Consistency checks on Exchange snapshot backups

NetBackup is configured to run consistency checks for Exchange snapshot backups. Consistency checks are required for Exchange 2007 and earlier or for a standalone Exchange 2010 server. Consistency checks are not required for an Exchange 2010 Database Availability Group (DAG) because of the checks that are performed during replication.

The consistency check runs with the proper options against the files that exist on the snapshot. If any of the files fail the consistency check, the backup fails and the backup image is discarded. The Exchange VSS Writer is notified of the failure. When this kind of backup failure occurs, Exchange does not truncate log files. Failure of the consistency check may be an indication of either database corruption or a problem with the snapshot.

For Exchange 2003 NetBackup uses ESEUTIL.EXE. For Exchange 2007 and later local snapshot backups, NetBackup uses the Microsoft consistency check API. This API allows the user to view problems or information in the application event logs.

For off-host backups, the consistency checks are run on the off-host client rather than on the primary client. For Exchange 2007 and later, Symantec recommends that you install the Exchange System Management Tools on the alternate client. NetBackup performs the backup faster with this configuration. If the Exchange System Management Tools are not installed on the alternate client, the following occurs:

More Information

About consistency checks options for an Exchange 2010 backup

About configuring a pause in consistency checks for Exchange 2007 and earlier