GRT on Exchange, do i really need it?

[Larsson]

Hello!

Im using BE 12.0 and im running both disk-based and tape-based backup.

When this was setuped, i tried to restore a couple of e-mails just to verify the functionality. It did work well, and it only took a couple of seconds. This was with the disk-based backup.

Today i had to restore some e-mails from an old Ultrium tape. So the job started, but it now says "staging". After some reading, i realized that the GRT option was enabled, and that BE will restore the whole Exchange database locally, and then restore my e-mails. The downside with this is that it will take long time and a lot of disk space. As i'm writing this, it is still staging so i don't know if it works yet.

However, what happens if i disable the GRT option on the job? Will i no longer be able to restore single e-mails? Cause i bet that i one day must restore some e-mails and the matter won't be able to wait 2 hours for the staging to complete.

Message Edited by Larsson on 02-12-2009 05:25 AM

Message Edited by Larsson on 02-12-2009 05:27 AM

[Ken_Putnam]

If a GRT enabled backup is to tape or duplicated to tape, then the Entire Store must be staged to temp space to extract the desired item(s)

You could go the "Legacy mailbox Backup" route, but these brick level backups take longer and for a large Store can take a LOOOOOOONG time.  There have been problems restoring from them, but v12 seem better in that regard than v11d

If you do not select either GRT or Legacy mailbox option, to recover a single item you will need to use the Recovery Storage Group  see page 225 of the Admin Guide.  basically this also stages the entire store, and you then ExMerge the desired data to your production Store

[Larsson]

So to put it simple, the GRT option is recomended, and if i want to restore single e-mails that is the option i should use.

I can say that my restore yesterday went OK. It took about 1h and 55m.

[Ken_Putnam · Accepted solution]

So to put it simple, the GRT option is recomended, and if i want to restore single e-mails that is the option i should use.

Correct.