Setting default backup and restore options for Exchange data

You can use the defaults set by Backup Exec during installation for all Exchange backup and restore jobs, or you can choose your own defaults.

To set default backup and restore options for Exchange

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

  2. On the Properties pane, under Job Defaults, click Microsoft Exchange.

  3. Select the appropriate options as follows:

    Information Store backup method

    Select one of the following backup methods:

    • Full - Database & Logs (flush committed logs). Select this method to back up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. After the databases and transaction logs are backed up, the transaction log files for which all transactions committed to the database are then deleted.

    • Copy - Databases & Logs. Select this method to back up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after being backed up.

      You can use the copy method to make a full backup of a database without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.

    • Differential - Logs. Select this method to back up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full backup. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after being backed up.

      To restore from differential backups, the last differential backup and the last full backup are required.

    • Incremental - Logs (flush committed logs). Select this method to back up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full or incremental backup, and then delete the transaction logs that have been committed to the database.

      To restore from incremental backups, the last full backup and all incremental backups done since the last full backup are required.

      See Snapshot and offhost backups with the Exchange Agent.

      If circular logging is enabled, incremental, differential, and continuous protection backups cannot be performed.

    Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual mailboxes, mail messages, and public folders from Information Store backups (Exchange 2000 and later only; incremental backups supported with policy-based jobs only)

    Check this option to enable the restore of individual items from Information Store backups. Ensure that you meet the requirements for Granular Recovery Technology.

    See Recommended devices for backups that use Granular Recovery Technology.

    Enable legacy mailbox support (not supported for Exchange Server 2007)

    This option is not recommended; use GRT instead.

    Check Enable legacy mailbox support to select individual mailboxes for backup with the Information Store.

    See Backing up individual Exchange mailboxes.

    Note that a separate job to back up mailboxes is not necessary.

    See How to restore individual items by using Granular Recovery Technology.

    You must check Enable legacy mailbox support to enable the mailbox backup methods to appear on the Exchange Backup Properties page.

    If you are upgrading from a previous version of Backup Exec, Enable legacy mailbox support is checked by default. Jobs for mailbox backups can continue as scheduled.

    Uncheck Enable legacy mailbox support to make the mailbox resources unavailable on the backup selections tree.

    No loss restore (do not delete existing transaction logs)

    Select this to preserve the existing transaction logs on Exchange Server 5.5. Transaction logs on the storage media are then restored and added to the existing set of transaction logs on Exchange Server 5.5. When the restore operation finishes, Exchange Server 5.5 automatically updates its databases with the uncommitted transactions found in the existing and newly restored transaction logs. This option is selected by default.

    Restore public folder

    Select this to restore only Exchange 5.5 Information Store's public database (PUB.EDB). Although this database cannot be backed up separately from the Information Store's private database (PRIV.EDB), it can be restored separately.

    Restore private mailboxes

    Select this to restore only Exchange 5.5 Information Store's private database. Although this database cannot be backed up separately from the Information Store's public database (PUB.EDB), it can be restored separately.

    If the Restore public folder and Restore private mailboxes options are selected independently, the No loss restore option is automatically selected and cannot be cleared.

    Temporary location for log and patch files

    Type a location where the associated log and patch files are to be kept until the database is restored. The default location is \temp. If storage groups are being restored, a subdirectory in \temp is created for each storage group. The log and patch files for each storage group are kept in the corresponding subdirectory.

    If Commit after restore completes is selected for the restore job, the log and patch files in the temporary location are applied to the database, and then the current log files are applied. After the restore is complete, the log and patch files are automatically deleted from the temporary location (including any subdirectories).

    See About restoring Exchange data.

    Make sure the temporary location for log and patch files is empty before you start a restore job. If a restore job fails, check the temporary location (including subdirectories) to make sure that any log and patch files from a previous restore job were deleted.

    Automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes

    Select this check box to recreate the user accounts and their mailboxes if they do not already exist on the destination server. The restore job fails if a mailbox that is being restored does not exist on the destination server.

    To restore any mailboxes that were backed up with the legacy backup method, the option Back up the information used to automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes must have been selected for the backup job.

    See Backing up individual Exchange mailboxes.

    When you check Automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes, you are prompted for a password for accounts that are recreated.

    Automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes applies only if mailboxes are being restored to their original location. If the mailbox restore is being redirected, the user account and mailbox must already exist on the target server.

    Change password...

    Click this to specify a password to use when user accounts and mailboxes are automatically recreated on the destination server.

    When restoring individual mail messages and folders, restore over existing messages and folders

    Check When restoring individual mail messages and folders, restore over existing messages and folders to replace an existing item with the message or folder. Check this when you are restoring from a continuous protection recovery point backup or from a backup that uses Granular Recovery Technology (GRT). A new object ID is not created for the message or folder; only the contents and properties are replaced.

    If this check box is not checked, or if the original message or folder does not exist, then the message or folder is recreated as a new message or folder.

    If this check box is not checked and if the original message or folder does exist, then the message or folder is skipped.

    See How to restore individual items by using Granular Recovery Technology.

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

More Information

Backup strategies for Exchange

Snapshot and offhost backups with the Exchange Agent

About restoring Exchange data