Archive:Microsoft Exchange Server 2007/2010 en

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Icon archived docs.png THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED
SEP AG has discontinued support for obsolete SEP sesam versions. Instructions are still available for these SEP sesam products, however, SEP AG accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies in the instructions or for the incorrect operation of obsolete SEP sesam software. It is strongly recommended that you update your SEP sesam software to the latest version. For the latest version of SEP sesam documentation, see documentation home.

Introduction

Beginning with Exchange Server 2007, the VSS Writer "Microsoft Exchange Writer" was incorporated into Exchange and is recommended for use as the backup methodology for all Exchange backup tasks. After Exchange 2010 the ESE API will no longer be supported (see Supported Backup Technologies), this means, of course, that using the VSS Writer "Microsoft Exchange Writer" is required.

System Requirements

  • Supported Versions
  • SEP sesam Server and SEP sesam client from version 4.0.3
  • Microsoft Exchange Powershell Cmdlets installed on Exchange system(s)
  • Features "WinRM IIS Extension" and "RPC over HTTP proxy" installed on Exchange system(s)

Configuration of a MS Exchange Online Backup

Beginning with Exchange 2007 there are two types of backups available:

  1. Exchange Server
  2. Exchange Server DAG


The Database Availability Group backup (DAG) makes it possible to replicate from one Exchange Server Database to another server running Exchange 2010.


For an Exchange Backup the following backup types are possible: FULL, DIFF, INC and COPY.
The following content was assigned from "http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996125(EXCHG.65).aspx © 2011 Microsoft. All rights reserved."

  • Normal (or Full): The normal backup process backs up the directory or Exchange store in its entirety, as well as the log files. To restore from a normal backup, only one normal backup is needed. A normal backup marks the objects it has backed up so that incremental and differential backups have context. This is accomplished by backing up the entire database and all the log files, and then purging the log files.
  • Copy: The copy backup is the same as a normal backup except no marking takes place to give incremental and differential context. This means that performing an incremental backup after a copy backup is equivalent to performing it before a copy backup. Use a copy backup to get a full backup of the directory or Exchange store without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.
  • Incremental: An incremental backup backs up the subset of the component that has changed since the last normal or incremental backup. Then it marks these objects as backed up. To restore from incremental backups, each incremental backup since the last normal backup and the normal backup are needed. An incremental backup backs up only the log files, and then purges them.
  • Differential: A differential backup backs up changes in the directory or Exchange store that have occurred since the last normal backup. To restore from differential backups, one differential backup and one normal backup is required. A differential backup backs up only the log files but does not purge them.


Circular logging

If "circular logging" is activated for exchange databases, backups with type "INC" should not be performed. This leads to damaged VSS Writers!

Configuring the Exchange Server Backup

Create a new backup job in the SEP sesam GUI with backup type Exchange Server.

With this example job, all local MS Exchange Information Stores (databases) are backed up:

Exc2010 backup task en.jpg

If you need only one database per job, you have to browse and select the specific database in the GUI.

Attention!

The path to a single database is case sensitive!

User and rights management for single mailbox backup / Troubleshooting

Defaults after installation

In order to be able to perform an Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 single mailbox backup, the SEP sesam Client needs access to the users mailboxes during backup.

This happens by connecting to the Exchange Web Service (EWS).

If the user has been automatically disabled in AD, then the user has to be activated manually. (This can happen through strong AD password policy)


Check AD Group

The user "SEPsesam {UID}" is after creating member of the following AD groups:

  • Domain Users
  • Organization Management
Attention!

Please check whether the two groups have been added, if not add the groups manually.


To get all this mail information, Sesam adds a user within the AD before the first Exchange backup starts. This screen shot shows the created user in the Active Directory:

Exchange ad.jpg

If the default password is changed (recommended) it has to be specified in the Exchange 2010 task options under the additional tab "Exchange Access":

Exchange access.jpg


The short handle of the sesam user (<domain>\SS_<random_id>) needs access to each user’s mailbox. You can check this by opening the Exchange Management Console and opening the user’s full access:

Exchange shell.jpg

Exchange shell2.jpg

Manually granting Access

In case the installation routine was not able to successfully add the rights or the sesam user, there exists a command line tool for doing so.

Connect to your Exchange System as Domain Administrator and open a command box. Switch to the sesam installation directory like shown in this screenshot:

Exchange cmd.jpg


Granting the access is done with the tool "sbc_es.exe". To get a clean state remove eventually created permissions with the command "sbc_es.exe -permission:remove all":

Exchange cmd2.jpg

After cleanup, re-add the permissions with the command "sbc_es.exe -permission:add all"

Exchange cmd3.jpg

General Task definition

For the Exchange Client a new Backup Task, using the SEP sesam GUI with the 'Backup Type' - Exchange Server, is created.

