Need to backup MS Exchange 2010

[Body_Wise_IT_De]

I just upgraded from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010, the migration is complete, and now i need to start backing it up. I was very supprise to see the requirements needed to do this, (Article:HOWTO73784 Requirements for using the Exchange Agent, http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO73784&profileURL=https%3A%2F%2Fsymaccount-profile.symantec.com%2FSSO%2Findex.jsp%3FssoID%3D1398721033181roTvp924e1Md3O3t2d0Jv9vj53ub2mQ1441i4)

The part that really shocked me was this: (Note:To back up Exchange Server 2010, you must install Backup Exec on a Microsoft Windows 2008 SP2 64-bit server or a Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 64-bit server). My installation of Backup Exec 2012 is running on a Windows server running Server 2003 R2 32-bit, with a Dell PV 124T autoloader. This has worked very well for us.

So it looks like i need a minimun installation of a Windows server running 2008 SP2 64-bit. My question is this, i only have one server to use as a backup server, so i will have to upgrade this server to the 64-bit version of windows 2008, am i correct about this?? I have my license keys although i no longer have support for backup exec from symantec, so i can re-installed BUE 2012.

I also would like to know if i can recover my catalog after i do the upgrade and reinstall BUE 2012. Will i have to catalog any tape i would need to use for recovery if i can't restore my catalog DB?

I see that the Exchange management tools are also needed on the BUE server, do i install them before or after i install BUE?

What is the proper way to back and restore Exchange 2010, if i need to completly restore the DB, or just a mailbox?

thank

B

[pkh]

Yes.  You would need a 64-bit machine for your media server.  This is because you would need to install the Exchange 2010 Management Tool which only comes in 64-bit.  This 64-bit requirement is not due to BE but EMT.

Follow the procedure in this document to migrate your BE and you would retain your catalog

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH67768

The procedure to backup Exchange 2010 has not changed from earlier releases.  You just back up the entire Microsoft Information Store and you would be able to restore individual items or the whole database.  Make sure you enable GRT.

[Body_Wise_IT_De]

Thanks for the reply PKH. After reading through the tech document one item mentions NOT to follow the migration proceedure if, "The computer where Backup Exec is installed and the computer where it will be installed are running two different versions of the Windows Operating System." That will be the case because i will be upgrading the Windows OS from Server 2003 STD 32-bit to Server 2008 STD 64-bit. What problem will this cause?

I do have a computer i can try this migration with using the same version of Windows Server 2003, just as a test  to see if i can successfuly migrate to a different computer, i could then upgrade the "real" server and do the migration again.

B

[AmolB]

I would suggest you to go through below forum thread.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/importing-catalogs-backup-exec-2012-2010

[Body_Wise_IT_De]

Thanks AmolZeroCool.

I will post back here in a couple of days with the results of the migration, thanks again everyone!

B

[pkh]

What you can do is to upgrade your Server 2003 32-bit to Server 2008 32-bit while keeping your existing BE.  After that, use the document which I have posted and migrate from Server 2008 32-bit to Server 2008 64-bit.

[Body_Wise_IT_De]

sorry for the long delay with reposting, but i have finished the migration/upgrade from Server 2003 to Server 2008, and the migration of Back Exec 2012. What took the longest was installing all of the Windows 2008 server patches, and service pack 2.

I followed the tech article TECH129836, primarily the importing of the BEX database. The install is pretty generic, except i could not import the BESERNUM.xml file, the import option only has an option for the slf files, i had my slf files handy.

I am trying to now install the Management tools for Exchange 2010, but i got an error about not being able to find my active directory. Also i was prompted to enter the First Instance Name, and i don't know what to enter here. I was trying to install the tools before installing BUE2012, but after i got these errors, i needed to make sure i could get backups running again, since i was installing patches i hadn't finised installing Backup Exec until this morning.

I don't think i was logged in as a domain administrator when i tried installing the 2010 Mgmt tools, so i will try again shortly. I am following tech article HOWTO58941 for installing the admin tools but it doesn't mention the Prerequisites like installing Web IIS, or dot net 3.51, but i found a web article that mentions them when installing on Windows 2008.

If anyone has better installation intructions please let me know, thanks

B

[pkh]

For the BESERNUM.XML file, you just put it back in the exact location where you find the file. Don't import it

[Body_Wise_IT_De]

Some of my backups failed over the weekend because Backup Exec could not connect to the remote servers because a trust was not established. After enableing the trust, which is done by doing a right-click on the server and select Establish Trust, the backups started working again.

I've done a couple of backups of the Exchange 2010 Information Store, and they have worked successfuly. Does this mean i would be able to restore the Information Store? For the Exchange Options i have placed a check in the "Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology", so am i correct to assume i will be able to restore individual mailboxes?

After installing BUE on the rebuild Windows 2008 server, i added the Exchange 2010 server using the Windows Agent, this has the option for Exchange server.

I was able to install the Exchange Management Console on the BUE server, i logged in as a domain administrator, and i only need to install 1 hotfix patch, then the installation completed successfully, however the management console fails to initialize, this is the error, (exchange 2010 initialization failed Discover-ExchangeServer -UseWIA $true -SuppressError $true -CurrentVersion 'Version 14.3 (Build 123.4)'). I tried this fix, (http://blogs.technet.com/b/whats_on_scotts_mind_today/archive/2012/12/07/exchange-2010-unable-to-open-exchange-management-console-initialization-failed.aspx) but it didn't work. Does anyone have a fix for this? I am still searching, and will open a forum thread on the Exchange 2010 Technet forum.

I would like to know exactly why the management console is needed on the BUE server, some post state that a restore of the Information Store, or indivual mailboxes what successfull without it, can that me true?

thanks

B

[pkh · Accepted solution]

The EMT is required for GRT restores of Exchange mailboxes.