Exchange backup worked on install

[stuart_b]

I have seen a lot of entries on how to get backup working with Backup Exec and Exchange, but I'm concerned since it worked on install, but now shows the "...failed to access "\\Exchange\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes." Access is denied" error described in the knowledge base and forums.

A consultant installed our copy of Backup Exec as an evaluation, and made the connection to our Exchange server.  It worked, but the evaluation expired and it stopped working before we fully implemented a strategy (and we severed ties with our consultant).  Then we purchased licenses and got it working.  Backup of Exchange worked perfectly, but "failed", because it could not access some specific mailboxes--however, at that point we were not actually using Exchange.  Backup Exec is installed on our Windows BDC, and it is set up to use the domain administrator account to access Exchange.

Just about the time we started actually using Exchange, the Job Monitor started showing jobs failing due to being unable to attach to Microsoft Exchange mailboxes and public folders.  We also had some system resources on the Exchange server being backed up, and that part continues to work.  We seem to have made some adjustment of permissions in Exchange to get public folders working to our satisfaction, and it was about then that backup started failing, but it is trying to access the Exchange folders as domain administrator, so we should have full access to everything.

[Ken_Putnam]

On initial install with no serials, all options were enabled, once you entered a serial, you took it out of Demo mode into Licensed mode

Are you sure that the Domain Admin account you are using is also an Exchange Admin?  They are not necessarily the same. You should be connecting as an Exchange Admin for Stores, Public Folders and Mailbox backups

[stuart_b]

I will check whether we somehow dropped the domain admin account from Exchange admin when we made some adjustments.  But I run into the same thing if I try connecting with my personal account, which I know to be an Exchange admin and user.

As to "On initial install with no serials, all options were enabled, once you entered a serial, you took it out of Demo mode into Licensed mode", I considered that except that once we entered the licenses it worked at least two weeks before starting to error.  It successfully backs up system data, so apparently the remote agent is happy.  It only fails on Exchange, and it looks like it is properly licensed.

[stuart_b]

Exchange System Manager confirms our domain administrator account to be an Exchange full administrator, and that is how Backup Exec is trying to access Exchange.  And yet it shows "failed to access" for Exchange, but not for the system on that server.

Is there a way to confirm the licensing?  And should I see a Windows service for the Exchange Agent?  And if so, should I see it on the Backup Exec server or the Exchange server?

[Ken_Putnam]

Depending in the version, the installed licenses can be seen at Help\About or Tools\Licensing

The only service you should see is the RemoteAgent service.  The Exchange "Agent" is merely a serial/key that unlocks the functionality on a specific media server.

if you logon to the Media Server as the BackupExec service account, can you open Outlook and send and receive EMail?  can you connect to the other Mailboxes and/or Public Folders?

Message Edited by Ken Putnam on 04-09-200712:58 PM

[stuart_b]

Agent for Exchange Server shows up both as licensed and installed.

"if you logon to the Media Server as the BackupExec service account, can you open Outlook and send and receive EMail?  can you connect to the other Mailboxes and/or Public Folders?"

Okay, we don't have Outlook installed on the server where we have Backup Exec.  Using OWA, I can't log on as the domain administrator account Backup Exec is trying to use, but I can with my personal account.  My personal account isn't an Exchange admin, but the domain admin is--and I get the same error in Backup Exec trying to connect with both.

I wish I'd tried this last week, as we basically disabled mail for the admin, while leaving it as an Exchange admin.  But we were successfully backing up the Exchange mailboxes and public folders for almost a month after entering the license, and the administrator account lost its ability to get mail just the end of last week.  We seem to have lost backup when we made some adjustments that made public folders only readable by specific accounts.