Exc2010 backup task en.jpg

This action will backup all local MS-Exchange Information Stores.

Configuring an Exchange Server DAG Backup

For the Exchange Client a new Backup Task, using the SEP sesam GUI with the 'Backup Type' Exchange Server DAG, is created.

Exchange2010 backup dag.JPG

Using the Exchange Server DAG backup, all DAG replicated databases, currently existing on the client, will be backed up.

Attention

Always back up only passive DAG databases!
To backup active DAG databases, has negative performance impact on the productive Exchange operation.

Best-practice for Exchange DAG

Replicate all active databases on only one DAG node. Backup only from this passive DAG node all the passive databases.
Never try to backup an active DAG database.

Deactivating Single-Mailbox-Backup

In certain cases it is needed to do no single mail, but only a plain backup of the exchange database. This however does only backup the databases and does not gather any information about e-mails, so only a complete restore of the exchange database is possible.

In order to deactivate the single mailbox backup, edit the task options and switch to the tab "Options 1" and set an Additional Save Option:

-a server=nonexistant

Handling of public databases

The support of public-database backup is very limited by Microsoft. When a "Full" Backup of the Exchange server will be preformed, the PUB DB will be included. In case of a restore the only possibility is to Restore the whole pub DB and overwrite the original DB. No single Item restore and no recovery to a second template DB is possible.

This was changed by Microsoft in Version 2013

Exchange 2010 Restore

The following restore options are available for Exchange Server:

  1. Exchange Database Restore (Information Store)
  2. Exchange Single Mailbox Restore
  3. Exchange Single Mail Restore
  4. Exchange Database Availability Group Restore
Attention!

For all restore options the whole database is temporarily restored, the corresponding disk capacity must be available.


Exchange Database Restore (Information Store)

  • Select the desired Restore Task and then select "complete restore of selected task".

Exchange2010 restore is.jpg


  • In the event a data restore is needed, the following options are available:
Restore to a generated RDB, where applicable, and Import into the original Database.
SEP automatically generates a Restore database and from this restore location all information will be reimported into the original database.
Restore to specified RDBs and Import into original database
Pre-defined restore databases can be selected and data will be subsequently restored to the original database.
Restore to RDB’s
Pre-defined restore databases can be selected without subsequent import/restore to the original database.

Exchange2010 restore is 02.jpg

Exchange Single Mailbox Restore

  • To perform a Mailbox restore the backup task is selected and the relevant mailbox is selected.

Exchange2010 restore mb.jpg


  • To restore the mailbox, there are four different restore options available:
Restore into a previously created RDB and Import to original database
SEP sesam automatically generates a Restore Database and subsequently restores everything to the original database.
Restore to pre-defined RDBs and Import in original Database
Previously defined Restore Database can be selected and afterwards be restored to the original database.
Restore in RDBs
Previously defined Restore Databases can be selected without subsequent restore to the original Database.

Exchange Single Mail Restore

  • To restore a single mail to an Exchange Mailbox, setup a restore task and then select the desired mailbox.

Exchange2010 restore sm.jpg


  • For restore, the following options are available:
Restore to a generated RDB and Import to the original Database
SEP sesam automatically creates a restore database and from a restore can be directed to the original Database.
Restore to pre-defined/selected RDBs and Import to the original Database
Previously defined Restore Databases can be selected and subsequently data can be restored to the original Database.
Restore in RDBs
Previously defined Restore Databases can be selected without restoring the data to the original Database.

Defining the Path for the Recovery Area

During restore with the "Restore to generated RDB and import to the original Database" SEP sesam will by default create the database on the C Partition of the System. This can be problematic because the system might not have enough free disk space. In order to work around this problem a special expert option exists:

"-a" "dbpath=E:/restoredb/PARTITION.edb,logpath=E:/restoredb/LOG/"

in order to create the recovery area for example on the E: partition.

Exchange 2007 Restore

The following restore options are available for Exchange Server:

  1. Exchange Database Restore (Information Store)
  2. Exchange Single Mailbox Restore
  3. Exchange Single Mail Restore

In the event a data restore is needed, the following options are available:

Restore to specified RDBs and Import into original database
Pre-defined restore databases can be selected and data will be subsequently restored to the original database.
Restore to RDB’s
Pre-defined restore databases can be selected without subsequent import/restore to the original database.
Attention!

The option "Restore to a generated RDB and Import to the original Database" is not available for Exchange 2007. A corresponding RDB must be created before.


Exc2007 restore rdb.jpg


Other Links and Information