Catalog = a list of the files/folders/dates/etc backed up WITHIN a backup file that BUE created. If the catalog has expired in the BUE database, then you'll need to run a catalog on the backup media in order to restore files from them. Inventory = when run against a Library or Backup-to-Disk-Folder will inventory that location looking for backup files and listing them along with what media set they are in (and therefore when/if they are overwriteable, appendable, etc.).
Current versions of the software support Microsoft, VMware, and Linux, among a longer list of supported hardware and software.
In addition, Backup Exec's family of agents and options offer features for scaling the Backup Exec environment and extending platform and feature support.
With SQL Server, you can easily change the collation of a database.
It seems I’m not the only person who was fed up with Symantec; far from it.
At that time I decided I would never again purchase another copy of Backup Exec (BE), and I never did, but it hasn’t been easy.