Exchange 2003 backup/restore using Snapshots and Recovery Storage Group

[DadcoIT]

It is my understanding that you cannot backup Exchange 2003 stores using Snapshot technology and then restore them to the Recovery Storage Group. I tried to do this and got the following error: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/275586.htm. I am just looking for verification that this is not possible.

Is this a limitation of Backup Exec 10d? Will it work in 11d? How does GRT with 11d play in here?

What is everyone else doing to backup Exchange?

Thanks,

Charlie

[DadcoIT]

bump

Is there any way to backup Exchange using a Snapshot and restore it to the Recovery Storage Group?

Does restoring via GRT work when the backup is made via a Snapshot?

Message Edited by DadcoIT on 09-17-2007 08:26 AM

[Ben_L_]

Charlie,

If you backup the Information Store using a snapshot, then you can not restore the Information Store to a RSG.  This is the same in version 10d and 11d.  GRT functions differently, you will still be able to recover individual items from the backup to mailboxes. 

The only reason you should be doing snapshot backups of Exchange is if you are running Exchange 2007.  This is because to correctly backup an Exchange 07 store you have to use VSS, as per Microsoft.

[DadcoIT]

We are using Exchange 2003 with the stores on an EqualLogic iSCSI SAN. We would like to use Snapshots via the EQL box to move the processing to the backup server. Are you saying that we should only be doing this in Exchange 2007? Or does the EQL iSCSI SAN change the equation since it does the Snapshoting?

[Ben_L_]

If the EQL is doing the snapshots outside of BE then it completely changes the equation.  Now I'm not sure how the EQL works.  But are you configuring the Backup Exec job of Exchange to use a snapshot provider?

[DadcoIT]

EqualLogic Auto-Snapshot Manager is installed on the Exchange server. It creates the snapshot on the EQL box when prompted to by Backup Exec. The Backup Exec job is configured to use Advanced Open File Option - Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services - Automatic.

When the job runs, a snapshot is created on the EQL box, then the backup server connects directly to the snapshot volume on the EQL box to do the backup. This decreases backup time a lot since the backup doesn't have to "pass thru" the Exchange server.

However, in 10d, this means you can't restore to the Recovery Group and you are back to old-school of having to build up a separate domain and Exchange server to do the restore. It is looking like we will need to use the Snapshotting combined with GRT in 11d to be able to restore properly.

[Noah_Dalhover]

If I understand the question, you are correct.  You cannot use the windows VSS snapshot provider to restore to a recovery server.  I've been screwed by that in the past.  We're using the standard exchange agent and it takes about 3 times longer. 

In 11d, if you use backup to disk, you can get around this issue.

Noah