Exchange Restore Error

I don't remember if has something different on 5.1 but the questions bellow I would do for 6 or 6.5 and probably apply to all releases:

- Are you trying to restore a set including full plus differential / incremental backups? 

- Is Exchange logs set to rollover/recycle mode (or was set like that when image you are trying to restore was made)?

Hi Raphael, how are you? Are you Brazilian too?

- I tried to restore a Full backup without dif or inc backup.

- Exchange logs are NOT configured with any further configuration like: Zero out deleted database pages or  Enable circular logging. The logs just indicates its path.

- There is something I forgot to told. When the backup was made, the referenced Mailbox Store was in the Third Storage Group. This Mailbox Store was moved to the Second Storage Group later. So I have a doubt if the changes in the Structure of the Storage Groups affect the execution of the restore.

Regards

Hi Dudu,

Yeah, I'm Brazilian too! Nice see you here!

If I got it completely, You are trying to restore a complete mailbox, called Corporativo2 in the following way:

Source: ...\Third Storage Group\Corporativo2

Destiny: ...\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativo2

But:

...\Third Storage Group\ no longer exist, now is called ...\Second Storage Group

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Normally, to restore a mailbox to ...\Recovery Storage Group (RSG), the mailbox database must exist in the original SG, even if it is empty or you just created for this propose... In this case, Third Storage Group no longer exist and so, Corporativo2 doesn't exist as well or not in the original location at least... 

You should not select 'Mount Database After Restore' cause RSG doesn't support this, databases must be mounted manually. 

Could you create the Third Storage Group again as well as Corporativo2 mailbox (may be empty), for testing proposes? Cause I don't know another way to restore mailboxes to RSG, just this way...

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Also, have a look at the following Microsoft documents about creating and restoring to a Recovery Storage Group:

Using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Recovery Storage Groups 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DF144AF6-BEE5-4B35-866A-557E25FE2BA1&displaylang=en

How to use Recovery Storage Groups in Exchange Server 2003 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824126/en-us

Restoring Databases to a Recovery Storage Group in Exchange Server 2003

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124961(EXCHG.65).aspx 

I hope it helps you. Anyway, I'll ask a friend who is Exchange Consultant about this and if he gives me any relevant additional information, I let you know. 

He said is not possible, even creating a empty mailbox at TSG, cause Active Directory account ID cannot be different.

To be honest, he started saying 'sit down and cry' :) (as we normally say in Brazil)

But, according to him, a way to solve this would be restoring the whole Third Storage Group to the Recovery Storage Group and then you will be able to get the Corporativo2 mailbox from there.

Yes Raphael, you are right! As a matter of fact the Corporativo2 mailbox was moved from Third Storage Group to the Second Storage Group.

I've tried to restore in those following ways:

1. Restore TSG in RSG without any mailbox.

2. Restore TSG/Corporativo2 (I have created it) in RSG.

3. Restore TSG/Corporativo2 in RSG/Corporativo2 empty and unmounted.

Those procedures result this:

15:40:22 (52780.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Third Storage Group\

15:40:22 (52780.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

15:40:22 (52780.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\

15:40:22 (52780.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Third Storage Group\Corporativo1

15:40:22 (52780.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

15:40:22 (52780.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativo1

15:40:25 (52780.001) (52780.001) ERR - unable to create object for restore: Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativo1 (BEDS 0xFFFFFE1B: )

15:43:24 (52780.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Third Storage Group\Corporativo2

15:43:24 (52780.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

15:43:24 (52780.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativo2

15:43:28 (52780.001) (52780.001) ERR - unable to create object for restore: Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativo2 (BEDS 0xFFFFFE1B: )

15:45:13 (52780.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Third Storage Group\Log files_1202390917

15:45:13 (52780.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

15:45:13 (52780.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Log files_1202390917

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) ERR - unable to create object for restore: Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Log files_1202390917 (BEDS 0xFFFFFE1B: )

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) INF - Commit is set, but no log files are included in this restore request. Log files are required to perform Exchange database recovery!.

