Having trouble backing up Exchange 2003

[Stephen_Cunning]

We are in "trial mode" of Veritas 11 before we go ahead and purchase licenses, but we are having trouble backing up our exchange server.  It's grabbing all the public folders but not the actual files in them.  Is there something we're not doing? 

Thanks,
Steve

[D_B_5]

More detail is needed...

Are you doing GRT backups?  To tape?  How do you know the files aren't in the backups?  Do you have Owner rights to the public folders? 

[Joel_F]

Just curious, have you run live update to obtain all the hotfixes and service releases?  We had many issues when we first went to v11d, but some key hotfixes have been released to fix issues with GRT and catalogs being written to tape.  SP1 includes all hotfixes to number 21.  Hotfix 23 and 24 have since been released, but try SP1 and see if this clears your Exchange problems.

[Stephen_Cunning]

Yes, we are doing GRT backups to tape.  I just tried to restore the public folders and there was no data in them when there is clearly data in the folder on the exchange server itself.

I run LiveUpdate but continue to have issues.  I received 9 updates yesterday that were installed and it only says that Hofix 4 was installed.  What's the latest release?

Steve

[D_B_5]

It's because you are running to tape...  Public Folder info cannot be displayed in restore selections on tape backups.

Do one of two things:

1) run your backup to a B2D folder (and then duplicate the job to tape for long term storage)  You then do all your restores from B2D.  just set B2D disk space reserve so it saves x number of backups before overwritting the oldest.  All depends on how much disk space you want the B2D to use.

2) continue running backups to tape.  If you need to restore public folders you can do a duplicate copy from the tape to a B2D folder, then restore the individual folders or posts from the B2D copy of the data.  When the duplicate runs from tape to B2D it puts it int he format it would have been in if backed up to B2D first.

[D_B_5]

Just to clarify one thing though... even though it is not displayed, all the info is actually backed up for Public Folders.  When you do the duplicate copy to B2D you will see all the items.

[Stephen_Cunning]

Our backup is pushing everything to tape.  Is there a way to just take the Exchange and move it to the B2D folder or do I have to create separate jobs?

Thanks for all your help!

[D_B_5]

Best practices is to always have your Exchange data proteccted by it's own backup job with nothign else included.   Just modify your current job to remove Exchange from backups, then create a new job that only backs up Exchange.

[Stephen_Cunning]

So I created a new backup set that only included the exchange server to B2D and even though it said successful again, it still backed up 0k.  I allotted 150G of space and still nothing.  I must be missing a check box or something.

[D_B_5]

The byte count for the entire Exchange IS job is 0 k?

[Stephen_Cunning]

No, just the Exchsrvr directory where the public folers are kept.  It seems to back up everything else except the files in these directories.

[D_B_5]

Does you logon account have ownership rights to public folders?  Can you can see individual messages within individual mailboxes in the database backup?

[Stephen_Cunning]

Yes, it is the Administrator account for the entire network so it authenticates no problem.  And we can see individual messages in the restore in the Information Store, but can't figure out why it's not grabbing these files. 

[D_B_5]

Just for kicks, check the rights on the Public Folder.  An administrator account does not mean it has ownership rights.

[Manfred_Jost]

Hi,
i had the same situation. The result is you have to backup twice. First to a harddisk and a second job to a Tape for
longterm storage.

The copy function from hd to tape does not work. They hoppe to fix it with the next patches, it is nown problem by symatec.

The old version 10d had a long backup time but both folders are stored on the tape.

Or you have to restore to the recovery storage group.

Kind reagrds
Manfred

[Stephen_Cunning]

Yup, the admin account is listed and has full rights to that folder.

Manfred, I have to run a backup-to-disk backup and THEN run the regular tape backup in the same day?

[Stephen_Cunning]

Just to clarify, I'm trying to backup the edb and stm files in the Public Folders directory on the hard drive.

[D_B_5]

What he mentions to do is what I posted yesterday:

"Do one of two things:

1) run your backup to a B2D folder (and then duplicate the job to tape for long term storage)  You then do all your restores from B2D.  Just set B2D disk space reserve so it saves x number of backups before overwriting the oldest.  All depends on how much disk space you want the B2D to use.

2) continue running backups to tape.  If you need to restore public folders you can do a duplicate copy from the tape to a B2D folder, then restore the individual folders or posts from the B2D copy of the data.  When the duplicate runs from tape to B2D it puts it in the format it would have been in if backed up to B2D first."

Public Folder info cannot be displayed in restore selections for a tape backup. 

One thing you just mentioned though, you state that you are "trying to backup the edb and stm files in the Public Folders directory on the hard drive."  Are you trying to back these up directly from selections browsing to the folder?   If so, that won't work.  You have to use the exchange agent to backup up the files by selecting the Information Store.  (just clarifying since your statement is a bit misleading)

[Stephen_Cunning]

Ok, I've set the B2D to run and then the regular tape backup as well.


"One thing you just mentioned though, you state that you are "trying to backup the edb and stm files in the Public Folders directory on the hard drive."  Are you trying to back these up directly from selections browsing to the folder?   If so, that won't work.  You have to use the exchange agent to backup up the files by selecting the Information Store.  (just clarifying since your statement is a bit misleading)"

Yes, I was trying to select them using the View by Resource and selecting the server and trying to select the folder where the files are.

[D_B_5]

Yeah, that won't work no matter what.  Any exchange data is selected by choosing the Information Store itself, or individual storage groups under it.  If you choose to backup the information store completely (recommended) then it will grab all the log files, mailboxes, public folders, etc automatically.