NetVault Plug-in for Exchange 12.1 - User Guide

Planning your Exchange Server deployment

Deployment overview

Microsoft supports the deployment of Exchange Mailbox Server on either a single server or high-availability DAG environment.

Deploying the Plug‑in for Exchange in either of these environments is almost identical because the Plug‑in for Exchange is installed on the server that hosts the Exchange Server Mailbox Databases. The following topics describe how the Plug‑in for Exchange is deployed in each type of Exchange Mailbox Server deployment.

Standalone deployment

In a standalone deployment, there is a single Exchange Mailbox Server. The Plug‑in for Exchange is installed on the server that is designated the Mailbox Server and performs all backups and restores to and from this server. In this type of deployment, no high-availability solution has been deployed.

While you can install the NetVault Backup Server on the Exchange Mailbox Server, Quest recommends that you use separate machines.

IMPORTANT: Regardless of the environment, a separate NetVault Backup Server and Exchange Server vs. a single machine configured as both, the Plug‑in for Exchange must be installed on the host where Exchange Server Mailbox Databases reside. Sample images and procedures throughout this guide assume that this two-machine environment is in place and that all configuration requirements have been met.

High-availability deployment using a Single-Location Database Availability Group (DAG)

In an Exchange Single-Location DAG, multiple Exchange Mailbox Servers exist in a single Active Directory Site and are physically located in the same data center. A DAG is created across multiple Mailbox Servers with the Database Copies spread across the multiple Mailbox Servers. In a Single-Location DAG, you create a NetVault Backup Virtual Client where the Plug‑in for Exchange is installed on each of the Exchange Mailbox Servers.

In the backup process for a DAG environment, the Plug‑in for Exchange lets you select either all active copies of the databases or a database copy whenever possible. If you choose the latter and there are multiple copies, the copy with the lowest activation preference number is selected. If you choose the latter and a database copy is not available, the active database is selected. For more information about the activation preference number, see Mailbox Database Copies at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd979802.aspx.

IMPORTANT: To support a DAG that does not use a cluster name object (CNO) or IP address, create a NetVault Backup Virtual Client that uses a fixed IP address or network name that corresponds to one of the Real Clients in the DAG. If the machine to which the fixed IP address or network name corresponds goes offline for any reason, subsequent backup jobs fail. Either bring the machine back online or update the Virtual Client to use a different IP address or network name.