backup Public Folder on Exchange 2010 DAG

[Eric_Krejci]

Hello,

I'm actually preparing our new Exchange 2010 infra to be backuped with NBU 7.0.1.

every Mailbox DB are under the DAG except the public folder of course.

backup/restore of the Mailbox DB are working fine.

the thing is that if I set the backup selection to Microsoft Information Store:\Public_Folder_DB

Netbackup return me that I must use the "Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups" directive.

and when I set the backup selection to: Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\Public_Folder_DB

or Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\DAG_NAME\Microsoft Information Store\Public_Folder_DB

the process return me a file read error 13

any idea because actually I don't know how to backup these public folder DB.

many thanks

Eric

[Giroevolver]

Hi,

Are you using GRT in your policy?

[marekkedzierski]

Try to browse for Public folders in backup selection list and check if it's exactly "Public_Folder_DB"

[Scott_Chapman]

Our exchange admin says that the public folders are not part of our DAG config... that said, when I backup the DAG it backs up the public folders... are you sure you aren't already getting a backup of your PF data?

To backup just one of the public folders (which are called PF-DB1 and PF-DB2) I run the following...

Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\PF-DB2
 

[Scott_Chapman]

Something to note is that the exchange servers are ex01mx299 and ex02mx299 and the dag name is ex01dag299...

In my client list i just have the ex01dag299 machine.  The backup server talks to the DAG and finds out what it is backing up etc and the backups start from there.

[Eric_Krejci]

Hello,

I tried with and without GRT.

still the error

[Eric_Krejci]

I can see the public folder DB.

when I select it as backup selection and I run the policy I receive an error 13 file read error.

[Eric_Krejci]

I checked on a test Exchange 2010 infra. If I select

Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\

the backup return warnings when it try to backup the public folder DB.

[Eric_Krejci]

same config for me

[Eric_Krejci · Accepted solution]

Public Folder backup issue resolved.

Hello,

In an Exchange 2010 Database Availability Groups (DAG) environment, NetBackup
tracks the success or failure of a backup attempt for each passive copy database
backup. This information is stored in the Backup Status database on the NetBackup
master server. This status is used in subsequent backup attempts for each database
in a DAG to help determine which Exchange node to perform a passive copy
database backup from.
If the last backup was successful, NetBackup performs the subsequent passive
copy database backup attempt on the same Exchange server, if possible. If the
last backup attempt failed, NetBackup attempts to find a different Exchange server
to perform the subsequent passive copy database backup attempt on.
 

it was my issue. my first backup attempt failed and as the public folder cannot be part of the DAG, Netbackup tried to fetch a passive copy of it. I ran the following:

- Displaying and resetting the Backup Status for a Database Availability
Group (DAG)
Use the following commands to display and reset the Backup Status for a DAG.
More information is available about how the Backup Status is used to choose the
node from which to perform the backup.
See “Backup status for Exchange Database Availability Groups (DAGs) and the
preferred server list” on page 95.
Note: -EXDB is case sensitive
To display the Backup Status database, enter one of the following commands from
the NetBackup master server:
bpclient -client <DAG_Name> -EXDB
bpclient -All -EXDB
where DAG_Name is the name of the DAG. The output from this command is as
follows:
EX_DB: DAG_DB3 EX_SRVR: EXSRV3 EX_TIME: 1259516017 EX_COUNT: 1 EX_STATUS: 156
EX_DB: DAG_MBOX7 EX_SRVR: EXSRV3 EX_TIME: 1259516040 EX_COUNT: 2 EX_STATUS: 0
EX_DB: EXCHDB001 EX_SRVR: EXSRV2 EX_TIME: 1259516018 EX_COUNT: 1 EX_STATUS: 0
Note: -exdb is case sensitive
To reset the Backup Status database for a particular Exchange database, enter
the following command:
bpclient -client <host_name> -update -exdb <db_name:server_name[:timestamp:count:status]>
For example:
bpclient -client DAG_Name -update -exdb DAG_DB3:EXSRV1:0:0:0
 

then I ran the backup again and it went throught without any problem.

I hope this tracking thing will help someone.

thank you guys for your suggestions.

Eric