Netbackup 7.6.0.1 Exchange 2010 with RDMs

[Tommen]

I've got the following VMware Windows Server 2008 R2 exchange 2010 environment: CAS1, CAS2, MailBox1, Mailbox2.  There is a dag group between MailBox1 and Mailbox2 (failover cluster).  The databases and Exchange logs are located on RDMs (on Mailbox1/Mailbox2).  CAS1 and CAS2 have no rdms.

Normal policy is to treat VMs with RDMs as a physical server, using MS-Windows policy type for backups.  Will the policy type MS-EXCHANGE-SERVER successfully backup my dag databases stored on RDMs?  I've got the netbackup client installed on CAS1, CAS2, MailBox1, Mailbox2.  I have a service account setup to run the client (domain user and organization management) and services for network file system on all four vm's.

So my questions are:

Will the policy type MS-EXCHANGE-SERVER backup a database from a RDM?

Do I have one MS-EXCHANGE-SERVER policy with CAS1, CAS2, MailBox1, Mailbox2 (assuming ms-exchange-server can handle RDM) or vmware policy for CAS1 and CAS2 and have mailbox1 and mailbox2 on a seperate policy?

Is there a better/more efficient setup?

[SymTerry]

Hello,

I might need more information but will try to answer your questions.

Yes the policy type MS-EXCHANGE-SERVER should backup a database from RDM or any source or any source for that matter, because as long as exchange sees it, it can be backed up to NetBackup. We use Microsoft VSS to do the backup.

An MS-Exchange-Server policy is configured to use the DAG name. This will perform a database level backup. Exchange backup though a VMWare policy would be more efficient if your also backing up the VM. 

Just to verify, do you also have a VM ware policy that is backing up exchange as well as a exchange policy? It would be redundant to have 2 different policies backing up exchange 

[Tommen]

I do not have a vmware policy for exchange.  So will a vmware policy with the netbackup client installed backup the dag stored on a RDM? 

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

RDM or not a dispersed environment is not easy to backup using the VMware policy type - that is designed for stand alone servers - though someone did make it work https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/configuring-grt-based-exchange-backup-using-vmware-ba...

As you have RDM's I would avoid the VM type as i dont think it would work properly to be honest as it does the O/S and Exchange at the same time - which would skip the RDM disks and you would need an O/S policy as well causing you to backup parts of the system twice

I would go for a regular Exchange Policy type - there should not be an issue backing them up in that way as with a standard backup type NetBackup will be unaware of where the data actually resides and just see it from within the O/S like Windows itself does

Hope this helps