With
the various roles available on Exchange servers, the process of backing
them up is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition. Different
Exchange Server 2010 roles have different needs and different options on
what to back up and how to back it up. This section highlights the
needs of the various Exchange Server roles.
What to Back Up on Mailbox Servers
When
planning backups for an Exchange server, you must first determine the
critical data that is stored on that particular system. For a mailbox
server, the critical data present is as follows:
Exchange database files—mailboxes
Exchange database files—public folders
Exchange transaction log files
Full-text indexing information
Free/busy information
Offline Address Book
Of these items,
the index information, the free/busy information, and the Offline
Address Book can all be regenerated so that they do not need to be
backed up. This leaves the databases and the transaction logs. If you
use a certified Exchange Server 2010–compatible backup software product,
you can always back up the databases and the log files as logical
devices.
If you should ever need to
back up the databases or log files at a flat-file level, be sure to
stop all the Exchange Server services. These files can be found by
running the Exchange Management Shell and typing the following:
Get-mailboxdatabase –server <server_name> | fl name,edbfilepath,logfolderpath
When planning for backups on a Hub Transport server, the critical data located on this role includes the following:
Message tracking logs
Protocol logs
The logs contained on the
Hub Transport server are not critical for a restore of an Exchange
Server 2010 environment; however, these logs might be useful for
troubleshooting or for forensics and can be backed up at a file level.
The logs are located below the directory in which Exchange Server was
installed in \Transportroles\logs.
What to Back Up on Client Access Servers
Generally speaking, there
is no need to back up the CAS. This is because the CAS merely acts as a
pass-through to get to Exchange Server data. This was also the case in
previous versions of Exchange Server. Typically, multiple CAS servers
are deployed for redundancy, so rapid restoration is rarely needed.
Typically, if a CAS server fails, it would be rebuilt from scratch and
would not need any data restored to it.
If
there is only a single CAS server in the environment, it might be
worthwhile to back up the POP/IMAP configuration stored in
\ClientAccess\PopImap. Optionally, you can just document the Post Office
Protocol (POP) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) settings and
reset them if a CAS were rebuilt.
If your environment
requires auditing of client or mobile device access to Exchange Server
2010, it might be of value to back up the IIS logs because they track
this information.
On a related note,
CASs can generate a large volume of IIS logs. Typically, these log files
are forgotten about until they fill the drive they are on and cause an
outage. Typically CASs are built with a single drive and the IIS log
files default is stored on the C: drive. If the C: drive fills up, the
Exchange Server services stop and stop serving clients. These log files
can be pruned with a simple batch file that should be scheduled to run
nightly:
FORFILES -p c:\inetpub\logs\logfiles\w3svc1 -s -m*.log -d -30 -c "CMD /C del @FILE"
-p = path
-s = include subdirs
-m = match filetype
-d = age in days (can also be set as an absolute date ie DDMMYYYY)
-c = command to execute
When backing up the Edge Transport server, the unique Protocol Log data should be captured.
To back up the protocol logs, follow the steps given for Hub Transport servers in the previous section.
What to Back Up on Unified Messaging Servers
When planning for
backups on a Unified Messaging server, the critical data located in the
Custom Audio Prompts should be included in the backup.
This information is stored under the Exchange Server file structure in \UnifiedMessaging\Prompts
and is needed only on the prompt publishing server. Not unlike a CAS
server, its configuration is stored in AD, and it acts as a pass-through
to the .wav files stored in the users’ mailboxes.
Directory Server Data
As was the case with
the previous version of Exchange Server, Exchange Server 2010 stores the
vast majority of its configuration information in Active Directory.
This allows Exchange Server 2010 servers to easily read the
configurations of other systems in the environment and provides an easy
mechanism to restore the configuration of a rebuilt server. For this
reason, it is critical to ensure that at least one domain controller in
the root of the forest is backed up regularly.
To back up a Windows 2008 domain controller, from the domain controller, follow these steps:
1. | Make sure the Windows Backup features have been installed (ServerManager, Features, Windows Server Backup Features).
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2. | Start, Program Files, Administrative Tools, Windows Server Backup.
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3. | Choose Actions, Backup Once.
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4. | Choose Different Option, and then click Next.
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5. | Choose Custom; then click Next.
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6. | Make sure your C> volume is selected and Enable System Recovery is selected; then click Next.
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7. | Typically
choose a remote shared folder or possibly a local drive other than the
C> that you are backing up from, and then click Next.
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8. | Choose
the drive or path you want to save to. Typically also choose Do Not
Inherit so that you can choose the authorized user(s) who can access the
backup. Click Next.
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9. | Typically choose VSS Full Backup, assuming you are not using any other backup product on the system. Click Next.
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10. | Click Backup to begin.
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Common Settings and Configuration Data
Be aware of any
additional dependencies that would need to be backed up to fully restore
the Exchange Server environment. This can include things such as the
following:
