Backup Exec 2010 Excahnge 2007 cant see Mail boxes

[stagger43]

I have two servers both running Backup Exec 2010

A backup server that’s job is to run Backup Exec that’s all…Running on Server 2003 32 bit

A Exchange 2007 running on Server 2003 64bit

Backup FAIL CONTSTANTLY!!! With VSS Errors and I have tried every F’n tech note, gone from 12.5 to 2010 and still VSS fail!

So I have come to notice that on the Exchange server running BE 2010 I can choose just mail boxes and I don’t the that VVS failure… THANK GOD!

But on my Backup Server BE2010 I don have the choice for mailboxes just mail stores..

WHY?  Can I change this?  Is there a VSS fix that really works, please don’t send me to a tech note you found at Symantec… BECAUSE IT DOEST WORK! : )

I also got a failure on the Exchange server that because the remote agent wasn’t running I could not back up.  So I need to a remote agent to back up local data… Really, cuz that makes sense.

Please help me see those mailboxes on both servers!!!

Thx!

[CraigV]

Hi stagger,

Just to clarify some things here...

1. You won't see individual mailboxes. If you use the Exchange agent, it doesn't do a brick-level mailbox like ARCserve does. ARCserve for instance needs 2 passes to backup Exchange, while BE does this in a single pass. When BE backs up the IS, you only see the IS...but out of that, you are able to do GRT restores, which is where the beauty of GRT restores come in.

If you go into a restore job, you will see individual mailboxes, individual files etc. If you have backed up your IS using Advanced Open File Option, this becomes more tricky to restore from, and I would suggest turning it off, and splitting your Exchange and data backups off from each other.

The reason why you can see individual mailboxes on your local BE server running Exchange 2010 is probably because you're using the legacy method. I know it is for Exchange 2003, but just make sure this is not selected.

2. Have any of the TNs you have checked out pushed you in the direction of updating Windows Server 2003 with the VSS rollup patch? I have seen that fix a number of my issues...

3. The Remote Agent is required on a remote server, and on your media server. Without it, your backups won't run. So that is the reason why you would get that error on your media server.

[JK81]

Exchange 2007 does not support individual mailboxes backup the way it was done with Exchange 2003.

Can you verify and see if your non-GRT backup goes through:

To perform a non-GRT backup go to Tools - Options - Microsoft Exchange on Backup Exec.

Uncheck the option "Enable GRT ... " (I don't quite remember the whole thing but it says GRT granular restore technology)

Save your changes and then perform Just the Exchange IS backup and verify if it goes through, if it does then issue is with GRT.

But if that fails too, then on your Exchange server verify the status of your VSS writers. To verify, Run  "VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS"

Verify if all writers are stable or not. In case any of the writer has failed, you will require a reboot of the server to make it stable.

Regards

[stagger43]

Thanks for the input.  I have installed the VSS rollup patch. Still failures.

 Just to make sure we are on the same page.

 I have a Windows 2003 64 bit server running Exchange 2007 and BE 2010 called “mail01”, there I can do brick level backups, if I try IS backup I get VSS failures.  This server backs up to a NAS weekly.  You can never have too many backups…

 I have a windows 2003 32bit server called “backup01” it does nothing but run BE2010.

 I have two backups running daily to two tape drives, one backup just data.  No issues.

 The second connects to the Exchange 2007 server and as noted can’t do brick level backups, only IS backup.  I have 4 IS’s due to size, instead one giant 120gig IS I have broken them down into 4 30gig IS’s.  Hoping that smaller IS’s are easier to manage.

 So… Server Mail01 w/ BE2010 running local can do brick level backups, but server Backup01 w/ BE2010 running remotely can not. Which seems to be by design, so that question is answered, not what I wanted to hear… But oh well.

 Now my nightmare that is VSS failures…. 

 Install the VSS patch.. Check, didn’t help

• Verify the VSS status, check didn’t help
• Configure the job to try and try and try again, check that does work… SOMETIMES!

 I have looked to see where to change from legacy mode, not sure where that is changed…

 On the remote agent issue, I am running BE2010 locally on the Exchange Server, if the remote agent services isn’t running, it won’t backup.  It really doesn’t matter but for whatever reason I have to have a remote agent running to backup local data running BE2010 on that local server.  Just seemed strange. 

 VSSADMIN shows all Writers Stable.  I have looked before and they have shown stable before.

 Once I installed BE2010 locally on my Exchange server and did brick level backups and they did not fail, I was like “OH THANK GOD!!!” I will just change the backup server to do the same…. But nope, its not a available.

 Any other ideas on the VSS writer failures???

 Thanks for your input, any help is good!!

[JK81]

Could post the job log of the exchange backup with VSS errors in htm format to this post?

[stagger43]

ackup- \\AA-MAIL01\Microsoft Information Store\Second Storage Group
V-79-57344-891 - Using the job settings, Backup Exec attempted to back up the passive copy of the Ex...
Writer Name: Microsoft Exchange Writer, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last erro...
 

[JK81]

Are you running a Exchange Cluster, as the error seems to point out?

Configure the Microsoft Exchange settings within the properties of the backup job so that the setting for "If Exchange 2007 backup source is LCR or CCR:" is specified as "Backup from the active copy only (job fails if not available)"
 

Then try the backup and see.

Ensure that the AOFO option is turned off in Backup job properties.

[stagger43]

I am running LCR,  I have changed that setting "If Exchange 2007 backup source is LCR or CCR:" is specified as "Backup from the active copy only (job fails if not available" and it failed with another error "Backup- \\AA-MAIL01\Microsoft Information Store\Second Storage Group
V-79-57344-919 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified opti...
"

I searched v-79-57344-919 and found nothing...

to all thx for working with me.  I am at wits end!

[JK81]

I believe that your job fails with the error "Access is denied" and then in job details you receive the error :

V-79-57344-919 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified opti...
 

Ensure that the account which you are using to backup exchange database has the following permissions:

1. Its Exchange oraganisation admin.

2. Domain admin and local admin on the exchange servers.

3. It has a active mailbox. (just send him a test email from your account to activate it)

4. the account is a unique account in active directory. (i.e. the first 3 letters of the account name should not be same with any other account name, like having accounts admin & administrator in AD is not a unique account)

5. Ensure that the backup account is not hidden in GAL. you can verify this fron backup account properties in AD under Exchange advance tab.

------------

It seems that BE is able to backup your database, but the post operation is not is finishing due to some issue. that's why I had asked you in my earlier post whether you are able to perform a non-GRT backup in earlier post?

Earlier post :-

KunJ

11 Nov 2010

Comment

Exchange 2007 does not support individual mailboxes backup the way it was done with Exchange 2003.

Can you verify and see if your non-GRT backup goes through:

To perform a non-GRT backup go to Tools - Options - Microsoft Exchange on Backup Exec.

Uncheck the option "Enable GRT ... " (I don't quite remember the whole thing but it says GRT granular restore technology)

Save your changes and then perform Just the Exchange IS backup and verify if it goes through, if it does then issue is with GRT.

[CraigV]

Hi,

Any news here?

Thanks!