Transaction Log growth and backing up Exchange 2003

[boryan]

I erroneously thought that if I had backups of my Exchange done, fully, every day, that the transaction logs would not start anew practically each day. I am NOT using any built-in Windows Server 2003 backup system, but was using a Yosemite Tapeware system and now am backing up online to servers across town, in real time, all the time. But, apparently Exchange thinks that there's never been a full backup of Exchange cuz it keeps making a new transaction log. I've just now at least directed any new logs to my D drive which has much more room. So, how do I get Exchange to understand that it is indeed being backed up and, can I safely delete all these old transaction logs that are over a year old? I would keep that last 3-4 of them just to be safe, but I don't want to move them to another drive, but to completely delete them. Circular logging obviously is turned off.

 

[crobin1]

You have to have an Exchange-aware backup solution of some kind. Such a program can talk to Exchange and tell it what log files are safe to delete once the backup has been made. Yosemite does have an Exchange backup agent.

If you don't want to/can't spend the money for the agent, the other solution is to run the built-in Windows backup on the Exchange server. Backup to a file somewhere, then use Yosemite to backup that file. This makes restores/recovery longer though, since you have to restore that file before you can restore anything from within it.

 

[Grajek]

If you use the backup utility that comes with Windows it will remove the transaction logs. For what ever reason using another backup program, like Veritas, will not delete the log files. I found out the hard way when my Exchange Server ran out of disk space.

Thanks
Grajek

 

[boryan]

Both my former backup solution (yosemite) and the new online one (Sonicwall) are Exchange-aware. When I look at System Manager/myserver/Mailbox Store/Database it shows a full backup of yesterday and an incremental taking place during the day. So Exchange seems to know it is being backed up, but it still makes a new log file. If I cannot stop it from making the log file, I need to know that I can at least delete those log files that are past a certain age -- maybe 30 days old. And I know there is a checkbox for doing just that. Is there anything wrong with doing that?

 

[Grajek]

Veritas is Exchange aware as well. But it will not delete the log files. I have the stock Windows Backup do a full backup at night to delete the log files. I didn't believe it myself. For what ever reason the Windows Backup program delete the logs every time. I have been trying for 8 months to get something other than Windows Backup to delete the files. No Luck yet though.

Try running the Windows Backup tonight, or when you have the log files, and test it out. Can't hurt.

 

[boryan]

Thanks, I'll try it. Seems a shame to have gone to online backups just to get rid of those damned tape drives and then have to add it back in again.

 

[Grajek]

I hear ya. I still cannot figure out why "Exchange Aware" backups cannot do this. I have setup the Backup to do a full backup on the same tape every Friday and overwrites the tape again the next Friday just so I don't have to mess with changing out the tapes and trying to keep up with 2 backup jobs.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

 

[58sniper]

Veritas WILL delete the logs if you have the Exchange agent installed. It is not capable of properly backing it up unless you have that agent installed. AND, you have to be backing up the Information Store, not the individual mailboxes. That's very important.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[boryan]

I have not been using Veritas in the past, but Yosemite Tapeware and it was backing up the information store, and lo and behold, once I paid attention, I see that the old logs still are all there. But, since I am now using a continuous data protection system from Sonicwall that I thought would relieve me of having to use tape drives anymore, I'm kinda sad that I now have to plug one back in, use the Windows backup once a week or so, just to get those old logs deleted. One question here that has not yet been answered: can I manually delete those logs that date back 2 years, 1 year, six months? Can I just leave 3-4 of them for safety and get rid of the rest (let's assume for some reason I cannot get my system to delete these logs on its own?)

 

[Zelandakh]

Yes, you can delete the logs but your Exchange environment won't be stable and you will have problems. i.e. don't do it.

To purge logs, back up the server.

 

[boryan]

Okay, I guess I just need to hook up the old tape drive and backup the system using Windows Server 2003's backup system and my old logs will then disappear. I do not want to make this system unstable as it works all day, every day without any problems, so I do not need to fix it.

 

[Zelandakh]

You can use ntbackup to disk so you don't actually need a tape drive. But obviously if you back up to disk and leave the bkf on the server which burns, you are as fried as your hardware.

 

[nsanto17]

I have a good solution...

i have usb/firewaire dives attached to the server and everynight i backup exchange to the usb drives... each night of the week uses a different usb drive. i also take home thursday nights backup and bring it back in on thursday morning...

I use NTBACKUP to backup exchange. I have not had to a do a restore yet... but i don't see any reason why it wont work...