IT Employment
I am attempting to make a backup strategy for an Exchange server 5.5 running on NT 4.0 server.
Does anyone know the specifics about backing up the exchange database ? Do services have to be stopped for a successfull backup ? What backup program have you used with exchange ?
Much appreciated.
Kevin
by lordinfidel
It is actually a 2 pronged backup strategy.
(Albeit I use win2k)
As long as it is on the same machine, you can use NTBackup to backup exchange.
I do this daily, backing up locally(ie to disk), and keep 2 backups on disk.
Then using Backup Exec w/Exch Agents, I backup again daily just the mailboxes. Using the copy method, not full.
Using backup exec allows me to quickly restore individual pieces of mail, rather then having to restore an entire mail server.
Backing up to disk allows me to quickly restore a corrupted IS. Then I can apply the backup exec backup to the restored server.
by timwalsh
Problems with using NTBackup on NT4:
1. Not easy to schedule.
2. Not Exchange aware (vs. the Win2K version of NTBackup, which is).
Exchange backups can take 2 shapes, online or offline.
Offline backups occur when you shut down Exchange so that the backup program can gain access to all files. Most simple backup programs will not backup files in use. The Exchange informations stores are ALWAYS in use as long as Exchange is operating.
Online backups can only be made using either a backup program that is directly Exchange-aware or can be made Exchange-aware through the use of agents.
LordInfindel mentions one such package. Another that I have used is CA ArcServe (now replaced by BrightStor). This package has similar capabilities to BackupExec and likewise requires an "Exchange Agent" to perform online backups. The problem with packages such as these is that they tend to be pricey.
by lordinfidel
I found this interesting point of information when I was delving deeper into sql disaster recovery.
Exch, like SQL, uses a checkpoint in order to keep it's db in order.
The problem with most agents that backup these db's is that it requires you to turn off the checkpoint, or it turns it off.
Which is bad.
Which is why I opted for not backing up the IS in backup exec. The same for SQL, I do not use backup exec to BU sql. Even though I purchased the agents. I only backup the nativebackups that sql makes.
Are you 100% sure that NT4's ntbackup can not backup exch as long as it is installed on the same machine?
I can't answer this question with 100% authority becasue I have never installed 5.5 on anything other than 2K.The final note is, I do not reccomend using *any* external program (that is non-ms) to back up the IS. You may find that the backup does more harm then good.
by urnotready
When MS Exchange is installed on a NT Server, the Nt Backup app is modified to be Exchange aware. You may not see it spelled out all pretty like in 3rd party products, but it is aware.
Also you can use the AT scheduler to schedule jobs to run.
However I do not use NT Backup, I use Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Option and Intelligent Disaster Recovery. I backup all Exchanbe options - mailboxes, IS, and individual files. There has never (knock on wood) been a recovery I couldnt complete.
by lordinfidel
I also used to use the exchange agents to back up the IS.
But read my post above, it explains why that is not the best way. It is great to backup individual mailboxes but not the IS.
The problem lies with the checkpoint. Veritas turns it offin exchange which is a bad thing. It does the same thing to SQL.
The checkpoint is what helps keeps db's stable.
Which is why I opt for the native backup of the IS thru ntbackup to disk, and then use bu exec to bu the mailboxes only.
GoDLiKe -- DoUbLeKill
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