VSS Backup for Exchange

[Kenneth_Henry]

I have been hearing from some MS individuals that they consider bricks level backup to be an obsolete option and they prefer VSS backup for Exchange.

Every Microsoft arcticle I have found so far, makes it sound like to need a Hardware VSS Provider connected to a SAN.

Can you use backup Exec 10d to do a VSS backup of exchange server 2003, if it only has a simple SCSI disk array?

Whats involved?

Thanks.

[Hywel_Mallett]

Unless I'm mistaken, VSS is how Backup Exec does Exchange backups (using the Exchange agent). It just works like that out the box!

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi,

Can you use backup Exec 10d to do a VSS backup of exchange server 2003, if it only has a simple SCSI disk array?
-- Yes you can

Please give us the your environment setup details.

Is Exchange installed locally or on remote machine ?
what is the version on BE and exchange ?


Update us on the same and revert for any further Query



Thank you
Gauri

[Kenneth_Henry]

For Exchange we have:
a dedicated Exchange Server 2003 front end server
a dedicated Exchange Server 2003 back end server

For Backup Exec we have:
A single server hosting backup exec with a DLT autoloader. Backup Exec is backing up our member servers accross the network.

Our backend exchange server is an HP Proliant server with an MSA30 disk shelf being controlled by a smaryarray 6402 RAID controller.

We are backing up the information store, as well as doing a bricks level backup to allow us to more easily restore messages. The white papers I have seen so far make it sound like you need an intelligent SAN with a hardware VSS provider to do VSS backup with Exchange.

As our Exchange needs don't justify the cost of the SAN solution, I was hoping there was a way we could do the VSS backup with the hardware currently inplace.

Thank you for your feedback.