Instance | Smaller mixed environments with a known workload count | Growth in protected systems can change the required quantity |
| FETB | Organizations that can forecast protected data volume | Requires accurate front-end capacity measurement |
| CPU socket | Some virtualization deployments | Host expansion can increase licensing exposure |
| Custom | Highly specific server or application estates | Harder to compare with modern subscription offers |
IT Pro cited a UK reseller signal of approximately £625 excluding VAT for a one-year, five-instance license, approximately £2,600 for five years and approximately £125 for a one-year single-instance add-on. Those were historical reseller prices, not a current universal list price or a US quote. Total cost also depends on Microsoft 365 users, agents, deduplication, tape-library drives, maintenance, support tier, geography and reseller terms. The licensing rules are in Arctera’s Product Use Rights.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the 2026 lifecycle changes the recommendation
Arctera’s Product Use Rights document states that no new Backup Exec purchases are available after March 31, 2026. That is not the same as saying existing installations stopped working or every renewal ended on that date. Existing customers should confirm renewal, maintenance, upgrade rights and migration assistance with Arctera or an authorized reseller.
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Arctera’s maintenance documentation says all Backup Exec products will reach End of Support Life no later than April 29, 2029. Basic Maintenance includes regional-business-hours support, website access, bug fixes, patches and upgrade assurance. Essential Support adds 24/7 support and continuing efforts on Severity 1 cases. Maintenance applies to supported configurations and excludes training, installation, migration, implementation and general configuration services. Particular products or versions may be discontinued earlier under the lifecycle policy. See the maintenance documentation.
Rank #4
- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Who should continue, and who should move?
| Situation | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Existing customer with stable, supported Windows and tape estate | Reasonable to continue temporarily while planning and testing migration |
| New deployment after March 31, 2026 | Poor choice because new purchases are unavailable and the support runway is limited |
| Tape-centric SMB with established skills | Technically defensible, but verify a replacement can preserve tape, catalogs and application recovery |
| SaaS-first buyer seeking minimal infrastructure | Look at a cloud-native alternative rather than adding a media-server estate |
| Organization planning a five- to ten-year platform | Choose a product with a clearer long-term lifecycle |
Alternatives by operating model
Veeam
Veeam is a strong candidate for virtualization, Microsoft 365, hybrid cloud and immutable-repository designs. Migration usually requires redesign rather than a one-for-one import of Backup Exec catalogs; validate tape and application workflows.
NAKIVO
NAKIVO often suits SMB and mid-market virtualization, NAS, Microsoft 365 and compact deployments. Confirm exact physical-server, database, tape and compliance requirements.
MSP360
MSP360 can fit MSPs and organizations wanting flexible storage-provider choices. Its operating model and feature packaging differ substantially from Backup Exec, so assess centralized management and application recovery.
Acronis Cyber Protect
Acronis is relevant when backup is being combined with endpoint protection and broader cyber-protection services. Security-suite breadth can add cost and complexity, and tape support must be verified.
Druva
Druva is suited to SaaS-first deployments with less customer-managed infrastructure. It may not fit offline-tape-heavy or highly customized on-premises recovery designs.
Rubrik
Rubrik targets larger organizations prioritizing immutable recovery, cloud integration and cyber-resilience. Its procurement scale and cost may be excessive for a small Windows-and-tape environment.
Migration planning for existing customers
Do not assume a competing product can read Backup Exec media or import its catalogs. Treat migration as a technical project:
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- Identify historical media that must remain restorable, including encryption keys and required tape hardware.
- Build and test the replacement platform in parallel.
- Prove full-server, application, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, deduplication and tape restores.
- Decide when to stop creating new Backup Exec recovery points while preserving old-media access.
- Document procedures, credentials, licensing and recovery dependencies before retiring the media server.
Final recommendation
For an existing, supported Backup Exec customer, 25.1 is still a capable operational platform: it covers an unusually wide mix of physical, virtual, application, identity, cloud and tape workloads, and it offers flexible recovery options. Continue only with tested restores, protected repositories and a documented lifecycle plan.
For a new buyer in 2026, do not start a strategic deployment on Backup Exec 25.1. The end of new sales on March 31, 2026 and the latest April 29, 2029 End of Support Life make its technical strengths less important than its limited commercial runway. Compare alternatives against your actual requirements for tape, physical servers, hypervisors, application recovery, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, immutable storage and historical-media access.
Quick Recap
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