Best BackUp Practices...

[thehustler]

scenario:
I am trying to create a weekly backup profile for Exchange 5.5, I undersdtand that the critical data are the .edb files for both the Information Store and Data Store. Is this just a matter of backing up the folders \mbdata and \DSADATA? Are these two folders allowed to be backed up with in the same profile? thank you for your help.

 

[Alshrim]

The way i do them - which is best for me - is to have an Exchange Server aware backup application (I use Veritas Backup Exec - there are others as well) that can do an online backup of all necessary files while the services are running.

This saves on all downtime during backups. Turn off circular logging - so that the logs are always up-to-date and never overwritten. Run a full backup every Thursday - and subsequent incrementals ever day afterwards. (so if something goes wrong you have Friday to work on it).

This is how i've been doing my backups for 3 years now - and I have tested restores - and I get Zero Data loss recoveries every time...

There are other methods to do it that are good .. it all depends on your environment and policies... this one works for me..

Hope this helps.

Alshrim
System Administrator
MCSE, MCP+Internet

 

[thehustler]

Currently, I am using Roxio creator classic for back up profiles. I need something EZ, click an icon on the desktop and hit burn for the DVD burner. I know that the backup of critical data involves shutting down the information store services. Does this (Veritas Backup Exec) work around this problem? Will this program work with a DVD burner hardware? As this is our media for backups.

 

[Alshrim]

Veritas DOES work around the problem - as it does its backups while the services are running - but i haven't heard of a version that works with a DVD burner.

So - in your case.. you would have to stop the information and directory stores.. copy the EDB's to a new location - all the logfiles, you won't need - because as you shutdown the services - all the logs are committed to the Databases.

I would suggest then - that you have circular logging on - so that your logs don't take up so much space... this method reduces the chance of a zero-data-loss recovery - but it is a working model .. and is sufficient enough to get your server up again should something happen.

But i do wonder if there is a why that Backup exec can do that back - by simply using a mapped drive as a destination to the backup.. hmm... now that i think about it.. i don't think that would work.

The restore depends on TapeID's as index trackers to where the information is... But I admit - i don't know much about using Veritas with anything other than Tape Backup Devices... I should look into that.

Alshrim
System Administrator
MCSE, MCP+Internet