FUBARed Exchange Recovery... 1

[sushi600]

Attempting to recover some old backups of E2K from tape (done using W2KS's backup utility). I don't need them to be live, I just need to be able to export and print e-mails from an ex-employee. Problem is that only the storage groups are backed up.

The original system consisted of one DC server, one Exchange Server DC, and a few workstations. Was able to get a hold of the E2K server, but not the main DC with FSMO and GC roles. The system state for the main DC was not backed up, so i can't create a diasater recovery server.

I saw some MSFT KB atricles that mentioned the necesity for a GC server... so would a workaround be allowing the E2K to assume GC roles? If so would the fact that there is no current GC server be an issue in that it has nowhere to replicate from?

Thanks in advance...
If anyone has any other ways of getting e-mails from the Windows Backup tape, it would be appreciated.

 

[rtichnor]

I don't use W2K's backup utility, so I don't know how the Exchange mailboxes are treated. My question would be, "Do you have the 'M' drive backed up, and is it available in the restore process?".

 

[Zelandakh]

Err, you don't backup the M drive. In fact you don't go near it.

If you have the backups that are on tape or NTbackup files, you can use Aelita Recovery Manager to extract emails to PST. Check out

http://www.spotlight.com

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[rtichnor]

I realize the M: drive must be handled very cautiously.

Once again, I am not familiar with the backup utility of Windows2000, therefore I do not know what it backs up. I asked about the M: drive that may be on the tape, not the M: drive on the system.

 

[Zelandakh]

Even backing up the M drive is not a safe idea.

I recommend to everyone running Exchange 2000 to use IFSDRIVE.cmd to remove it.

ntbackup backs up the Exchange Information Store at Store level with a single tick box. Using the AT scheduler gives you an automated backup that is more powerful than most people give it credit for. Coupling it with Aelita gives brick and store level backup and recovery that CAN be a lot more resilient than Backup Exec, similar money and a lot faster as you backup in one hit and restore either way from tape.

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[sushi600]

Zelandakh/rtichnor,

What was backed up was "Microsoft Exchange --> Server Name --> Information Store"

Looking into the Aelita Recovery Manager now. Is there any way of restoring the tapes without E2K installed? Wanted to see what files where in there.