Backup and Quick Recovery

[yarym]

Hello! Currently I'm running veritas software to backup my Mailboxes for my Exchange. My question is, is this really the best way to handle backup? Also, what happens if my HD fails? If I reinstall Exchange, all setting and mailboxes are lost, will I still be able to restore the mailboxes? Should I start backing up LOG Files and *.mdb files. Can someone please advise on the proper procedure?

Thank You

 

[zbnet]

That's exactly the way MS recommend you do it in the DR whitepaper that I mentioned earlier in this thread. Anyone who hasn't looked a this would do well to study it, it would answer about 10% of the questions that get posted on this forum.

 

[Alshrim]

I wrote my faq: faq10-2775 - and that's what i chose to do.
I agree that shutting down the services isn't the best way - only because some of us have HUGE Stores and it takes a long time.. not to mention the implication of missing emails from Europe (we're in canada) .. so.. online backups, with circular logging ON is the best way to get a full no-loss recovery...

i'm with Zel and zbnet on this.

Alshrim
System Administrator
MCSE, MCP+Internet

 

[Zelandakh]

Alshrim - how big is your store? I heard of someone recently with a single 300GB store in Ex5.5 on NT4. Can you beat that?

 

[zbnet]

.. so.. online backups, with circular logging ON is the best way to get a full no-loss recovery...

I think you mis-spoke/typed when you said this: of course circular logging OFF is the best way to protect yourself against data loss. I'm sure you know this and made a simple mistake, but I wanted to clarify it for anyone else reading this thread, so that we don't confuse anyone.

 

[Alshrim]

Yes.. Sorry... OFF - YES YES MOST definately off... Type'o!
you want the logs filing up as much as possible so that they can replay during the restore. My bad, thanks for correcting my mistake.
My store is 26 gigs.. sheesh, can't beat 300 gig.. holy crap !

Alshrim
System Administrator
MCSE, MCP+Internet

 

[Zelandakh]

Oh that's just a baby...shouldn't give you any problems.