Exchange agent

[Barry_Pain]

We are running Bacup Exec 10.0 Rev 5520. Recently I had reason to re-build the server and therfore re-install Bacup Exec. The re-install seems to go go fine and I added all the relevant license keys for the remote agent, SQL, Exchange etc. I notice that the options for echange and SQL are seleted but greyed out (in other words you can't select them and change the option so they are installed on media server mane's hard drive. I also don't seem to have the abilty to add the Exchange (or SQL) agent to a remote agent install. I can see and access Microsoft Exchange mailboxes on my remote Exchange server BUT I have two issues, 1) The backup takes much longer than it did (upwards of 12 hours as opposed to about 4 before) before the re-build and re-install. and 2) The bacup always fails reporting corrupt data. I don't somehow think I have the agent install properly and although I have tried to un-install and re-install both the option and the agent at least twice, I don't seem to be able to resolve this issue. Hvae I got something wrong in the  re-installation of the media server or the licensing or is this behaviour by defaut and I have another issue casing my backups of a remote exchange server to fail?

[Robert_Schmidt_]

Hi Barry - I'll try and help with one issue - the "agent(s)"

It's not clearly described, but, in fact, there is NO SQL and NO Exchange agent.

When you enter the license key for one or both of these  on the media server, you are merely "turning on" functionality that is already in the BE code.

They work in conjuction with the BE Windows Server remote agent. So, first of all, you need to be sure that the remote agent is correctly installed on your (remote) Exchange server and (remote) SQL server. When you drill down the backup selection tree for those server(s), do you have the option of 'Shadow Copy Components' (for Win 2003 servers)?

[Barry_Pain]

Thanks for trying to help. The remote Exchange server is Windows server 2000 running Exchange server 2003, In the remote selections I can see the drive letters, Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes, Microsoft Exchange Public Folders, Microsoft Information Store and System State. All of these items can be expanded to show the contents.

Has the remote installation changed then? I could have sworn (in ver 9.x) that you had to select an additional Exchange component when installing the remote agent?

I guess my real problem is the time taken to backup plus the report that the data is corrupt. I do not selcet the MDBDATA under the drive letter as a backup selection just the mailboxes, public folders and information store objects.

[Hywel_Mallett]

I can't remember if you had to select a specific component in 9.1, but you definitely don't have to in 10 :)

[Ken_Putnam]

So Exchange is no longer greyed out on the remote server?  At least you're making progress!

Are you sure that you were doing Mailbox (Brick Level) backups before?  They are at least an order of magnitude slower than stores level backups.

Do regular data backups from the Exchange server also run slower, now?

[Barry_Pain]

I'm a little confused about the question with regard to "Brick Level backups". These are the options as I see them when I expand the remote exchange server selection list:

C:
D:
E:
Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
Microsoft Exchamge public folders
Microsoft Information store
System State

(Exchange is installed onto the D drive under program files)

Can someone tell me what out of those I should and should not be backing up in order to resolve my time window issue? We only backup exchange in order to be able to restore the entire server not individual mailboxes or messages.

[Hywel_Mallett]

You should back up:
C: (Assuming this is your system drive)
D: (Assuming this is a hard drive containing data)
E: (Assuming this is a hard drive containing data)
Microsoft Information Store
System State

The information store backup should be fast. By removing the mailboxes and public folders backups (which are slow) you should get the best balance of speed and recoverability.

[Barry_Pain]

Thanks very much for clarifying that for me Hywel. I will try what you suggested and report back tomorrow. Once again thanks for your help.