Full Backup of Exchange Server

[IT_Steve]

We are putting in a new Exchange Server (Exchange 2007 on Windows 2008) and BE 12.5 using the Exchange Agent.  The recommendation is to do a full backup of the server.  Are there any issues backing up the entire server and the info store in the same job:
1. Should the  Exchange Data be excluded from the hard drive selection?
2. Should the Open file Option be used?  There is a note saying not to use this for the Exchange data but isn't this needed for the rest of the server?

I was looking for best practices.
Thanks,
Steve

[Ken_Putnam]

Are there any issues backing up the entire server and the info store in the same job:


Symantec recommends that database backups and flat-file backups be run in different jobs.  For one thing you do not want to use AOFO for database backups, but most likely do for flat-file backups

1. Should the  Exchange Data be excluded from the hard drive selection?

yes, since as long as the database server service is running, you will not be able to back them up anyway


2. Should the Open file Option be used?  There is a note saying not to use this for the Exchange data but isn't this needed for the rest of the server?

See above

[teiva-boy]

 Create two jobs or a policy with different selection lists.

Job 1, All the files on the server, but deselecting the Exchange pieces.  You can use AOFO here.
Job 2, Only select the Exchange pieces, nothing else. No AOFO here, just plain VSS is going to be used.

This more or less applies to Active Directory, SQL, Sharepoint, etc...