kit adams

According to a seminar I attended yesterday W2003 had a
built in version ov Veritas backup with the Exchange
agents already. Try using the native Windows backup.


shadow copy

(and the Exchange

machine? Can the built

planning/pricing

paul

The built-in Backup is a cut down version of Backup Exec.
The full version will make your life alot easier, but then
what do you get paid for? Save your company some money and
use the built-in, or be a wimp and buy the full version
(if you work for a big Enterprise-wide company, my
tendency would be to swallow my pride and be a wimp!).

I've been using the built-in Backup on Windows 2000
together with a DLT tape library for years now, including
one Exchange disaster recovery and a mailbox recovery.
Hard work, but it does work. Exchange 2003 does bring some
added luxury such as much easier mailbox restores - but
I've not tried it yet.

shadow copy

(and the Exchange

machine? Can the built

planning/pricing

mark arnold [mvp]

Yes. ntbackup doesn't provide the feature but 3rd party apps like
Veritas leverage the feature in W2K3 for their solutions.
Remember that you need BE9 with the updates to make it work since MS
changed how it worked between the RC2 and the retail.

Mark Arnold MCSA MCSE MVP, mark@mvps.org
FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exchange.htm &
http:http://www.swinc.com/resource/e2kfaq.htm

ken kellman

Are you sure...??

I have actually tested this functionality in the NTBackup utility on a
Windows2003 server, with Exchange2003 server on it.

If you create shadow copies of the volume that the Exchange database resides
on, you can use the copy option in NTBackup.

It will notify Exchange to pause updates, flush out all dirty pages, then
back up the Information Store via the shadow copy without touching the live
copy.

In the backup utility on a Windows2003 Server with Exchange Server 2003
loaded initiate an Information Store backup, the click the Advanced button.

You should then see the option to "disable volume shadow copy", this is off
by default and will try to use the Shadow Copy by default.

You must also change the backup type to "copy" in the drop down on the same
screen.

When this works properly you will see messages in the Event Log stating that
the backup used the Shadow Copy, and the various steps it goes through to
initiate this type of backup.

So, in my experience the built backup utility absolutely supports these type
of backups.....

Ken Kellman
kkellman@kjkcomp.com

mark arnold [mvp]

And if i'd read the do***entation properly i'd have known about the
tick box,
//// Hurry's off to change the backup schedule details on the servers.

Thanks for setting me straight.


Mark Arnold MCSA MCSE MVP, mark@mvps.org
FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exchange.htm &
http:http://www.swinc.com/resource/e2kfaq.htm

ken kellman

Mark,

Remember, the check box is actually used to turn off the backup using Shadow
Volume Copy mechanism, and it is on by default.

When testing Windows2003 & Exchange2003 that's one of the first things I did
was test backing up the Information Store using a shadow copy.

It's not only a clever way to do poor man's DR for Exchange, but a nice way
to implement hot backups without affecting production stores.

:-)

Ken Kellman
kkellman@kjkcomp.com