Backup Exec 9 seems to have an issue doing full or system state backups on 'certain' dell servers, it conflicts with openmanage software, and the job hangs on the 'pre-processing' step. Here is the fix.
Fireup your favorite registry editor and navigate to:
HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Veritas\Backup Exec\Engine\Misc\Disaster Recovery Installed
Change the value of this key to 0.