Introducing NetVault Backup Plug-in for Exchange
NetVault Backup Plug-in for Exchange: at a glance
Key benefits
Feature summary
Target audience
Recommended additional reading
Defining an Exchange data protection strategy
Defining a strategy
Planning your Exchange Server deployment
Installing and removing the plug-in
Protecting Exchange Server databases
Protecting the Exchange Server transaction log
Reviewing the available backup methods
Managing transaction log files
Reviewing the backup types
Examples of backup sequences
Understanding snapshot-based backups
Installation prerequisites
Configuring the plug-in
Backing up data
Restoring data
Disabling Circular Logging
Installing or upgrading the plug-in in standalone and LCR deployments
Installing or upgrading the plug-in in high-availability deployments
Removing the plug-in from a standalone deployment
Disabling Circular Logging in Exchange 2007
Disabling Circular Logging in Exchange 2010
Disabling Circular Logging in Exchange 2013 or 2016
Enabling services
Configuring localization settings
Enabling and using Deleted Item Recovery features
Enabling Deleted Item Recovery in Exchange 2007
Enabling Deleted Item Recovery in Exchange 2010 and later
Recovering items in Outlook 2007 or earlier
Recovering items in Outlook 2010 or later
Additional requirements for DAG, SCC/Failover Cluster, and CCR deployments
Restore and recovery overview
Restoring data using the plug-in
Troubleshooting
Selecting data for a restore
Setting restore options
Using advanced restore procedures
Setting restore and recovery options for Exchange 2007
Setting restore and recovery options for Exchange 2010 and later
Setting security options
Finalizing and submitting the restore job
Performing post-restore steps for CCR, SCR, and DAG environments
Performing post-restore steps for CCR environments
Performing post-restore steps for SCR environments
Performing post-restore steps for DAG environments
Examples of restore sequences
Renaming Storage Groups/Mailbox Databases
Moving databases to an alternate Storage Group
Restoring data to a Recovery Storage Group (RSG) in Exchange 2007
Creating an RSG for Exchange 2007
Restoring data to an RSG for Exchange 2007
Viewing data restored to an RSG for Exchange 2007
Restoring data to a Recovery Database (RDB) in Exchange 2010 and later
Creating an RDB for Exchange 2010 and later
Restoring data to an RDB for Exchange 2010 and later
Extracting the data from the RDB for Exchange 2010 and later
Performing a disaster recovery of an Exchange Server
Recovering to an alternate Exchange Server
Selecting data for a restore
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On the Navigation pane, click Create Restore Job. |
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On the Create Restore Job — Choose Saveset page, select Plug‑in for Exchange from the Plugin Type list. |
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When you select a saveset, the following details are displayed in the Saveset Information area: Job ID, job title, server name, client name, plug-in name, saveset date and time, retirement setting, Incremental Backup or not, Archive or not, saveset size, and snapshot-based backup or not.
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Click Next. |
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On the Create Selection Set page, select the data that you want to restore. |
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Setting restore options
Setting restore and recovery options for Exchange 2007
On the Create Selection Set page, click Edit Plugin Options, and configure the following parameters on the Restore and Recovery Options tab:
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Restore Method: Select one of the following: |
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Extensible Storage Engine (ESE): To restore selected data using the ESE method, which allows for the recovery of Full, Differential, and Incremental Backup types, select this option. For more information, see Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) Restore Method. |
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Copy Files to Target Directory Only: Select this option if you want to restore the raw files from storage to a specific target directory. When choosing this method, database recovery is not available. When restoring using this method, you do not have to dismount databases from the Exchange Server before the start of the restore job. |
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Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS): (available only for VSS-based backups) Select this option to restore selected data using the VSS method, which allows for the recovery of Full, Differential, and Incremental Backup types. For more information, see Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) backup method. |
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Restore Options: Select the applicable options: |
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Restore Files from Backup: This option is selected by default to restore the files selected in a backup set. If the Perform Recovery (Enable Only on Last Step in Restore Sequence) option was not selected for the last restore job in a restore sequence, run an additional restore job. This job should have the same backup saveset selected, the Restore Files From Backup option cleared, and the Perform Recovery (Enable Only on Last Step in Restore Sequence) option selected. With these options set, NetVault Backup performs the recovery without re-transferring the data from the backup media to the Exchange Server. |
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Temporary Directory Used During Restore: (for restored log files on ESE-based backups only) Transaction log and patch files are stored in a temporary location during the restore and recovery process. In this field, specify an empty temporary directory for this restore job. |
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Maximum Number of Parallel Streams: Specify the maximum number of parallel restore streams that to use during the restore. By default, this field displays the maximum number that is allowed based on the version and edition of Exchange Server that was used to generate the backup. |
