NetBackup™ for Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup (10.0)
  1. Introducing NetBackup for Exchange
    1.  
      About NetBackup for Exchange
    2.  
      Features of NetBackup for Exchange
    3.  
      NetBackup for Exchange terminology
  2. Installing NetBackup for Exchange
    1.  
      Planning the installation of NetBackup for Exchange
    2.  
      Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility
    3.  
      NetBackup server requirements for NetBackup for Exchange
    4.  
      NetBackup client requirements for NetBackup for Exchange
    5.  
      Exchange server software requirements for NetBackup for Exchange
    6. Snapshot Client configuration and licensing requirements for Exchange snapshot backups
      1.  
        Requirements for Exchange off-host backups
      2.  
        Requirements for Exchange Instant Recovery backups
    7.  
      Installing the Veritas VSS provider for vSphere
    8.  
      About the license for NetBackup for Exchange
  3. Configuring Exchange client host properties
    1.  
      Configuring Exchange client host properties
    2.  
      Exchange properties
    3.  
      About backing up all or only uncommitted Exchange transaction log files with snapshot backups
    4.  
      Configuring the Exchange granular proxy host
    5.  
      About truncating Exchange transaction logs with Instant Recovery backups
    6.  
      Truncating Exchange transaction logs by performing a backup to a storage unit
    7.  
      About consistency checks options for an Exchange backup
    8.  
      About the Exchange credentials in the client host properties
  4. Configuring the account for NetBackup for Exchange operations
    1.  
      About configuring the account for NetBackup Exchange operations
    2.  
      About NetBackup and Microsoft Exchange Web Services
    3.  
      Creating a privileged NetBackup user account for EWS access
    4.  
      Creating a minimal NetBackup account for Exchange operations
    5.  
      About configuring the account for NetBackup Exchange operations with the right to Replace a process level token
  5. Configuring the Exchange hosts
    1.  
      Configuring mappings for restores of a distributed applications, clusters, or virtual machines
    2.  
      Reviewing the auto-discovered mappings in Host Management
  6. Configuring Exchange Granular Recovery
    1. About Exchange backups and Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
      1.  
        About mailbox discovery and Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
      2.  
        Exchange granular clients and non-VMware backups
      3.  
        Exchange granular clients and VMware backups
      4.  
        Exchange granular operations and the NetBackup media server
    2.  
      Configuring an Exchange backup that uses Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) (non-VMware backups)
    3. About installing and configuring Network File System (NFS) for Exchange Granular Recovery
      1. About configuring Services for Network File System (NFS)
        1.  
          Enabling Services for Network File System (NFS) on a media server
        2.  
          Enabling Services for Network File System (NFS) on a client
      2.  
        Disabling the Server for NFS
      3.  
        Disabling the Client for NFS on the media server
      4.  
        Configuring a UNIX media server and Windows clients for backups and restores that use Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
      5.  
        Configuring a different network port for NBFSD
    4.  
      Disk storage units supported with Exchange Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
    5.  
      Disabling the cataloging for duplications of Exchange backups that use Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
    6.  
      Cataloging an Exchange backup or VMware backup that uses Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
    7.  
      Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service
  7. Configuring Exchange backup policies (non-VMware)
    1.  
      About Exchange automatic, user-directed, and manual backups
    2. About configuring a backup policy for Exchange Server
      1.  
        Policy recommendations for Exchange Server
      2.  
        About policy attributes
      3. Adding schedules to a NetBackup for Exchange policy
        1.  
          NetBackup for Exchange backup types
        2.  
          About schedule properties
      4.  
        Adding clients to a NetBackup for Exchange policy
      5.  
        Using physical node names in the clients list
      6. Adding backup selections to an Exchange policy
        1.  
          Adding entries to the backup selections list by browsing
        2.  
          Manually adding entries to the backup selections list
        3.  
          Performing Exchange backups with multiple data streams
        4.  
          Using multiple datastreams with Exchange Database Availability Groups (DAG)s
        5.  
          Using wildcards in an Exchange backup selections list
        6.  
          About excluding Exchange items from backups
        7.  
          Configuring exclude lists for Exchange clients
      7.  
        About Exchange backups and transaction logs
    3. About configuring snapshot backups of Exchange Server
      1.  
        About snapshot backups with Exchange Server
      2.  
        Limitations of Exchange snapshot operations
      3.  
        Configuration requirements and recommendations for the Exchange Server when performing snapshot operations
      4.  
        Consistency checks on Exchange snapshot backups
      5. Configuring a snapshot policy for Exchange Server
        1.  
          Snapshot options for backups of Exchange Server
        2.  
          Backup source for a Database Availability (DAG) backup
        3.  
          Configuring a preferred server list for a Database Availability Group (DAG)
        4.  
          Backup status for Exchange Database Availability Groups (DAGs) and the preferred server list
    4. About configuring Instant Recovery backups of Exchange Server
      1.  
        About Exchange Instant Recovery methods
      2.  
        Policy recommendations for Exchange Instant Recovery
      3.  
        About Storage Foundations for Windows (SFW) and Exchange Instant Recovery
      4.  
        About configuration requirements for the Exchange Server when you use Instant Recovery
      5.  
        About Exchange Instant Recovery with the Microsoft VSS Provider
      6. Configuring an Exchange snapshot policy with Instant Recovery
        1.  
          Adding schedules for Exchange Instant Recovery
        2.  
          Schedules settings in Exchange Instant Recovery policies
        3.  
          About Exchange Instant Recovery volume rotation
        4.  
          Adding backup selections to an Exchange policy with Instant Recovery
    5.  
      Performing a manual backup
  8. Performing backups of Exchange Server, mailboxes, and public folders
    1.  
      About user-directed backups of Exchange Server data
    2.  
      About selecting a source client for an Exchange Server backup operation
    3.  
      Options for user-directed Exchange backups
    4.  
      Performing user-directed snapshot backups of Exchange Server
  9. Performing restores of Exchange Server, mailboxes, and public folders
    1.  
      About Exchange server-directed and redirected restores
    2.  
      About selecting a destination client for an Exchange restore operation
    3.  
      About restoring Exchange database data
    4.  
      About existing Exchange Server transaction logs
    5. About restoring Exchange snapshot backups
      1.  
        Options for Exchange snapshot restores
      2.  
        Performing a snapshot restore of a Database Availability Group (DAG)
      3.  
        Performing a snapshot restore of an Exchange standalone server
      4.  
        Redirecting a Database Availability Group (DAG) snapshot backup to another database or to the recovery database (RDB)
      5.  
        Redirecting an Exchange standalone server snapshot backup to another database or to the recovery database (RDB)
      6.  
        Manually mounting an Exchange database after a restore
    6. About restoring individual Exchange mailbox and public folder items
      1.  
        About special characters in Exchange mailbox folders and message subjects
      2.  
        Prerequisites and operational notes for restoring Exchange individual mailboxes, mailbox folders, public folders, or messages
      3.  
        Options for restores of Exchange Server mailbox objects or public folder objects
      4.  
        Restoring Exchange mailbox or public folder objects
      5. About redirecting a restore of Exchange mailbox or public folder objects to a different path
        1.  
          About requirements for redirecting the restore of an Exchange mailbox or public folder object to a different path
        2.  
          Redirecting the restore of an Exchange mailbox, mailbox folder, or public folder
        3.  
          Redirecting a restore of an Exchange folder, message, or document to a different path
      6.  
        About using the command line to browse or restore Exchange granular backup images
  10. Protecting Exchange Server data with VMware backups
    1. About protecting an application database with VMware backups
      1.  
        Limitations of VMware application backups
    2. About configuring a VMware backup that protects Exchange Server
      1.  
        Configuring Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) with a VMware backup that protects Exchange
      2.  
        Configuring a VMware backup policy to protect Exchange Server
    3. About configuring a VMware backup that protects Exchange Server, using Replication Director
      1.  
        Configuring granular recovery for VMware application backups that use Replication Director
      2.  
        Configuring VMware application backups that use Replication Director
      3.  
        Configuring NetBackup with access to the CIFS share on the NetApp disk array
    4.  
      About restoring Exchange data from a VMware backup
    5.  
      Enabling protection of passive copies of the Exchange database with VMware backups
  11. Troubleshooting backups and restores of Exchange Server
    1. About NetBackup for Exchange debug logging
      1.  
        Enabling the debug logs for a NetBackup for Exchange client automatically
      2.  
        Debug logs for NetBackup for Exchange backup operations
      3.  
        Debug logs for NetBackup for Exchange restore operations
      4.  
        Veritas VSS provider logs
      5.  
        Setting the debug level on a NetBackup for Exchange Windows client
    2. Viewing Event Viewer logs on an off-host Exchange server
      1.  
        Connecting to the remote Exchange server from within Event Viewer
      2.  
        About installing the Exchange System Management Tools on the remote server
    3. About NetBackup status reports
      1.  
        Viewing the progress report of a NetBackup for Exchange operation
    4. Troubleshooting Exchange restore operations
      1.  
        Restores to different Exchange service pack or different cumulative update levels
    5.  
      Exchange Server transaction log truncation errors
    6.  
      Dynamic enforcement of path length limit for Exchange backups and restores
    7.  
      Troubleshooting Exchange snapshot operations
    8.  
      Troubleshooting Exchange jobs that use Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
    9.  
      Increased memory usage
    10. Troubleshooting DAG backups and restores
      1.  
        Finding the current host server of the Database Availability Group (DAG)
      2.  
        Displaying and resetting the backup status for a Database Availability Group (DAG)
    11.  
      Troubleshooting VMware backups

