Backup Exec and Outlook 2003 4

[KansasUniversity]

I am getting a failure on my Full and differential backup's using Veritas Backup Exec Version 8.60 Rev. 3 running on Windows Server 2000 SP4. I have upgraded to Outlook 2003 recently and when Outlook is open on my workstation I receive the following error on either a Full or Differential backup “File "hwebb.pst" in use - Backed up.
WARNING: "\Users\hwebb\hwebb.pst" is a corrupt file. This file cannot verify.^ ^ ^ ^ ^" Otherwise the backup is successful and the file "hwebb.pst" is not corrupt and used daily.
The error DOES NOT occur when I close my Outlook 2003 before the backup.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[kippy13]

Hi,
This is a pretty standard problem with outlook pst files.
Basically BE is trying to backup ur personal folder or archive file. However because u have outlook open(and hence are using the file) BE cannot back it up as it sees it as in use.
When u close outlook the file is not in use and can be backed up. This type of error is not just common to outlook 2003 and BE 8.6x but also earlier versions.
If u have any more questions please let me know,
JP

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[KansasUniversity]

Thank you for the feedback, but one addition to the problem. I did not have these error messages until we started to upgrade our Outlook. While we were using Office2000 we did not have the problem with the .pst file backups. Only after upgrading to Office2003 did the errors start to occure. That is why I was wondering if there are issues with BE8.6 and Outlook 2003.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[kippy13]

I think it may just have been the way that the older version of BE was configured. It may have been configured to skip PST files altogether or not to display errors based on them. Its also possible however highly improbable that before outlook was not accessing the files when they were being backed up.
I know, I used to work with older versions of BE with various other pieces of software and the same issue would occur if the any file was open or in use when getting backed up and not just PST files.
Hope that answers your questions.

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[kippy13]

Another thing which just came into my head there. There is a module that can be added to backup exec for a fee called advanced file open which allows files to be backed up while they are in use.
Its possible u had this on ur last version of BE.

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[TheDonMiguel]

I think there is a difference between Outlook 2000 and 2003. The new version of outlook does minimize to the "taskbar" and is every time open...

An other important thing is, that AOFO cannot backup successfully PST-Files. The File system of the mailbox-file is very special, like an Exchange or a SQL-Server and maybe it crashes also on the backup or you cannot restore it...

 

[kippy13]

Hi,
You are incorrect in your second assumption, An exchange mailbox is indeed a formiddable thing to backup and restore and rarely works, however the PST file can be baccked up and restored quite easily withour any advanced features-so long as it is not in use.


"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[TheDonMiguel]

Hello kippy13

Thanks for your response. Concerning backup a PST-File, if it's not in use, you can backup it very easy and you don't need an AOFO. But if it's in use, it is a hard thing to backup (also with AOFO). A Veritas-Supporter told me this. I hope it's right... Do you know a possibility how to backup open PST-Files?

Regards

TDM

 

[KansasUniversity]

Kippy13 & TDM

Thanks to both for your responses. Both of you have good points and have led me to deeper investigation of this problem. When I resolve it I will try to post my findings. Once again thank you for your insight and assistance.

 

[drorkeren]

Hi
One thing to look for is the feature in Outlook 2003 that is called cash mode.
This basically builds up an ost file on local machine and using it to provide performance to the users.
this ost can be the problem and the difference from outlook 2002.

Regards

Dror Keren

 

[KansasUniversity]

drorkeren, I checked and the pc's are not set up to utilize the cache exchange mode.
Thanks for the suggestion and if you have any more ideas please reply to this thread. I have yet to find a solution. Veritas hasn't been much help either.

 

[DaShard]

Is MS Word your Outlook Email editor?

 

[jjeffm]

If you backup the 'infomation store' instead of all the mailboxes, will you get the same thing? We use outlook 2000 so i don't know if that even applies, but i would check the mail account that B.E is using to access the exchange server.

 

[KansasUniversity]

DaShard- Yes MS Word is the default editor to Outlook.

 

[KansasUniversity]

jjeffm - Currently my backup method on exchange is Full - Databse & logs (flush committed logs)

 

[DaShard]

Did you turn off Word as the email editor and try?