Microsoft Exchange 2000 or 2003: Custom Data Backup

LiveVault Online Backup Service can automatically generate and maintain backup configurations for your Microsoft Exchange data only or for your full Exchange server (which includes an automatic Files and Directories backup configuration). We strongly recommend that you use these automatic backup configurations.

Note: The automatic Exchange backup configurations are available beginning with LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent version 4.0.

If however you choose to define your own custom Exchange data backup configuration, or are running an earlier Agent version, then use the following guidelines when creating the backup configuration in MyLiveVault to ensure your Exchange data is backed up correctly.

Exchange 2000/2003 data backup

• Create a separate Exchange backup configuration. This backs up the files as a group, ensuring the integrity of the data.

• Select the directories that contain the following Exchange data for each storage group and its stores:

  • Transaction log (one per storage group)

  •  Database (one per store)

  • Streaming database (one per store)

  To identify these directories:

  1. In Exchange System Manager, expand Servers, and then expand the Exchange server you want to back up.  Each of its storage groups is listed.

  2. Check the transaction log path:

     1. Right-click on a storage group, and click Properties.

     2. On the Properties dialog box, note the Transaction log location. For example, D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata.

     3. Repeat these steps for each storage group.

  3. Check the paths for each store's Exchange database and associated streaming database:

     1. Expand a storage group. Each of its stores is listed.

     2. Right-click on a store, and click Properties.

     3. Click the Database tab.

     4. Note the parent directory or directories for the Exchange Database and Exchange Streaming Database. For example, if the paths are C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.edb and C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.stm, the parent directory of both to note is C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata.

  When you create the file selection rules for each of these directories:

  • Create "include" rules.

  • Include the wildcard "\*" in the rule to back up all files in the specified directories.

  • Do not back up subdirectories of the specified directories.

  For example, for these paths:

  • Transaction log: D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata

  • Exchange database: C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.edb

  • Exchange streaming database: C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.stm

  The set of file selection rules would be:

  • Include C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\*

  • Include D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\*

• We generally recommend setting your schedule to continuous backup, 24x7, so your changes are always being backed up. However, you can set any schedule you desire.

Related Information

Understanding Microsoft Exchange Backup
Microsoft Exchange 2000 or 2003: Key Considerations for Backup
Microsoft Exchange: Exclusions
Creating a Microsoft Exchange Backup Configuration
Modifying a Microsoft Exchange Backup Configuration