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) INF - TAR EXITING WITH STATUS = 5

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) INF - TAR RESTORED 1 OF 4 FILES SUCCESSFULLY

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) INF - TAR KEPT 0 EXISTING FILES

15:45:16 (52780.001) (52780.001) INF - TAR PARTIALLY RESTORED 0 FILES

15:45:24 (52780.001) Status of restore from image created 7/2/2008 11:28:37 = tar did not find all the files to be restored

15:45:25 INF - Server status = 5

15:45:25 (52780.xxx) INF - Status = the restore failed to recover the requested files.

Regards

Hi Dudu, 

The problem is that TSG\Corporativo2 doesn't exist. Exchange need that the mailbox exist on source (TSG\Corporativo2) even if you are restoring to a RSG. Cause Corporativo2 is not on TSG any more, when Exchange try to find that, it is not able.

I don't know why Exchange need it that way if you are restoring to an alternate place (RSG) but, according to microsoft is a pre-requisite.

According to the research I made, the only way it could work is restoring the whole TSG to RSG or other SG and then getting Corporativo2 from there.

Another thing you could have a look, is there enough space on temporary restore area? 

Hi Raphael,

I have already tried to restore the whole TSG but we got the same error. NetBackup tries to create the mailbox store, and it couldn't find the same ID. 

We have sufficient space in temporary area for restore.

So I have made a restore for a backup dated 21.01.2009 and it was successful:

16:27:41 (52782.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Second Storage Group\Corporativos2

16:27:41 (52782.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

16:27:41 (52782.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Corporativos2

16:27:41 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object R:\MBDATA\Corporativos2.edb

17:11:43 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object R:\MBDATA\Corporativos2.stm

17:15:28 (52782.001) INF - Waiting for positioning of media id 0376L4 on server backupsig for reading.

17:16:41 (52782.001) INF - Continuing restore from server backupsig to client smail01.

17:16:44 (52782.001) TAR - Microsoft Information Store:\Second Storage Group\Log files_1232564814

17:16:44 (52782.001) MNR - The file was renamed to the following:

17:16:44 (52782.001) UTF - Microsoft Information Store:\Recovery Storage Group\Log files_1232564814

17:16:44 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object L:\SecondStorageGroup\E010FD79.log

17:16:44 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object L:\SecondStorageGroup\E010FD7A.log

17:16:44 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object L:\SecondStorageGroup\E010FD7B.log

17:16:45 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Restoring Exchange ESE object L:\SecondStorageGroup\E010FD7C.log

17:16:50 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - There are no jobs remaining for this restore request. Exchange database recovery will be performed.

17:17:12 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - Exchange database recovery is successful.

17:17:12 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - TAR EXITING WITH STATUS = 0

17:17:12 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - TAR RESTORED 2 OF 2 FILES SUCCESSFULLY

17:17:12 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - TAR KEPT 0 EXISTING FILES

17:17:12 (52782.001) (52782.001) INF - TAR PARTIALLY RESTORED 0 FILES

17:17:13 (52782.001) Status of restore from image created 21/1/2009 17:06:54 = the requested operation was successfully completed

17:17:13 INF - Server status = 0

17:17:13 (52782.xxx) INF - Status = the requested operation was successfully completed.

It seems that when we changed the structure and moved the mailboxes in the Storage Groups the old backups won't restore anymore, like you said, sit down and cry!

Since the new structure is in production for about 7 months, I have backups only for 7 months too!

Now, I have to think about another way to solve this or forget about the old backups!

Another question, is there a way to copy the backup files directly into the RSG folder?

Regards

Hi Dudu,

There is no direct way to do that... I mean, nothing on NBU CLI or commands that you can use to do direct copies like you want. But NBU write images in UNIX standard TAR format, means that you can use TAR commands to unpack the files.

Do I need to create an Exchange Server in another domain, like create another domain with new AD?

Or can I create an Exchange Server in the same domain with different Organization Name and Administrative Group?