Default backup and restore options for Exchange

You can set the following default options for all backup and restore jobs for Exchange.

See Setting default backup and restore options for Exchange data.

Table: Default backup and restore options for Exchange

Item

Description

Information Store backup method

Specifies one of the following backup methods:

  • Full – Database & Logs (flush committed logs).

    This method backs 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.

    This method backs 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.

    This method backs 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).

    This method backs 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 (Incremental and Differential backups supported with policy-based jobs only)

Restores 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 (Exchange 2003). This option is not recommended; use GRT instead.

Lets you 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.

Mailbox backup method

The following backup methods are available:

  • Full – Back up messages – Reset archive bit.

    This method backs up all messages in the selected mailboxes. This option is set by default.

    A time/date stamp that is placed in each folder indicates that the messages have been backed up.

  • Copy – Back up messages.

    This method backs up all messages in the selected mailboxes. A time/date stamp is not used, so incremental and differential backups are not affected.

    Use the copy method to make a full backup of the mailboxes without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.

  • Differential – Back up changed messages.

    Differential – Back up changed messages.

    The time/date stamp that is placed on the folders during the last full backup is used to determine which messages have been modified since the last full backup. The time/date stamp is not updated during the differential backup.

  • Incremental – Back up changed messages – Reset archive bit.

    This method backs up only the messages that have been modified in the selected mailboxes since the last full or incremental backup.

    The time/date stamp that is placed on the folders during the last full or incremental backup is used to determine which messages have been modified since the last full or incremental backup. The time/date stamp is updated during the incremental backup.

Enable single instance backup for message attachments

Backs up only a single copy of all identical message attachments. When an identical attachment is found, a reference to the attachment is retained. The actual attachment is backed up at the end of the backup set.

Enabling single instance backup for message attachment increases backup performance since duplicate attachments are backed up only once.

Uncheck Enable single instance backup for message attachments if you want each identical copy of a message attachment to be backed up and kept in order on the backup set.

If the backup job does not complete, the message attachments may not be included in the backup set. Run the backup until it completes successfully .

If the incremental backup method was used, running the job again will not back up the same messages and attachments. You must run a full or copy backup to ensure that all messages and attachments are backed up completely.

Back up the information used to automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes

Lets you automatically recreate user accounts and mailboxes during a restore.

Temporary location for log and patch files

Specifies 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

Recreates 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 must enter 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…

Specifies 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

Replaces 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.

Default backup and restore options for Exchange