Create Backup Set

Overview

For a complete Exchange server backup, backup for the following components must be performed:

System State:

For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, as part of the restore, the system state of the server must also be restored.

Running regular system state backups of the Exchange is therefore crucial, as it ensures that the system state data is synchronized with the Exchange database data.

Information Store (Exchange 2007):

The Information Store of Exchange 2007 contains both mailbox store and public folder store data.

The server stores data into two files - .edb and .stm file that forms an Exchange store repository.

The default mailbox store on an Exchange 2007 server uses filename Priv1.edb and Priv1.stm; the default public folder store uses the filename Pub1.edb and Pub1.stm.

The .edb file contains tables that hold metadata for all e-mail messages and other items in the Exchange store, while .stm stores native Internet content.

Information Store (Exchange 2010 / 2013):

The Information Store of Exchange 2010/2013 contains the data, data definitions, indexes, checksums, flags, and other information that comprise mailboxes in Exchange.

Mailbox databases hold data that's private to an individual user and contain mailbox folders generated when a mailbox is created for that user. A mailbox database is stored as an Exchange database .edb file.

Public folder databases contain the data, their definitions, indexes, checksums, flags, and other information that comprise any public folders in your Exchange organization.

In Exchange Server 2010/2013, public folders are an optional feature.


Backup Requirements for Exchange Server 2007

Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the MS Exchange server:

  1. The Exchange databases selected for backup will be temporarily spooled to a temp directory before being uploaded to the backup server.
    It is recommended that the temporary directory have disk space of at least 120% of the total database size (e.g. total size of all .edb files found within the MS Exchange Server installation folder).
  2. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  3. For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, a System State backup must be performed regularly with the MS Exchange server backup.


Backup Requirements for Exchange Server 2010

Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the MS Exchange server:

  1. The Exchange server 2010 backup does not requires spooling the database to the hard disk, however the VSS Exchange backup still requires certain amount of disk space to operate. Microsoft suggested that some shadow copy mechanism may required to reserve 100% of the original database.

    Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/exchange/aa579091%28v=exchg.140%29.aspx

  2. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  3. For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, a System State backup must be performed regularly with the MS Exchange server backup.


Backup Requirements for Exchange Server 2013

Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the MS Exchange server:

  1. If you are using Exchange server 2013 on Windows server 2012, please install ".Net Framework 3.5 Features" under Server Manager > Dashboard > Add Roles and Features Wizard > Feature Page
  2. The Exchange server 2013 backup does not requires spooling the database to the hard disk, however the VSS Exchange backup still requires certain amount of disk space to operate. Microsoft suggested that some shadow copy mechanism may required to reserve 100% of the original database.

    Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/exchange/aa579091%28v=exchg.140%29.aspx

  3. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  4. For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, a System State backup must be performed regularly with the MS Exchange server backup.


Backup Requirements for Exchange Server 2010 DAG

Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the MS Exchange server:

  1. The Exchange server 2010 backup does not requires spooling the database to the hard disk, however the VSS Exchange backup still requires certain amount of disk space to operate. Microsoft suggested that some shadow copy mechanism may required to reserve 100% of the original database.

    Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/exchange/aa579091%28v=exchg.140%29.aspx

  2. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  3. For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, a System State backup must be performed regularly with the MS Exchange server backup.
  4. Scheduled backup on DAG is required, as all the %edition_name% on different Exchange servers will base on the scheduled backup time to activate all the backups at the same time.

  5. Scheduled backup on DAG is required, as all the %edition_name% on different Exchange servers will base on the scheduled backup time to activate all the backups at the same time, even all these Exchange servers are located at different timezones. When the backup on all Exchange servers are finished, a single email report will be generated.

  6. The scheduler would refers to the system clock on the client machine for stand-alone Exchange server backup.

  7. The scheduler would refers to the timezone setting of the corresponding %edition_name% account’s profile (instead of the system clock on the client machine for stand-alone Exchange server backup).

  8. Manual backup on each nodes are not considered as a complete Exchange DAG backup, as the job ran on individual Exchange DAG member, passive database copy(s) are skipped.