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Dismount Databases before Restore (Not Recommended for Restores to Recovery Storage Groups): To dismount the databases that have been selected for restore automatically before actually performing the restore, select this option. All databases in selected Storage Groups are dismounted when restoring VSS-based backups. Also, databases in RSGs are not dismounted when this option is selected. |
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Set ‘This database can be overwritten by a restore’ Flag for Databases (Not Required for ESE Restores to Original Database): To restore all databases involved in the restore operation automatically and eliminate the requirement to use an Exchange utility for this operation, select this option. If you do not select this option, Quest recommends that you use the Exchange Management Console, Exchange System Manager, or Exchange Management Shell to set the Overwrite Permissions to ensure a successful restore. |
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Suspend Storage Group Replication before Restore: (only available for Exchange 2007) Select this option to disable replication automatically to all Storage Groups that have replication enabled for LCR and CCR. |
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Update Storage Group Replication after Recovery (Deletes Existing Files and Resumes Replication): (only available for Exchange 2007 LCR environments) Select this option to update the replication data for LCR automatically. After the existing replicated database files have been deleted, the replication is updated by copying the new database and log files. This process deletes the existing replicated database and log files. After the restore job has been completed with this option, the status in the Exchange Management Console should be Healthy. |
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NOTE: After the Update Storage Group Replication after Recovery has completed successfully, the Storage Group Copy Status restored in the Exchange Management Console might show Initializing instead of Healthy. However, this status is not a problem because the Copy Status will change to Healthy after a new log file is generated for the active Storage Group. |
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Recovery Options: Select the applicable options: |
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Perform Recovery (Enable only on Last Step in Restore Sequence): Select this 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 alerted to perform necessary recovery tasks. All other options in the Recovery Options section are disabled unless this option is selected. |
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IMPORTANT: When the Perform Recovery option is used with the Mount Databases after Recovery option, NetVault Backup may not automatically remount all databases included in the restore, after the recovery completes. The Storage Groups that the selected databases belong to can be mounted using the Exchange Management Console (2007) utility. For information about remounting stores, see the relevant Exchange documentation. |
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Verify Recovery Completion: (ESE restores only) Select this option to let the recovery process, which includes replaying the restored log files, complete during the duration of the NetVault Backup Restore job. This option ensures that the status of the Restore job reflects bringing the Mailbox Databases into a consistent state and mounting the databases. Clearing this option ends the NetVault Backup Restore job after the files have been restored to Exchange Server and recovery has been initiated; however, the restore job status does not accurately reflect the status of the databases and the recovery. Therefore, log in locally to the target Exchange Server and verify the status of any restored data. |
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Replay Current Logs: (automatic for VSS-based backups) Select this option to instruct the plug-in to request that the target Exchange Server access additional transaction log files that were generated after the point at which the backup was taken. After the transaction log files have been accessed, they are applied during the Exchange Server’s recovery operations, that is, after data restore is complete, to bring applicable databases to their most recent state. |
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IMPORTANT: If the Replay Current Logs option is cleared for ESE-based backups, the current transaction logs are not applied during the recovery phase. This selection results in the loss of all data that is new or has been changed since the time of the backup. When restoring VSS-based backups, current logs are automatically replayed. Therefore, if you want to restore up to the point of the last backup, delete the current logs before the VSS Restore is performed. |
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Delete Temporary Log Files after Recovery: (selected by default) Leave this option selected to delete temporary files and temporary log and patch files from the directory in the Temporary Directory for Restored Log Files field after the recovery process is completed. Clearing this option will retain the log and patch files after the recovery process is completed |
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IMPORTANT: The Delete Temporary Log Files after Recovery option should be selected in nearly all cases. If this option is not selected, subsequent restores that use the same directory for temporary files may result in restore failures in which Exchange reports incomplete, incongruous, or out-of-sequence log files and may result in database errors. |
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Mount Databases after Recovery: (selected by default) This option can be selected to mount the dismounted databases within the databases automatically after the restore completes. Quest recommends that you leave this option selected; otherwise, manually mount the databases after completion of the restore to bring it back online. |
