NetVault Plug-in for Exchange 11.3 - User Guide

Restoring data to a Recovery Storage Group (RSG) in Exchange 2007

The RSG utility lets you create a special Storage Group that can be mounted outside of an actual Exchange Server’s configuration to serve as a target for the restore of backed-up data. With an RSG in place, you can restore previously backed-up data to an RSG without disrupting the existing structure of the Exchange Server. This option is useful when previously backed-up individual Storage Group data, for example, Mailbox Stores and their contents, must be reviewed, but the Exchange Server must stay up and running. RSGs can also be useful when correspondence is accidentally deleted or must be recovered if there is a legal inquiry. Lost correspondence can be retrieved by performing individual mailbox or mailbox component recovery.

IMPORTANT: Restoring to an RSG on an alternate Exchange Server is not supported.

You can find a complete description of RSGs and their usage in the relevant Microsoft Exchange documentation. For more information, see Understanding Recovery Storage Groups at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124039.aspx.

The procedures that follow illustrate the steps required to establish an RSG in Exchange 2007 and how to use NetVault Backup to restore backed-up data to it.

Creating an RSG for Exchange 2007

Setting up an RSG involves two basic steps:

You can find complete instructions for these procedures in the relevant Microsoft Exchange documentation. For more information, see Working with Recovery Storage Groups in Exchange 2007 at http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Working-Recovery-Storage-Groups-Exchange-2007.html?printversion.

Restoring data to an RSG for Exchange 2007

With the RSG successfully created and the appropriate databases added to it, you can begin restore procedures of the applicable data to the RSG.

IMPORTANT: To avoid complications in a restore of this type, Quest recommends that you restore individual Storage Groups on a one-per-job basis; that is, only select an individual Storage Group for inclusion in a single restore job.

Depending on your backup-and-recovery strategy, see the applicable procedure in Examples of restore sequences for instructions on restoring data items in a backup saveset to an RSG.

During an RSG restore operation, the Plug‑in for Exchange will redirect recovered data to the RSG rather than overwriting the original database.

Viewing data restored to an RSG for Exchange 2007

For Exchange Server 2007, the Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant (ExTRA) and Windows PowerShell included with Exchange 2007 may be used to extract data from a database in an RSG. For information about using these utilities, see the relevant Exchange documentation. For additional information, see How to Recover a Mailbox by Using a Recovery Storage Group at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997694.aspx