Backing up Exchange 2003

[Steven3241]

Hi All, I wonder maybe someone can help me. I have a Exchange 2003 sp2 installed on Windows 2003 using Veritas 11.d with Exchange Agent. Currently using Tapes to backup around 400Gb of Information store only. Like everyone who has tried to restore emails from tape, we now don't have the space for staging. The HP server is fully popoulated with disks. No room for expansion. To over come this huge Information store, we will be deleting old redundant mailboxes but my mangement needs assurance that we can recover mailboxes quickly as we might need to restore them. My questions are what do I need to do to backup the database (or individual mailboxes) elsewhere and be able to recover emails quickly? The tape is not a option even though we back up daily on to tape (because of staging and space issue). Is it easy to set up a another server with adequate space to backup using B2D? If we use B2D, am I right in thinking there is no staging required? Does the B2D have to be attached to the Exchange / BE server for me to backup & restore or not? Can i back up individual mailboxes to remote storage and easily be able to restore them into Exchange for quicker recovery of mailboxes? Can the B2D be located anywhere on the network. (possibly buy a NAS box) Or has anyone have any other ideas, best practice or guide as we are really stuck. Apologies if this question has already been asked or if it isn't clearly written. Many thanks for any help. Many thanks in advance for your help, Steve

[CraigV]

Hi Steve,

The cheapest and quickest way around this is to go out an buy an external hard drive (1TB or bigger), connect it up to your server, and use this as a B2D target.
Backing up to a shared folder (even when mapped to your local server) doesn't work well, if at all.
To answer some of your other questions:

1. THere is always staging involved when restoring, not so when backing up. Your local staging location, by default, is C:\Temp, but this can be changed. I have attached an article I wrote below if you don't know how to do it. Follow some of the steps to change the defaults.

2. B2D would have to be attached to your media server.

3. You cannot back up individual mailboxes. Backup Exec doesn't allow for this, although it DOES allow for GRT restores of individual mailboxes/individual items.

4. You can look at buying either an external HDD (like i mentioned first), but a NAS box does work. Whatever you buy, make sure it is on the Backup Exec 11D HCL: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/282249.htm

Hope this all helps...?

[Steven3241]

Hi Craig

thanks for this.

1. Wheres the article attached? sorry new to this forum

2.Am i right in thinking The GRT restores of mailboxes, is by restoring the Information Store and extracting the emails?
Reason i ask is because in Veritas, we select the Information store to be backed up currently. But just above that you have the option to backup Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes individually.

3. If we bought a NAS box (reason is USB is to slow - tried it once and it crashed the server) then that woudn't be physically attached to the Exchange / BE server but I'm presuming through IP. With this scenario, will the above advice from yourself work? ie change the staging path to an NAS ip address? Or does this whole exercise need to be physically attached?

4. I had a look at the 11d HCL, but couldn't spot entry for NAS boxes, but USB backup to disk devices?
Am i looking in the wrong place?
Whats the reason behind purchasing a 11d HCL certified device if its going to be USB device?

Many Thanks
Steve

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

Hi,

1. Oops...

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/restoring-exchange-or-individual-mailboxesitems-using-backup-exec-howto

2. I have seen that if you back up individual mailboxes, it takes a lot longer than just backing up the Information Store. You can still do individual item restores out of a full IS backup. I can vouch for that.

3. I haven't actually worked with a NAS device, but we are investigating them for some of our sites in Africa/Asia as a staging area for VM backups. As far as I know though, you can backup FROM a NAS, and should therefore be able to backup TO a NAS as well. You would use NDMP.

4. USB devices don't need to be HCL-certified. That's simply a localized disk. NAS, and other storage devices are. Maybe do a search on the forums here to see which devices the guys are using. I have seen some posts where guys have recommended a specific type.

Laters!

[Steven3241]

Hi Craig,

1. Let me say thanks to that article. I saw that article last year and we carried it out. When we came back the next morning, the exchange server had crashed. I think it was due to the External USB hard disk.

2. Maybe we can backup individual mailboxes over the weekend, come monday it would of finished and leave the daily full back up of Information store on tape.

3.Never used NDMP. Maybe NAS isnt a option for us.

4. I shall try to find in the forums what people are using as USB hard disks hopefully.

Many thanks Craig.
Steve

[CraigV]

Hi Steven,

I don't think it is possible to back up individual mailboxes. Stick with an Information Store backups...a lot easier to back up, and restore too.
Another option over USB is to backup to a DAS...depending on your server hardware manufacturer, you can look at what they have to offer. For example, HP have an HP StorageWorks MSA50. DAS-attach to the backup server via SAS/SCSI, and then use that as a disk target.
Laters!