Online or offline backup

[sladd]

My most recent backup is a month old (long story) and is an offline. Priv.edb shows a last modified date of several days ago which I have never seen happen. According to edb.chk, all log files have been committed to priv.edb but I doubt this due to priv.edb's last modified date.

THe server is currently running. I'm not sure if I should try an online backup or stop the service and run an offline backup. My fear of the online backup is that its going to delete my edb.log files - which may or may not be committed to priv.edb. If they have not been committed, priv.edb will then be corrupt and virtually unrecoverable. Any advice? (I already know my situation is due to ignorance - perhaps not mine - but most IT pro's have been there in some arena or another). Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

Anyone familiar with an online BU software that will not delete the edb.log files?

 

[AlexIT]

We recommend scheduled daily exmerge to store each MB as .pst and use any Exchange aware backup software (NTbackup works fine) for the whole nightly online stuff. On a period basis, we will schedule a stop for the services and offline backup too, JIC we loose the server serious and the online doesn't recover correctly. I'd say do first online and then offline (the logs will be archived during the online backup.)

I highly suggest Exmerge as the perfect tool to insure no lost mail in the event of a recovery.

You could also integrity check and offline defrag the .edb's after you have everything backed up...I like to keep Exchange going instead of fixing it after the crash!

 

[zbnet]

Your online backup will only remove logs after they have been a) successfully backed up to tape, and b) committed to the database (which also has to be successfully backed up to tape). Because the database is checked for checksum errors on every 4KB page by the backup, the backup of the db will fail if you have any internal corruption in the db, and so you will know one way or the other without any danger of losing data.

You should read

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/administration/55/backuprestore.asp

as a matter of urgency, it explains all this stuff at great length.