Checklist for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 backup in Windows 2008

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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 clients.

      Exchange 2010 backup requires creating two clients on the appliance: one 64-bit client to backup the Exchange database files with the VSS Exchange writer, and one 32-bit client to backup the email at the mailbox and message level.

      The two clients must communicate with the Exchange server over different ports. Follow these instructions:

      1. Add one client (64-bit) with a name like Exch10Data.

        Create the client selecting MS Windows/x64 as the client operating system. The database backup is done exclusively with VSS capabilities, so you will not have to install the plug-in.

        If you are running Backup & Disaster Recovery 3.5, make sure the Enable/Override option is selected in the client file set. If this is not enabled, the databases will not be backed up.

      2. Add another client (32-bit) with a name like Exch10Mailbox.

        Create this client selecting Windows as the client operating system. Edit this client to use TCP port 9202.

        If you do not change the port, you may see an error message: Log failed with error (1314): A required privilege is not held by the client.

    2. To insure the database backup will occur:

      In the appliance UI, create the 64-bit client (named something like Exch10Data).

      In Clients › Edit you will then need to edit the file set (this is the icon that looks like a pencil, next to File Set). Make sure that VSS is selected, as well as Include Writers. Select Override Plugins, and then choose the Exchange Database below that.

      Please make sure that you do not have any other backup program running when the appliance starts a backup. They could conflict over VSS access causing one or both backups to fail.

      Also, do not use another program to backup exchange databases. The VSS writer will not distinguish between the backup programs, so the incremental or differential backup from one program could depend on incremental, differential, and full backups run by the other. Because of this, neither system will have everything needed to restore anything other than full backups.

    3. Install the MAPI client libraries.

      • MAPI client libraries are not included in the base installation of Exchange 2010.

        To enable the message level backups you will be required to download and install the Microsoft file ExchangeMapiCdo.exe.

      • Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service after installing ExchangeMapiCdo.

    4. Install the DR backup agent.

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

      • Be sure to install the 64-bit agent for the Exch10Data client and the 32-bit agent for the Exch10Mailbox one.

    5. Configure the 32-bit agent using “Configure Backup” (not 64-bit). This is the agent that will run the mailbox level backup.

      • 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 checked.

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

      • If you are running Backup & Disaster Recovery 3.5, make sure the Enable/Override option is selected in the client file set. If this is not enabled, the mailboxes will not be backed up.

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

      • Any flat file or system writer backups should be configured on the database client to maximize backup speeds.

      • A simplified set of permissions for the account running the backup service on Exchange 2007 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 (easiest using Exchange Management Console).

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

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

        3. On the Exchange server › Backup Agent (the 32-bit client with unqualified name, not 64-bit) › Configure Backup › Service Control › Stop.

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

    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 clients may be started from either the RVXConfig tool or the Services window.

    • Verify that your Exchange clients have a green checkmark in Clients › Summary. You may test a new client by running a manual 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 backup.

      To verify that Exchange has been backed up, either browse the jobs 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.

    If you make any changes to the client configuration via the RVXConfig window while the client is running, you must restart the client before changes take effect.

    Troubleshooting

    `ARNIE-FileIO JobId 292: MBXBackup Fatal:
    MAPIInitialize failed : MAPI_E_CALL_FAILED`
    Install the ExchangeMapiCdo file.
    ARNIE-FileIO JobId 293: MBXBackup Fatal: FAILED TO CREATE MESSAGE SERVICE
    (in MAPI 1.0)
    This information service is not installed on your computer. To install it, use the Mail And Fax icon in the Control Panel.
    MAPI_E_NOT_FOUND
    Try just restarting the agent, and then enabling it again:

    1. Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem.

    2. Modify the Disable Exchange Writer registry key to a value of 0.

    3. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

      vssadmin list writers should now display the writer correctly.