Online Backup for Microsoft Exchange Server

Online Backup for Microsoft Exchange Server

SecuriData’s Online Backup Service allows you to backup live Microsoft Exchange Server databases (i.e. while the databases are running).

The machine on which the MS Exchange Server is running must have all the default administrative shares (C$, D$, ADMIN$)

Online Backup for Microsoft Exchange Server

**Microsoft Exchange Server Support Matrix**
Exchange Version	Platform for Exchange Server	Supported Platform	Support Status
Exchange Server 2007 Standard & Enterprise Edition	Windows 2003 Server (x64 version)	Windows XP, 2000, 2003	Supported
Exchange Enterprise 2003	Windows 2003 Server Windows XP, 2000, 2003	Windows XP, 2000, 2003 Windows XP, 2000, 2003	Support Possible Supported
Exchange Enterprise 2000	Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows 2003 Server	Windows XP, 2000, 2003 Windows XP, 2000, 2003	Support Possible Supported
Exchange Enterprise 5.5	Windows NT Server	Windows XP, 2000, 2003	Supported

Matrix Legend:

Supported: SecuriData Online Backup service supports backup / restore of Exchange server.
· Support Possible: SecuriData did not perform backup / restore tests on these platforms, but there should not be any technical limitations.
· Not Supported: Exchange server backup / restore is not supported.
· No Vendor Support: Vendor does not support installation of Exchange on these platforms.

Backup

The account that you are using either must be a member of the administrative group, or explicitly included in MS Exchange with administrator rights.

If SecuriData’s Online Backup Service is not a member of the same domain as the MS Exchange server, you must enter the network credentials when creating the backup set (Select Server Wizard Tab). In the Enter Network Credentials dialog, you must specify either a computer name or domain name for authentication. MS Exchange server will not accept “None”, as in this case SecuriData performs logon impersonation (and this is invalid, since SecuriData’s Online Backup Service is not a member of the same domain). You must also create an account on SecuriData’s Online Backup Service host computer, which is exactly the same (name & password) as the MS Exchange server administrator account. This way, when SecuriData’s Online Backup Service host computer performs the authentication, you can select the SecuriData Online Backup host computer name in the "From" field.

MS Exchange Backups are "packages" of files that are all interdependent. If one file is missing or corrupted, the entire backup session cannot be successfully restored. If for any reason, there is an error in the backup of the MS Exchange Server; SecuriData’s online backup service will delete all the files backed up during that session.

Restore

If you restore only the DS database (MS Exchange 5.5 only):

You must run the ISINTEG.EXE -PATCH before you can start the information store. This will synchronize the MS Exchange databases.
Otherwise, you will get the message "The information store was restored from an offline backup. Run ISINTEG with the - PATCH option before starting the information store" in the Event Log of the machine running MS Exchange.
The Patch is normally found in the path - DRIVE:\exchsrvr\BIN

· You cannot restore the DS database to an alternate location.

For restores of MS Exchange 2000:

If, during restore, you receive the error "The server is not operational", make sure SecuriData’s Online Backup Service host computer can resolve the fully qualified domain name of the Exchange computer through a proper DNS setting.

In cases where you are performing disaster recovery drills, or an actual disaster recovery, several checks must be performed:

1. Assuming the machine that you backed up no longer exists (i.e. was destroyed), you must configure a new machine and install MS Exchange on it. If you had a backup set for the entire machine (including registry), you can restore immediately. Otherwise, follow the next step;

2. If you did not restore the registry, check the following:

Make sure that the machine names are the same (the server that you are restoring to must have the same name as the server that you backed up).

The same applies for the domain name and the administrator account.

Make sure the location of the databases is the same (including the drive letters).

Once you have all these checks performed, you can start the restore process. After the restore is complete, you should have no errors, and MS Exchange should be up and running.

3. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base articles - Q175469, Q176239, and Q224977.