Using wildcards in an Exchange backup selections list

Wildcard characters can be used to define groups of databases, storage groups, mailboxes or public folders. This way multiple objects can be backed up without having to specify the objects individually in the backup selections list. Multiple data streams must also be enabled. If this feature is not enabled, the backup fails.

Table: Supported wildcard characters

Wildcard character

Action

Asterisk (*)

Use as a substitute for zero or more characters. To specify all objects that start with an 'a' use "a*".

Question mark (?)

Use as a substitute for a single character in a name. For example, "s?z" processes all objects that had 's' for a first character, any character for a second character, and 'z' for a third character.

Left & right brackets ([ ... ])

Use to match any one character that is enclosed in square brackets. A minus (-) can be used to indicate a range of consecutive characters; for example, [0-9] is equivalent to [0123456789].

These wildcard characters are not supported for the Microsoft Information Store:\ directive.

Note:

The minus (-) loses this special meaning if it occurs last in the string.

Note:

The right square bracket (]) does not terminate such a string when it is the first character within it. For example, [] a-f] matches either a right square bracket (]) or one of the ASCII letters a through f inclusive. Asterisk (*) and Question Mark (?) stand for themselves within such a string of characters.

The following rules apply when wildcard characters are used in the backup selections list:

Only one wildcard pattern per backup selections list entry is allowed.
If a wildcard pattern is not honored it is treated literally.
Wildcard patterns are honored only in the final segment of the path name.

Correct

Microsoft Information Store:\*

Microsoft Information Store:\StorageGroup?

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\John Anderson [janderson]\Top of Information Store\*

Incorrect

Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\*

Microsoft Information Store:\StorageGroup?\Mailbox Database

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\John Anderson [janderson]\*\Inbox
For an Exchange Mailboxes path: Any segment of the path can contain wildcard characters as long as the wildcard characters are the last characters in the segment. These segments include mailbox names, folders, or messages within the mailbox hierarchy.

Correct

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\John Anderson [janderson]\Top of Information Store\*

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\John Anderson [janderson]\Top of Information Store\[a-h]

Incorrect

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\[a-h]\Top of Information Store

Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes:\John Anderson [janderson]\Top*\
For Exchange public folders: Any segment of the path can contain wildcard characters as long as the wildcard characters are the last characters in the segment. These segments include workspace names or workspace folders.

Correct

Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\Folder1\Subfolder?

Incorrect

Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\Folder?\Subfolder1

Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\*\Subfolder1