Exchange Backup to Disk then Tape??

[Lber]

I'm currently backing up over the network our exchange server, however due to the size of the mailboxes it's taking forever. If i were to attach a suitable USB drive on the back of the mailserver, and install BUE10 on that box, could i then back up exchange daily to the USB drive and then later on write these backups to our networked tape library / Backup server?

[Ken_Putnam]

can't do it with two copies of BackupExec, unless the B2D device is on a SAN, and you have a copy of the SSO on each media server

Well you can, but you cannot use a Duplicate job, so in order to restore would need to restore the BKF files to an existing B2D folder, then inventory the folder, then cataog the newly inventoried BKF files, then do your Mailbox Restore

The limiting factor for Brick Level backups is not the network or tape drive, but the method used to do them, (logon to Exchange, connect to each selected Mailbox, then "read" each item using standard MAPI calls, rather than some API or streaming method

This being the case, why not just have a separate job that backs up the mailboxes to tape, and run it concurrently with your Disk Backups?  or bed to a disk on the media server, then DUPLICATE to tape for archival

Or get rid of the Brick level backups completely  Used to be an excellent article at http://mail.tekscan.com/nomailboxes.htm , but it looks like it's gone now

Basically -

you need to do full stores restores as well as Brick level for Disaster Recovery purposes

you lose singel instance storeage

they are tremendously slow (restores are even worse)

restores are an ify thing

they are completely unsupported by Microsoft

Set deleted item retention to as long as you disk space will allow (add more if necessary).  If someone needs a mail item after the Deleted Item Retention has expired, use a Recovery Server.

[Lber]

Hi Ken, many thanks for the reply.

In short what i'm trying to do is  to speed up the backup process. At the momnet i backup exchange to a library, across a lan.

Currently the back up of 25Gb is taking an age. So i was looking to backup exchange to a local HDD possibly USB, then come along with the tape library backup during the working day. In short the question i'm looking for an answer to is "can you backup to tape, a completed backup to disc job?" 

Thanks for any advice

[Ken_Putnam]

In short the question i'm looking for an answer to is "can you backup to tape, a completed backup to disc job?" 

Sure, you can backup to disk then DUPLICATE  (a backup job type selectable when you create the job) the B2D to tape.  The can use policies to start the tape job as soon as the Disk job is done.  And you can restore directly from tape rather than having to restore the BKF files, then inventory, then catalog, then restore  This will only work if the media server that does the B2D also does the DUPLICATE to tape

No matter what you do, Brick level backups will ALWAYS be extremely slow.  Exchange Stores run much faster, since there  is a Microsoft API to stream the data.  You can use your existing media server to do the B2D to a locally attached device and then DUPLICATE later or immeadiately.

[Lber]

That sounds like a plan to me....Many thanks for your input Ken...You ARE a hero!