  9. The backup module protects the Exchange at a database level, if full system backup is required, please run the full Windows system backup on each Exchange server within the DAG.

  10. To backup mailbox database within an Exchange DAG, %edition_name% is required to be installed on each DAG member with Mailbox Role (e.g. servers that are hosting the mailbox databases). It is not necessary to install %edition_name% on Exchange server with CAS (Client Access Server) Role only.



Backup Requirements for Exchange Server 2013 DAG

Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the MS Exchange server:

  1. If you are using Exchange server 2013 on Windows server 2012, please install ".Net Framework 3.5 Features" under Server Manager > Dashboard > Add Roles and Features Wizard > Feature Page
  2. The Exchange server 2013 backup does not requires spooling the database to the hard disk, however the VSS Exchange backup still requires certain amount of disk space to operate. Microsoft suggested that some shadow copy mechanism may required to reserve 100% of the original database.

    Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/exchange/aa579091%28v=exchg.140%29.aspx

  3. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  4. For Exchange server with Active Directory installed, a System State backup must be performed regularly with the MS Exchange server backup.
  5. Scheduled backup on DAG is required, as all the %edition_name% on different Exchange servers will base on the scheduled backup time to activate all the backups at the same time.

  6. Scheduled backup on DAG is required, as all the %edition_name% on different Exchange servers will base on the scheduled backup time to activate all the backups at the same time, even all these Exchange servers are located at different timezones. When the backup on all Exchange servers are finished, a single email report will be generated.

  7. The scheduler would refers to the system clock on the client machine for stand-alone Exchange server backup.

  8. The scheduler would refers to the timezone setting of the corresponding %edition_name% account’s profile (instead of the system clock on the client machine for stand-alone Exchange server backup).

  9. Manual backup on each nodes are not considered as a complete Exchange DAG backup, as the job ran on individual Exchange DAG member, passive database copy(s) are skipped.

  10. The backup module protects the Exchange at a database level, if full system backup is required, please run the full Windows system backup on each Exchange server within the DAG.

  11. To backup mailbox database within an Exchange DAG, %edition_name% is required to be installed on each DAG member with Mailbox Role (e.g. servers that are hosting the mailbox databases). It is not necessary to install %edition_name% on Exchange server with CAS (Client Access Server) Role only.



Setup example for DAG:

Assumption:

  1. There are 3 nodes in the DAG setup, in the following example, we called it node1, node2 and node3.
  2. All the 3 nodes are located in the same timezone.
  3. They can connect to the same backup location, eg: a local shared destination with the same access permission.

Note:

  1. As the same backup set setting is needed to apply on all the machines when
    • the backup set is created or
    • any changes is applied to the backup set,
      eg:
      • change backup schedule
      • backup source selection
      • backup destination
      It is required to export the settings from the node with the last changes and then import to all other nodes. Otherwise, the backup set settings are not synchronized.
      eg:
      If the backup schedule is changed on node1, if the backup set is not synchronized, other nodes will keep running on an old backup schedule and may cause the backup job does not reflect to the actual servers status at the backup moment.
  2. When the settings is imported from other nodes, all the backup set settings on the node will be overwritten.

Steps:

  1. Create/modify Exchange DAG backup set in node1, make sure the schedule backup is turned on.
  2. Export settings from node1 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]
  3. Import the node1 settings into node2 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]
  4. Enable the Schedule backup in node2.
  5. Export settings from node2 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]
  6. Import the node2 settings into node3 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]
  7. Enable the Schedule backup in node3.
  8. Export settings from node3 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]
  9. Import the node3 settings into node1 and node2 in [Utilities] > [Ex/Import Settings]


Set the name of the backup set

Key:

Field Description
Name This is the name of the backup set. You can create a meaningful name for it.
Backup Type Enter the correct backup type from the drop down box.
Version Version of the Exchange server.

To create a backup set name:

  1. Type in a meaningful backup set name.
  2. Enter correct backup type, eg: MS Exchange Server Backup.
  3. Enter the version of Exchange server.
  4. Click [Next] button to continue.