exec 8.5 build 3571 exchange 5.5, mailboxes

[copper]

I can not figure out why my backup exec 8.5 build 3571 keep freezing on a mailbox. I go in the Backup Selection and select all my Mailboxes for backup. i run the back-up an it will run fine until it stop a particular mailbox and then nothing will happen. i'll will have to restart the computer in order to abort the job. it seems like the backup exec just froze in place, but i never stop in the same mailbox. this software is driving crazy, is there a way to resolve this issue.

i running nt4 sp6, backup exec 8.5 build 3571, exchange 5.5 sp4.

thx

 

[jamkey]

So if you exclude this mailbox then it doesn't hang? Have you considered running repair utilities on the mailbox or exporting the data to .pst, deleting and re-creating it, and then re-importing the data? I believe there's a Microsoft Q article on doing this. Also, you might want to consider updating to the latest revision of 8.5, there may have been some mailbox fixes, if I recall correctly. Search on "release notes" AND 8.5 AND 3572*

 

[copper]

No i have tried all of your suggestion; removing that mailbox, it will hang on another. did the repair, re-create the mailbox. nothing seems to work.

thx

 

[jamkey]

If you check the following technote out,

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/229867.htm,

you will see a link to all the release notes for each version of BE... a great technote to keep handy. If you go to the link for 8.5 rev 3572 (not 3572rc9) you'll see it mentions a corrupt top of information issue for exchange mailboxes. While I know this doesn't resolve every possible mailbox backup issue (there are some MAPI problems that no software; COMVAULT, ARCSERVE, whomever; can magically resolve, they just have to be isolated and resolved) I have seen it fix several, though not necessarily what you are describing specifically. Also, what makes you think it is "hanging"? Is Backup Exec unresponsive or will it simply not cancel the job? Have you checked the alerts tab to be sure there isn't a media alert? Also, in Tools > Options do you have the option ON to automatically display alerts?

If you upgrade to 3572rc9 and find the problem still occurring, then I'd recommend putting the BE job engine in debug mode, that may output the specific MAPI error being handed to BE by Outlook or whatever MAPI application is installed on the BE server. Speaking of which, what version of Outlook do you have installed? For 8.5, I'd recommend Outlook 2000 with the latest Service Pack for OFFICE 2000 installed. Outlook XP (2002) might work but it wasn't out when 8.5.3572 was released so there's no telling what its behaviour may be with BE (i.e., 8.5 has probably never been put through any QA testing with Outlook 2002). Outlook 97 would also probably be a good MAPI client to use on the BE server.

You might also want to consider breaking the mailbox backup into sections so that you can isolate where its happening and whether its specific to a section of mailboxes or perhaps just occurring after a certain amount of MAPI data has been passed through the client at one time. Have you checked the Application and System Event Viewer on the Exchange server during the time of the backup to make sure there aren't any errors? ... Last question, is this a regular Win2k/NT4 server or SBS?