Date: Oct 07
Product & Version: NetVault:Backup 7.4 onwards
Module & Version: Exchange Server V3.08 ONLY
OS Version: Windows 2003
Application version: Exchange 2003
Description:
Workaround for Exchange server plugin V3.08 limitation ref MEG-72 which prevented successful
restores to the source exchange servers Recovery Storage Groups.
Symptoms:
The .edb file is restored to the RSG location, but NetVault always attempts to restore the .stm files to the original location:
from the NetVault Binary log:
Information 2007/07/19 10:40:02 114 Data Plugin UKW1911 ESE Restore Open File for be Restored 'C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Second Storage Group\Second Mailbox Store.stm'
Error 2007/07/19 10:40:02 114 Data Plugin UKW1911 Unable to open C:\Program
Files\Exchsrvr\Second Storage Group\Second Mailbox Store.stm. Make sure the service has been stopped before restoring.
The workaround is to restore the complete database/information store/s to a backup/Standby
Exchange server. This will use DR as a "staging area", but requires that the destination paths
are identical to the source paths.
This will restore the database files completely and they can then be copied into the Recovery
Storage Group on the primary machine and renamed appropriately. Using the Exchange System
Manager, the database can then be mounted cleanly.
The idea is to restore to the original location without using RSGs, but on the NEW machine. For
this, the file location and mailbox store names need to be the same
The workaround consists of 3 sequential phases that must be completed in order:
#1 Prerequisites: Exchange configuration parameters that must be satisfied to ensure the exchange
restore is successful.
#2 Restore Procedure: This details the operations required to extract the exchange data from
tape to a standby exchange database.
#3 Recovery Procedure: This details the operations to extract the restored data from the
standby exchange database and re-integrate the mail messages into the live exchange database.
Prerequisites:
[1] Make sure that the target Standby Exchanger system is running exactly the same Exchange
version the original source exchange server machine.
[2] That both Exchange machines have the same Exchange Service Pack version installed.
[3] Ensure that the target standby Exchange server is in a different/Seperate AD domain.
[4] On the target standby Exchange server ensure that the location of the Storage Groups that
are to be restored are the same as that on the original source server.
In System Manager -> Right-click on Storage Group -> Properties -> Database
shows location of the database files.
If not in the right location, delete the Stores and recreate them in the right location.
[5] On the target standby Exchange server ensure that the Storage Group, but more specifically
the Mailbox Store have the identical names to those on the source exchange server.
You cannot recover to public folder stores, so these can be ignored.
within exchange rename the target server storage group store names to follow the source
servers naming convention.
Note:
- these stores must have identical names for the restore to succeed.
- that the store name always includes the name of the exchange server in brackets,
- the WHOLE name needs to match -
so rename the existing stores to include the original/source Exchange server name in brackets.
Restore Procedure:
[1] On the target standby Exchange server ensure each store is marked 'This database can be
overwritten by a restore'
do this for each store that will be targeted within the restore job:
go to the Exchange Manager,
right click on the Store,
select Properties
select the database tab
check the box 'This database can be overwritten by a restore'.
if you fail to perform this task then the restore will fail with the following error:
Error opening Database 'Mailbox Store (NAME)', may be in use
[2] On the target standby Exchange server Dismount the store/s that are to be restored by doing
the following:
1. Open Exchange system manager.
2. Expand the Administrative Groups in order to show the available Stores.
3. Right-click on the desired Store and select Dismount Store from the popup
menu
if you fail to do this you will get the error below:
"An error occurred.
Please check that databases are dismounted.
Please dismount using "Exchange System Manager".
[3] Run the exchange database restore from the NetVault Server.
In the options, enter the standby exchange server machine's name and target the new client.
By specifying :
- the target standby exchange server in restore option "Default Server Name"
- select restore option last set, complete restore /mount & recovery option
- the target standby exchange server in the target client tab
Recovery Procedure:
[1] You should now have the data files in the database directory on the target standby exchange
server.
[2] On the original source exchange server,
- create a Recovery Storage Group.
RC on server -> New -> RSG.
Leave everything as is and create.
- Add the database to recover to the RSG
i.e. the mailstore you had previously restored to the target standby exchange server.
That's RC on RSG -> Add database to recover.
Pick that mailstore.
[3] Edit the file names within the database tab
On the "database" tab, Exchange will populate the fields with suggested paths for the new
databases.
It will suggest something like "C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Recovery Storage Group\Mailbox Store
(UKW1911).edb".
Change this to reflect the names of the files you are going to put in there from the target
standby Exchange server, e.g. "C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Recovery Storage Group\priv1.edb".
Do the same for the related .stm file.
This will create an empty RSG directory, that contains an unmounted database.
[4] Copy the Mailstore files to the empty RSG directory.
From the target standby exchange server Copy all the files (.edb., .stm, logs, checkpoints
,etc) within the mailstore that was restored with the NetVault:backup restore job. into the
empty RSG directory on the source exchange server. These may be transferred via a share or FTP.
[5] Mount the store within the RSG.
This will generate a warning that if you mount before restore, it will create logs. This is to
be expected as the exchange server is unaware of any restore as the files have been manually
replaced underneath, So click okay.
The database will be mounted and the mailboxes should be visible.
No orginal logins will available but these are not required
Exchange will create new log files (R00) replacing those copied from the target standby
exchange server (E00).
This will have no effect as the database should have been committed after restore.
[7] Integrate the required mailbox items using the mail merge utility.
- Expand the Mail Store in the RSG (might have to hit F5 or close system manager) The mailboxes
from the backup should be visible.
- Select the desired mailbox
- right-click and choose the "Exchange Tasks", this will display the mail merge wizard.
- On Exhange servers running pre Service Pack2, you will need to run the external mailmerge
utility.
