How to properly back up Exchange Server 2003

[George_Zervakos]

I am running:

Windows 2K3 SP1
Exchange Server 2003
BackupExec 9.1 Rev. 4691 SP3 with Agent for Microsoft Exchange 2000

I read this with great interest and yet have several questions:

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/266074.htm

When I go to create a backup, I can choose from among several Exchange resources. What do I need to select at a minimum to ensure a full backup of everything I would need in the event I need to restore the Exchange server?

For example, I can select something called Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes (under which I see our users' mail boxes). After that, I can select Microsoft Exchange Public Folders (under which I see Group Calendar, Group Contacts, Group Notes, Internet Newsgroups, IT Policies, Mail Folders, To-Do).

Here's where my confusion starts. There is also an item called Microsoft Information Store, under which I can select First Storage Group. Is the First Storage Group comprised of Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes and Microsoft Exchange Public Folders? If so, then can I just back up Microsoft Information Store? I have been backing up all three but I'm not sure I need to.

To further confuse the issue, I can select something called Shadow Copy Components | User Data | Exchange Server | Microsoft Information Store and back that up as well. Why is Microsoft Information Store listed in two different places?

The document mentioned above did not explain this to my satisfaction so I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this subject.

Thanks,
George

[A_van_der_Boom]

> For example, I can select something called Microsoft
> Exchange Mailboxes (under which I see our users' mail
> boxes). After that, I can select Microsoft Exchange
> Public Folders (under which I see Group Calendar,
> Group Contacts, Group Notes, Internet Newsgroups, IT
> Policies, Mail Folders, To-Do).
I only have Exchange 2k but that does not differ to much from W2k3. These selections you use if you want to do a bricklevel backup. With this type of backup to can restore single mailboxes and even singel emails if you want to. (never tried it though) A bricklevel backups 'walks' through each mailbox and backups its contents. This can make bricklevel backup a slow process. Keep in mind that even Microsoft does not recommend bricklevel backups for disaster recovery.

> Here's where my confusion starts. There is also an
> item called Microsoft Information Store, under which
> I can select First Storage Group. Is the First
> Storage Group comprised of Microsoft Exchange
> Mailboxes and Microsoft Exchange Public Folders?
When using this option you backup the Exchange databases which contain all mailboxes and public folders. Using this option you can only restore a single database or information store. Restoring single mailboxes or even single mail messages is not possible. (for disaster recovery this option should be all you need)

> If so, then can I just back up Microsoft Information
> n Store? I have been backing up all three but I'm
> not sure I need to.
When backingup all three you can, a) restore a complete information store with its contents or b) a single mailbox or email. It all depends if you have time enough to backup all those things and if you want to be able to restore a users email. (you could use the 'deletion settings' to give user the option to retrieve deleted email)

> To further confuse the issue, I can select something
> called Shadow Copy Components | User Data | Exchange
> Server | Microsoft Information Store and back that up
> as well.
I know it exist, BE uses it also on a W2k3 server, but it fails randomly on me. Exchange 2k on W2k does not even have this option.

> Why is Microsoft Information Store listed
> in two different places?
I have no idea. I only see it ones.

Just my E0.02
Regards
A van der Boom

[George_Zervakos]

> I am running:
>
> Windows 2K3 SP1
> Exchange Server 2003
> BackupExec 9.1 Rev. 4691 SP3 with Agent for Microsoft
> Exchange 2000
>
> I read this with great interest and yet have several
> questions:
>
> http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/266074.htm
>
> When I go to create a backup, I can choose from among
> several Exchange resources. What do I need to select
> at a minimum to ensure a full backup of everything I
> would need in the event I need to restore the
> Exchange server?
>
> For example, I can select something called Microsoft
> Exchange Mailboxes (under which I see our users' mail
> boxes). After that, I can select Microsoft Exchange
> Public Folders (under which I see Group Calendar,
> Group Contacts, Group Notes, Internet Newsgroups, IT
> Policies, Mail Folders, To-Do).
>
> Here's where my confusion starts. There is also an
> item called Microsoft Information Store, under which
> I can select First Storage Group. Is the First
> Storage Group comprised of Microsoft Exchange
> Mailboxes and Microsoft Exchange Public Folders?
> If so, then can I just back up Microsoft Information
> n Store? I have been backing up all three but I'm
> not sure I need to.
>
> To further confuse the issue, I can select something
> called Shadow Copy Components | User Data | Exchange
> Server | Microsoft Information Store and back that up
> as well. Why is Microsoft Information Store listed
> in two different places?
>
> The document mentioned above did not explain this to
> my satisfaction so I was wondering if anyone could
> shed some light on this subject.
>
> Thanks,
> George

Thanks for clearing up the confusion. I've found that the brick level backup itself takes 4:20 to do whereas if I don't do the brick level, my backup window shrinks to 3:23. Unreal - this means the brick level takes an hour longer than everything else put together. I guess I'll recommend not doing the birck level backups since it takes so much time and it's not recommended by Microsoft as you say. Another interesting thing to note is that the non-brick level backup was about 6.5GB less in size.

I'm still wondering about Shadow Copy Components | User Data | Exchange Server | Microsoft Exchange Server | Microsoft Information Store | "Servername" | First Storage Group. This seems to be the same as Microsoft Information Store | First Storage Group. I'm not backing up Shadow Copy Components | User Data | Exchange Server | Microsoft Exchange Server | Microsoft Information Store | "Servername" | First Storage Group beacause it causes errors for me as well.

George

[Sharvari_Deshmu]

Hello,

Pease see the link to the admin guide:

http://support.veritas.com/docs/266190

Also please see the technote below:
http://support.veritas.com/docs/235756


Thanks,

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.

[George_Zervakos]

Page 1177 has the information about VSS. Thanks,

George

http://support.veritas.com/docs/266190