Exchange 2003 Backup using Veritas

[Redsfan]

Hi Guys. I have inherited a network to manage. I have searched hi and low for a definitive answer to best backup practices to enable full restore should exchange fall over.

Here is my scenario:
Exchange 2003 Enterprise is installed on Windows 2003 Server (upgraded from 2000).
PDC Emulator Windows 2003 Standard (upgraded from NT)
Veritas 9.1 installed on PDC with all necessary agents.

Exchange has been configured with 4 Storage Groups & several mailbox stores. The DB files are stored on multiple drives (i.e. Storage Group1 Drive E, Storage Group2 Drive S etc...)

Currently a full backup occurs each evening.
Selected items include:
1) Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
2) Microsoft Exchange Public Folders
3) Microsoft Exchange Information Store

As stated above, there are various exchange folders that are scattered on multiple drives containing .mdb / edb /log files etc.....Should the priv1.edb / priv1.stm directory folders be included in the backup or are points 1,2,3 above sufficient?

Hope I have made some sense!!
Answers on a postcard please.
Many Thanks,
Phil.

 

[steveot]

Backup Exec grab the *.edb files uing the Exchange agent. Event if you selected the directory backup exec will active exlude the files and back then up thru the exchagne agent. so you dont get a double backup on tape. I would add the shadow copy components to you selection list and C: drive of the exchange server for DR solution. Unless you want to rebuild the server, then re-install exchange with diaster recovery switch , etc

 

[Davetoo]

I wouldn't bother backing up the Exchange Mailboxes. When you backup the Information Store, you're capturing all that anyway, so essentially you're backing up the users email twice.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[steveot]

Davetoo - unless you want the ability to restore individual mailboxes without using RSG you want to backup the mailboxes

 

[Davetoo]

If you set your retention time appropriately for deleted items, you'll never have to recover a mailbox, and therefore would not need to backup the same data twice every night. By backing up the stores you can recover to a backup server and then pull a mailbox out if you need to, but the odds of needing to do that are very remote anyway.



I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215