About Exchange backups and transaction logs

For performance and recoverability, the Exchange database uses transaction logs to accept, track, and maintain data. All transactions are first written to transaction logs and memory, and then committed to their respective databases. Transaction logs can be used to recover Information Store databases in the event that a failure corrupted the database. The Information Store can have multiple separate databases, each of which has its own set of transaction logs.

Transactions are first written to the log file and then later written to the database. The effective database is a combination of the uncommitted transactions in the transaction log file and the actual database file. When the log file is filled with transaction data, it is renamed and a new log file is created. When the log file is renamed, the other renamed log files are stored in the same subdirectory. The renamed log files are named in a sequential numbering order, in hexadecimal.

The database transaction log for the Information Store is named EXXYYYYYYYY.log. XX is the database number (in hex). YYYYYYYY is the log file number (in hex). The size of the transaction logs is 1 MB.

After every 1 MB of transaction log data is written, a new log is created. The log is created even though the transaction data may not be committed to the database. There may be several transaction logs that contain uncommitted data, therefore they cannot be purged.

Transaction logs get committed to their database over time or when the services are brought down. Any transactions that existed in log files and not in the database file are committed to the database.

Do not manually purge log files. Instead, purge logs through the backup process. For backups of a replicated copy (DAG), the log truncation is scheduled. It starts with the active copy when Exchange has the resources to start truncation. It does not happen instantly after a backup as with non-replicated copies.

For information on how transaction logs are truncated, see the following topics:

See NetBackup for Exchange backup types.

See Adding schedules for Exchange Instant Recovery.