Selection List problem

[David_Gaddy]

Having a problem with successfully backing up a remote server. I get an error in the log "The connection to target system has been lost. Backup set canceled." when using the standard selection list. (B.T.W. I have looked into the solution and it does not apply, we do not have the "M" drive selected).

I've created a new job with only the problem server in the selection list. This job works every time without error.

I then recreated the standard selection list, weekly jobs still fail (full and diff).

How can two jobs identically configured in every way except the selection list return these results? I have checked and double checked the remote server selection and it is identical in both lists. (see below)

\\MAIL\C:\*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\D:\*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\R:\*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\S:\*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes|*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\Microsoft Exchange Public Folders|*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group\*.* /SUBDIR
\\MAIL\System?State\*.*/SUBDIR

Help?

[ray_littlefie1]

I would approach this problem by looking at the restore selection list.

Are you sure the connection lost error in the 'standard selection list' is refering to the mail server? Are you seeing red X's in the mail server restore selection list?
This might give you a clue as to where (the server drive & directory) the problem is occuring.

[David_Gaddy]

Hmmmm, not exactly sure how that helps me. I looked at the restore selection and I'm not seeing any red at all.

On the other hand, I just happened to look at the resource order yesterday and noticed a difference in the lists:

Standard Custom
\\MAIL\C: \\MAIL\S:
\\MAIL\D: \\MAIL\R:
\\MAIL\R: \\MAIL\D:
\\MAIL\S: \\MAIL\C:

changed to standard (one that fails) to match the custom (one that works). Let's see what tomorrow brings . . .

[ray_littlefie1]

It's interesting that you're getting a connection lost error, but the restore selection list is intact. By looking at the selection list does it appear the jobs with the error are complete?

I'm assuming your mail exchange database is on \\mail\S: and maybe your logs are on \\mail\r: (or something like that). There's no need to back up those drives individually if you also have \\mail\Microsoft Information Store\... in the selection list.

The exchange agent backs up the .edb, .stm and log files according to the mail servers exchange settings- it knows where the files are. so unless there is something other than exchange data on drive R: & S:, I don't think you need them in the selection list. It's also a very good practice to backup the information store in a seperate job from the other system files.

Perhaps I've drifted from your initial problem :)

[David_Gaddy]

It appears that the error messages are bogus after all. Since you suggested checking the restore list, I have seen that files are actually being backed up.

This server functions as mail and file server for this client so there are files on all drives that we want to continue to backup.

Given that Exchange is running from the D drive, would it be a good idea to exclude the MDBData folder? If I understand you correctly, the contents of that folders will be covered by the Information Store selection.

\\MAIL\D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\MDBDATA\*.* /SUBDIR /EXCLUDE

[Ken_Putnam]

Probably would not be a bad idea

But don't make it a global exclude, or even if you shut down Exchange and try to take a "Cold" backup, you'll still bypass that dir

Make it a job exclusion and you ought to be OK.

[ray_littlefie1]

If you're a 'Belt & Suspenders' kind of guy (as Ken always says ), You might want to check Exchange Systems Manager, and click on the properties of your database and verify the path to the database and to the .stm files. These are the paths that can be safely exlcluded from a job exclusion list

[Renuka_-]

Hello,
Are you still getting the error" connection to the target system lost"?
If you are getting skipped files like the .stm and .mdb files, you may try to disable active file exclusion.
http://support.veritas.com/docs/259152
Also it would be a good idea to exclude the db files on disk sicen you have a full db backup using the agent.
On the other hand if you need a flat file backup, all db services should be stopped, a backup of the db dump to another location may also help.

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