Checklist for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 backup in Windows 2003

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    This article refers to the 32-bit version of the DR backup agent, which is no longer supported starting from Infrascale Backup & Disaster Recovery 8.14.0.

    1. Add the client to the appliance.

      It may be useful to give a descriptive name to your client. Be sure to select the appropriate operating system.

    2. Install the DR backup agent.

      • The backup agent can be downloaded from Settings › Tools › Downloads.

      • Be sure to install the appropriate agent – that is, 64-bit agent for a 64-bit operating system and the 32-bit agent for a 32-bit operating system.

    3. Configure the agent.

      In order for the mailbox level backup to succeed, perform the following.

      • Confirm that VSS is disabled (do not use) for this client. Edit the client file set (Clients › Edit › pencil button next to FileSet) and make sure the VSS option is not selected.

      • Be sure that system state is disabled, via the RVXConfig and file set, for this client.

      • Because of Exchange overhead, the mailbox level portion of the backup will be considerably slower than the database or flat file portion.

      • A simplified set of permissions for the account running the service are as follows (with DOMAIN=your domain, below):

        This user will need to have a mailbox, the mailbox cannot be hidden, and you need to be able to send and receive mail from this mailbox to allow mailbox level backups to succeed.

        1. Create a domain user (such as RvxBackup) with a User Mailbox.

        2. Add the user to the group on your Exchange server: BUILTIN\Administrators.

          My Computer › Manage › Local Users and Groups › Groups › Administrators › Add to Group › DOMAIN\RvxBackup.

        3. Add the user to the domain group: DOMAIN\Exchange Domain Servers.

        4. On the Exchange server › Configure Backup › Run as Administrator › Service Control › Stop.

        5. Run Service As › (x) Other Account: DOMAIN\RvxBackup › Password: *** › Confirm Password: *** › Start.

      • After that, please attempt the backup again and send us the job message logs if you have further concerns.

    Other notes and recommendations

    • Do not install Outlook on the Exchange Server.

      Installing Outlook with break the MAPI we depend on for mailbox backups.

    • The client may be started from either the RVXConfig tool or the Services window.

    • Verify that your Exchange client has a green check mark in Client › Summary.

      You may test the new client by running a manual backup.

      After a possible system state backup, the MBXBackup is performed at the beginning, you may see this working by viewing the properties of a running job.

    • We strongly encourage the use of a Weekly schedule for an Exchange client.

      Please do not run a schedule that mixes differential and incremental backups.

    • Though allowed, we do not recommend truncating the logs after incremental or differential backups.

      By default we truncate the logs only after a full database level (ESE) backup.

    • To verify that Exchange has been backed up, either browse the job in Jobs › History, or browse the client in Clients › Summary.

      You may see the default C:/ directory and also a new EXCHANGE:/ directory. Both directories can be browsed.

      The EXCHANGE:/ directory contains an ESEBackup (database) or an MBXBackup (mailbox) directory. The ESEBackup directory contains the Exchange or mailbox databases. The MBXBackup directory contains the individual mailboxes with their data and email messages.