Recovery Manager for Exchange 5.8.1 - User Guide

Extracting a database from a Volume Shadow Copy snapshot backup created with NetVault Backup

To extract a database from a VSS backup

1. In the Recovery Manager Console, from the main menu, select Add Storages | From Backups.
2. On the Select a Backup Access Method page of the wizard, select Access Exchange backups with thirdparty software. Click Next.
3. On the Select Backup Software page, do the following:
   1. From the Use this software list, select NetVault Backup.
   2. From the Software version list, select your version of NetVault Backup.
   3. Click Next.
4. Step through the wizard to specify parameters for emulating restore interface of Exchange Server.

If the Exchange Server whose database you want to register belongs to a database availability group (DAG), do the following:

5. On the Emulating Exchange Server page, wait until the Status box displays "Emulation started. Waiting for connection from backup application."
6. Start NetVault WebUI.
7. In the NetVault Backup main window, click the Create Restore Job on the left pane, and then do the following in the window that opens:
   1. On the Create Restore Job - Choose Saveset page, select a backup from the list of savesets and click Next.
   2. On the Create Selection Set page, expand the appropriate nodes to select databases you want to restore.
   3. Click Edit Plugin Options and go to the Restore and Recovery Options tab, under Restore Method, select Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to perform the restore of selected data using the VSS method, which allows for the recovery of Full, Differential, and Incremental Backup types. In some versions of NetVault, the Restore Method area is located on the Restore and Recovery Method subtab.
   4. Select the Perform Recovery (Enable only on Last Step in Restore Sequence) option when performing the last job of a restore sequence. If the restore sequence only includes a Full Backup, select this option for the Full Backup. If the restore sequence includes Incremental or Differential Restores, select this option when restoring the last backup in the restore sequence. This option finalizes the restore process after completion of the restore job for which it was selected, that is, the Exchange Server is then alerted to perform any necessary recovery tasks. All other options in the Recovery Options section are dimmed unless this option is selected. For more details about other NetVault Backup options, please see this section.
   5. Then go to the Security tab and specify Exchange admin credentials.
   6. On the Create Restore Job page, specify the job name and select the Recovery Manager for Exchange computer as a target for the restore operation. Click Save & Submit.
   7. Click the Monitor link in the pop-up window. The Monitor job page opens - here you can view the progress of the restore job.
8. After restoring the last backup set, return to Recovery Manager for Exchange.
9. Follow the steps in the Add Storage Wizard to complete the storage registration.

Working with Quest® vRanger®

Recovery Manager for Exchange can integrate with Quest® vRanger® to extract and register Exchange Server databases from backups of virtual machines created with vRanger. After their registration with Recovery Manager for Exchange, the extracted Exchange Server databases become available for search and data restore operations.

Recovery Manager for Exchange integrates with vRanger by using the file-level recovery capability provided by vRanger through an open application programming interface (API).

For more information about vRanger, see the vRanger documentation available for download at http://quest.com/products/vranger.

This section covers:

• Guidelines for working with vRanger
• Backing up a virtual machine running Exchange Server
• Extracting an Exchange Server database from a backup Created with vRanger

Guidelines for working with vRanger

In order Recovery Manager for Exchange could extract and register Exchange Server databases from backups created with vRanger, ensure that:

• Recovery Manager for Exchange and vRanger are installed on the same computer.

Ensure that PowerShell execution policy on that computer allows the execution of remote-signed scripts.

This is required because Recovery Manager for Exchange integrates with vRanger by using PowerShell cmdlets supplied with vRanger.

• You installed the vRanger Console and started it at least once on the computer where Recovery Manager for Exchange and vRanger are installed.
• You backed up Exchange Server installed on the virtual machine by completing the steps described in the next section.

Backing up a virtual machine running Exchange Server

In order Recovery Manager for Exchange could extract and register Exchange Server databases from backups created with vRanger, you need to back up the virtual machine running Exchange Server by using the below steps.

To back up the virtual machine

1. On the virtual machine hosting the Exchange Server you want to back up, install Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package.

2. Copy one of the following files from the vRanger installation directory to any local directory on the virtual machine running Exchange Server:
   • Copy Vzshadow_x86.exe if the virtual machine is running a 32-bit version of Windows.
   • Copy Vzshadow_x64.exe if the virtual machine is running a 64-bit version of Windows.
3. Check to make sure that the virtual machine and the VMware host have the same version of VMware Tools installed.
4. On the virtual machine running Exchange Server, locate the VMware Tools installation folder (by default, this is %ProgramFiles%\VMware\VMware Tools).
5. In the VMware Tools installation folder, create a new directory named backupscripts.d. In that directory, create a file named freeze.bat.
6. Open the freeze.bat file in a text editor and type the following syntax:

<Full path to the Vzshadow_x86.exe or Vzshadow_x64.exe file you copied in step 2 of this procedure> -bc=<Local drive on which Exchange databases reside>\backup.xml <A list of all local drives on the virtual machine>

Example:

C:\Vzshadow_x86.exe -bc=C:\backup.xml C: D:

Where the -bc parameter specifies the local drive (C:) that stores the Exchange Server databases you want to back up with vRanger, followed by a list of all local drives on the virtual machine (C: D:). When specifying multiple local drives, use a colon followed by a space (: ) as a separator.

7. Save and close the freeze.bat file.
8. Back up the virtual machine by using the Enable guest quiescing option provided in vRanger.