Setting restore and recovery options for Exchange 2010 and later
On the Create Selection Set page, click Edit Plugin Options, and configure the following parameters on the Restore and Recovery Options tab:
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Restore Method: Select one of the following: |
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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, select this option. For more information, see Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) backup method. |
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Copy Files to Target Directory Only: Select this option if you want to restore the raw files from storage to a specific target directory. When choosing this method, database recovery is not available. When restoring using this method, you do not have to dismount databases from the Exchange Server before the start of the restore job. |
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Restore Options: Select the applicable options: |
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Target Directory: If you selected the Copy Files to Target Directory Only option, update the path for the target if you do not want to use the default. |
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Maximum Number of Parallel Streams: Specify the maximum number of parallel restore streams to use during the restore. By default, this field displays the maximum number that is allowed based on the version and edition of Exchange Server that was used to generate the backup. |
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Do Not overwrite existing Files: The option, which is selected by default, applies to the physical files that an Exchange Server database consists of, including database files, transaction logs, and partial transaction logs. This option works with both of the preceding Restore Method options. |
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To complete a soft recovery, leave this option selected to ensure that the plug-in does not overwrite a file of the same name in the specified target directory. For example, if you are restoring files to a database directory in which there are transaction logs and partial transaction logs that were created since the last backup was completed, selecting this option retains the existing logs and recovery includes the existing logs as well as additional transaction logs that were restored from the backup. |
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IMPORTANT: If you are restoring a sequence of Full and Incremental or Differential Backups, use the same setting for the Do Not overwrite existing Files option for each step in the sequence. For example, if you select the option when you restore the base Full Backup, make sure that you select the option for every subsequent Incremental or Different Backup as well. |
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Dismount Databases before Restore (Not Recommended for Restores to Recovery Storage Groups): To dismount the databases that have been selected for restore automatically before actually performing the restore, select this option. All databases in selected Mailbox Databases are dismounted when restoring VSS-based backups. Also, databases in RSGs are not dismounted when this option is selected. |
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Set ‘This database can be overwritten by a restore’ Flag for Databases (Not Required for ESE Restores to Original Database): To restore all databases involved in the restore operation automatically and eliminate the requirement to use an Exchange utility for this operation, select this option. If you do not select this option, Quest recommends that you use the Exchange Management Console, Exchange System Manager, or Exchange Management Shell to set the Overwrite Permissions to ensure a successful restore. |
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Suspend database Replication before Restore: (only available for DAG deployments) Select this option to disable database copying automatically for all Mailbox Databases that have DatabaseCopy enabled for DAG. |
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Update database Replication after Recovery (Deletes Existing Files and Resumes Replication): (only available for DAG deployments) Select this option to update database copying for DAG automatically. After the existing files of the database copy have been deleted, the database copy is updated by copying the new database and log files. This step deletes the existing database copy and log files. After the restore job has been completed with this option, the status in the Exchange Management Console should be Healthy. Updating a database copy might take a significant amount of time depending on the size of the database and the network bandwidth and latency. |
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NOTE: After the Update Database Replication after Recovery has completed successfully, the Mailbox Database Copy Status restored in the Exchange Management Console might show Initializing instead of Healthy. However, this status is not a problem because the Copy Status will change to Healthy after a new log file is generated for the active Mailbox Database. |
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Recovery Options: Select the applicable options: |
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Perform Recovery (Enable only on Last Step in Restore Sequence): Select this 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 disabled unless this option is selected. |
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Mount Databases after Recovery: (selected by default) This option can be selected to mount the dismounted databases within the databases automatically after the restore completes. Quest recommends that you leave this option selected; otherwise, manually mount the databases after completion of the restore to bring it back online. |