Backing up a Windows Server without a Remote Agent for Backup Exec

It's technically possible to back up a remote Windows server by using "User Defined Selections" in the same way that you would back up a SNAP server. In Backup Exec, go to Tools, Options, and under Job Defaults select Enable selection of user shares.

If you don't have a remote agent installed, however, when the job finishes it will return with status "Finished with exceptions". There's no way I've found to get around this without buying the remote agent.

From Symantec's KB article 264525:

A Snap server uses SAMBA to emulate a Windows volume. Because of this, Backup Exec (tm) will recognize it as a remote Windows server.

This will require that a valid Remote Agent for Windows Server (RAWS) license to be installed on the media server. The Remote Agent does not need to be (and cannot be) installed on the SNAP server.

While backing up <<SNAP>> servers, Backup Exec will treat it as another Windows server on the network and thus demand "RAWS/RANT" but no component is required (in fact cannot be installed). The selections for the <<SNAP>> server backup need to be created through user-defined selections.

Note: You can always back up a "<SNAP> server with user-defined-selection" without requiring the "RAWS/RANT" license, but in order to avoid the "Licensing Error" in the job log, you need to purchase and register the license on the media server, because for Backup Exec, it is just another Windows server on the network.