Requirements for configuring continuous protection for Exchange data

To configure continuous protection jobs for the Exchange Information Store, the following are required:

Table: Requirements for configuring continuous protection for Exchange

Requirement

Description

Install the Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server (CPS) components.

For information on how to install the Continuous Protection Server components, see the Symantec Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server Administrator's Guide.

See Requirements for installing components for CPS Exchange backup jobs.

Specify a recurring schedule for the full backup of the Information Store as part of the CPS job.

Recovery points are dependent on the last full backup. If the full backup is not run often enough, or if it is not available, then the subsequent recovery points are not usable.

If there is not enough disk space to maintain the full backup and subsequent recovery points, then consider one or both of the following actions:

  • Schedule the full backup more often.

  • Schedule the recovery points less often.

You must balance the frequency of the full backup and the frequency of the recovery points to achieve efficient use of the available disk space.

See Scheduling jobs.

See About using recovery points to restore individual Exchange items to a point in time.

Ensure that the full backup job for the Information Store is not in a policy.

You can create a backup job by setting the properties that you want. If you are new to Backup Exec or uncertain about how to set up a backup job, use the Backup Wizard.

See Creating a backup job by setting job properties.

Ensure that the Exchange mailbox stores are not included in any other backup job.

If the Exchange mailbox store is backed up by a CPS Exchange backup job, do not include it in other backup selection lists.

Select a backup-to-disk folder as the destination device for the CPS Exchange backup job.

Configure the backup-to-disk folder as follows:

  • It must reside on an NTFS volume on the local media server.

  • It cannot be a removable backup-to-disk folder.

  • The option Allocate the maximum size for backup-to-disk files must not be selected.

    See Setting defaults for new backup-to-disk folders.

Note:

You must select a specific backup-to-disk folder. If you select a device pool, even if it contains a backup-to-disk folder, the job fails.

See About backup-to-disk folders and files.

Use the backup-to-disk folder exclusively for the CPS Exchange backup job. Do not back up other resources to the backup-to-disk folder that is the destination device for the CPS Exchange backup job.

See Review disk space availability for CPS Exchange backup jobs.

Make circular logging unavailable.

If circular logging is enabled, the recurring full backup of the Information Store completes without errors, but recovery points fail.

See Reviewing the circular logging setting for Exchange.

Select the Exchange Server name in the backup selections list.

You cannot select an IP address for an Exchange server in the backup selections list on the media server.

More Information

Review disk space availability for CPS Exchange backup jobs

Best practices for continuous protection of Exchange