Exchange 2003 logs - full backup with missing logs.

[Admin_Contact]

Question regarding full backup with missing log files, Exchange 2003, BE 11d.

The hard drive with tlogs maxed out on space and Exchange dismounted the store. To get it up and running moved several dozen of the oldest tlogs to different hard drive on the same server to clear space. There won't be enough space to move them back

If I run a full backup to clear the current log files, how will BE handle the 'missing' logs? Is this safe to do? Any other advice or options? Any advice appreciated!

[Symantec_Empl1]

Hello,

Thank you for using Symantec's online support.

Backup Exec relies solely on Exchange to provide it with the details about the currently used Transaction Logs.

I found a Microsoft article, 240145, and it has some instructions for determining if there are missing Transaction Logs, under the "Log Files -> For Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange 2003 Server"

Once Exchange is fully reconciled with the missing log files, then Backup Exec should not have any problems backing up the data.

[Joshua_Small]

A full Exchange backup requires the store actually be mounted. If Exchange won't mount, you will not be able to involve Backup Exec in this equation.

Generally speaking, what you have suggested is not considered safe, because you have no way of knowing if those log files have been committed or not. If they have, effetively nothing will happen. If it turns out they have not, you will lose the data inside them.

My suggestion for this scenario is to move ALL the files to another drive (add a USB temporarily if you have to) and use Microsoft's document here to manage this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822676

Fire up Exchange and run a backup.

[Hywel_Mallett]

I meant to reply to this the other day!

In the past this sort of thing would have required lots of messing around with ESEUTIL and stuff, but Microsoft have now provided an Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant. This has a database recovery thing that will analyze the databases and give you guidance on what you need to do.