Using Depositit to Backup Microsoft Exchange Server

Transcription

1 Using Depositit to Backup Microsoft Exchange Server If you have subscribed to use Depositit s Microsoft Exchange Server backup facility, please make sure you have the Depositit software installed on the Exchange server and you can then backup all versions of exchange (5.5, 2000/03) in three simple stages. 1. Select Virtual File Server Admin from the Edit Menu. 2.Type in the server name and click Add

2 3. Your Exchange server then appears in the right hand pane of the Backup window (in this example the server is called Letters ). You can then backup that server in the same way as you create other definitions (see quick guide to backing up HERE). Notes 1. If you are a Depositit customer and did not take the MS Exchange backup facility at the time of subscription but now require it, please go to the Login area of our website to upgrade your account. As soon as you receive confirmation from us regarding your upgrade, you may follow the instructions above and start backing up your Exchange server. 2. The Exchange backup facility costs vat pa, and this amount will be automatically debited from your credit/debit card. Please note that backing up an Exchange server may cause your storage requirements to increase and consequently your account to upgrade. 3. When backing up your Exchange server we recommend creating a new and separate definition. 4. We recommend that the Backup Cycle for your Exchange definition is reduced. This is because your storage will grow in size after each backup (see reducing backup cycles on our website). Reduce from the default 30 to between 1 & 7).

3 5. Potentially, the initial backup will be large and may therefore take a long time to complete. You are able to manually pause this as required. For example: If your Exchange database is 2 Gigabyte in size, it should compress to approximately half this amount and the initial backup will take approximately 8 hours on a 256k ADSL connection. After this initial backup all future backups will be significantly faster, as subsequent backups are incremental and only need to send the differences from the original. 6. Depositit s MS Exchange backup facility backs up and restores entire Exchange databases (not individual mailboxes). If you are using MS Exchange 2003 you can create separate instances of Exchange. You may wish to create a separate Depositit definition for each instance. 7. You should have the Depositit software installed on the Exchange server. Exchange 5.5 In Exchange 5.5 the user details are stored in one part of the Exchange Database and the mail in another part of the same Database. When Depositit backs up the whole database, it catches everything. Exchange 2000 and 2003 Exchange 2000/03 is different to version The User Information is stored as part of the Active Directory (Windows users permissions system) and the mail is stored in the Exchange Database. 2. Even though Depositit does a "complete" Exchange backup it only stores the Exchange contents (contacts, calendar, etc), not the user details. 3. Therefore when using Depositit with Exchange 2000 & 2003 it is important to be aware that the user details are stored in a separate location. If, after a catastrophe you need to restore your data, you must ensure you know which parts of the system are stored on what server. 4. To successfully restore Exchange you need an up-to-date working Active Directory. We recommend that you have a suitably resilient Active Directory replication in place and/or backup your Active Directory using the following guidelines, this is especially true if Exchange and Active Directory are hosted on the same server To backup Active Directory (recommended in all situations) Use NTbackup to dump the "system state" (where Active Directory stores the user details) to a file on the disk that is being backed up by Depositit. You can then restore this file and, using NTbackup again, restore the Active Directory (and the Registry) before restoring Exchange. Run ntbackup from the Run command on the Start menu. In the Backup tab you should see System State in the list under My Computer. To configure the System State backup to run automatically click on the Schedule

4 Jobs tab and follow the wizard. It is recommended you schedule the NTbackup System State job to run 60 minutes before you run Depositit. If you do, NTbackup will dump you System State to a file and then Depositit will backup this file 60 minutes later. Please note When Depositit successfully finishes an Exchange backup, the Exchange Database log files will be deleted (this is a feature of Exchange not Depositit). This happens using any Exchange backup programs (such as Veritas). IMPORTANT A KNOWLEDGE OF WORKING WITH MICROSOFT EXCHANGE SERVER IS REQUIRED WHEN USING THIS SERVICE FROM DEPOSITIT, PARTICULARLY WHEN RESTORING INFORMATION. PLEASE CONSULT THE MICROSOFT TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION ON EXCHANGE BACKUP AND RESTORE BEFORE USING DEPOSITIT. WE ARE NOT THE AUTHORS OF ANY PROGRAMS BESIDES DEPOSITIT AND THEREFORE CANNOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO OTHER PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. OUR CUSTOMER AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM WILL ONLY ADVISE ON QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE BACKUP AND RESTORE PROCESS RELATING TO DEPOSITIT. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE HELP OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKING WITH EXCHANGE, NT BACKUP OR ACTIVE DIRECTORY EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER BACKING UP/RESTORING TO/FROM DEPOSITIT PLEASE CONTACT MICROSOFT OR YOUR OWN I.T CONSULTANT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN IT CONSULTANT, OR THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE SERVICES, YOU CAN [email protected] AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF A CONSULTANT IN YOUR AREA WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ANY CONSULTANT DETAILS PROVIDED BY DEPOSITIT IS IN NO WAY REPRESENTATIVE OF DEPOSITIT AND ANY CONTRACT FORMED BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONSULTANT WILL NOT BE RELATED TO DEPOSITIT IN ANY WAY.

5 DEPOSITIT RECOMMENDS YOU TEST YOUR BACKUPS REGULARLY (AT LEAST EVERY 6 MONTHS) AND RESTORE THEM ONTO A SEPARATE EXCHANGE SERVER TO ENSURE YOU CAN RECOVER YOUR CRITICAL DATA IN THE EVENT OF A CATASTROPHE. RESTORING EXCHANGE CAN BE A COMPLICATED PROCESS.