Public folders, Intel. Disaster Rec, and Unable to Open 1

[ervsplace]

I have recently been giving the task of backing up our new Exchange server. I am working with Backup Exec for Windows Server 9.1 rev 4691. I am using the Exchange agent, Open file agent, and Intelligent Disaster Recovery.

The first item I'm having difficulty with is exactly what to backup for the Exchange server. I am under the impression that I need to backup the entire server for Intelligent Disaster Recovery. Is this true?

When I do backup the entire server I am receiving two error messages:

1. Trying to backup some public folders (these are located on another plants sever) I receive the error "Directory not found. Can not backup directory." Do I need to back these up? Or can I leave them out and still achieve Intell. Disaster Rec?

2. I get this error message "Error, Unable to open \ because it is currently being backed up by another process.
Database or database element is corrupt" when trying to backup our First storage group.

I would appreciate any direction on how to correct these problems.

Thanks
Dan

 

[justin2000]

ervsplace

i take it because this is new, it is Exchange 2003?

Your answers for you..

1. Yes deselect the public folders on the other plants server, you don't need to back this up.
2. Windows 2003 has a new option called Volume Shadow Copy, with Exchange 2003 you are also able to do a shadow copy of the Exchange IS for the backup - what is happening is you are selecting both the Shadow Copy snapshot and the MS Exchange IS for backup - you need to choose 1 only. My opinion is to choose the MS Exchange IS option.

FYI as well, if this is only an Exchange server and nothing else, ie. no file serving etc, then I suggest the following for backing it up.

1. Only select the MS Exchange IS - if you really must do the Exchange Mailboxes and Public Folders - but make sure these are last in the resource list.
make sure the backup is set to full, so it will flush the logs after a full backup has completed successfully.

Use the IDR option on another server, it isn't needed.

You may ask how do I restore the server in case of a disaster?

1. Reload Windows 2003, same server name, add it back into your domain - add any SP's that were on it when the backup was taken (there are no SP's now for win2k3, but will be soon).
2. Setup the partitions like the old server, C: D: etc.
3. install the backup exec remote agent.
4. Run the Exchange 2003 setup with the /disasterrecovery switch.. ie setup.exe /disasterrecovery.
This will install Exchange, dragging out the information it needs about Org, Storage Group etc. Again install any service packs that were on the server when the backup was taken.
Once installed, check Exchange System Manager, make sure the Stores are dismounted and chcked to be allowed for restore (right click store, properties, database, bottom checkbox must be checked).
Run the restore, uncheck no loss restore in the Exchange options of the restore, uncheck mount databases after restore, and check commit databases (only do this if you are not going to restore logs after this).
Once restore is done, mount both the stores, and everything should be right.
That is the cutdown version, both Veritas and MS have doco on this - I would suggest to read it, practise it, get familar with it now, before the day comes where you have to do it for real.

 

[ervsplace]

Thanks for the detailed explanation Justin!

I am indeed running Exchange 2003. Our facility has not yet made use of the public folders so I have deselected that option entirely. I was also backing up the Information store and Shadow Copy components. I am going to follow your advice and back up the Information store as well as the exchange mailboxes.

I am assuming with this configuration I will be able to retrieve individual mailboxes?

Thanks again for your time!
Dan

 

[Qdog]

You will not be able to restore individual mailboxes with the above configuration. To do that you will have to backup the mailboxes via the Mailboxes icon. What the last dude suggested was right on the money on everything.

 

[justin2000]

ervsplace

You can add the mailboxes to your backup, just make sure they are last.

Exchange 2003 has a new feature called Recovery Storage Group - it allows you to create a Storage group on the same server, restore the IS to it, and attach to any mailbox so you can get the email you want from it.
It sounds OK - would be a bit of a problem if you had a huge IS and not enough room on the server - though disk is cheap - so this may not be an issue for you.

The best way I think to do mailbox backups, and in this order..

1. Don't bother - just use good admin practices - ie. Set a high deleted item retention time - before deleting a mailbox, extract it first to a pst, so if you need to restore it very easy.
2. Create a batch file, which uses Exmerge to extract all mailboxes to pst files - include this batch file at the start at the backup job in pre commands - then backup the pst files with backup exec. So much easier to restore then if need be.
3. Use the mailbox feature in backup exec.

Interesting to note something about mailbox backups - why isn't there an option for this in the native Windows backup program? Maybe MS are trying to tell you something not to do?