Huge backups when backing up MS Exch 5.5 using Backup Exec 9.0 1

[ColdArm]

Hi One and All,

I have 2 MS Exchange 5.5 servers that I back up on a nightly basis using Veritas Backup Exec 9.0 for Windows. The priv.edb on one is 8Gb and 12GB on the other, so we still got a little overhead before we start having database limitations. The pub.edb on one is 47Mg, and 6Gb on the other. I back up these servers using a single HP Surestore DLT 4 drive, using 36Gb tapes and compression (2:1). In essence, I back up the following:
Microsoft Exchange Directory
Microsoft Exchange Information Store
Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
Microsoft Exchange Public Folders

on each server.
However, my backups are currently at about 63Gb every night and therefore exceeding the tape capacity, so that our backups that start at 8pm are not finished by the time I get in in the morning, rather they are requesting additional tapes.

So my question is this; can anyone explain why my backups would appear to be so large and is there anything I can do about this (I'm sure that there is really no need for us to be backing up 63Gb a night on mail alone, so clearly I'm doing something wrong somewhere).

Many Thanks

ColdArm

 

[justin2000]

You are in effect backing up Exchange twice when you backup both the information stores and mailboxes, this goes the same for public folders.

I work out 52gb at least for each backup the way you have it setup.
Also if you are not using Single Instance Storage for mailbox backups, this again will add more.

 

[ColdArm]

Thanks Justin2000. So by your estimation, would you suggest I just:
a) Back up the information store?
or
b) Back up the mailboxes and the public folders?
What I'm getting at is; is one option preferable to the other?

 

[justin2000]

You need to backup the Information Store for 2 reasons:-
1. When you do a full backup - it will purge committed transaction logs.
2. You need the information store to do a disaster recovery if the server crashes, or the IS gets corrupt in some way.

You can use the IS backup to restore mailboxes, you just need a recovery server to do this.

Mailbox backups as I see it, are not essential, but are handy if you accidently delete a mailbox, or a user wants an email back they have deleted by mistake.

 

[ColdArm]

Thank you again. I will change our backup schedule on a test basis and see how difficult it is to restore an individual mailbox (it's important for me to be able to easily restore mailboxes because... well, you know what end-users are like...)

Thx