markmaytum Posted September 19, 2010 Report Share Posted September 19, 2010 What's everyone doing for a backup solution? Two options that have come to mind: Use windows server backup to backup database and transaction log contents to a network volume the retrospect server can subsequently back up. Make a retrospect event handler to shutdown all exchange services, backup the databases and transaction logs, reboot the server. I'm most comfortable with this method as it's how we've been backing up our Lotus Domino server for over a decade. Thoughts anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
szembek Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 A couple of problems, for one I haven't been able to do a scheduled backup to a remote location, only 'backup once' seems to work for remote locations. Also, with your second method, you'd have to shut down all mail services while the backup is in progress? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 No, you could replicate the mail store with the mail services stopped, restart the mail service, and then back up the replicated mail store. That way, the mail service only stays down for a second or two. That's what we have done for years. Another way, which we also have done, is to have the mail store go to a RAID 1 mirror. Stop the mail service, split the mirror, restart the mail service, back up the split mirror disk, then add the mirror back to the RAID 1 so that it can rebuild in the background. That's what we do (RAID 1 mirror split) prior to a software update on our server so that we could fall back to the split mirror if things go badly. The mirror split happens in an instant, and preserves a perfect copy. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markmaytum Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 I believe that WSB, when backing up to a remote volume will only overwrite. You'd have to carefully time your retrospect back to backup the remote volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markmaytum Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Replicate, then backup just the replica - like it! Specifically what exchange services would you stop? Looks like maybe just the replication and information store services? Or do you shut it all down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 You'd have to ask an Exchange expert for how to do that with Exchange. Our mail server is unix. Basically, though, you have to get a consistent mail database in the replica. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakaul Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) My experience with the new Windows Server Backup (2008) it requires a dedicated volume as a target and once the volume is dedicated to the backup it is not visible in windows explorer. I have never tried backing one of these targets with Retrospect. I have not been able to make it visible in retrospect either. Has anyone tried this? Seems like it might just be simpler to not involve Retrospect at all for the exchange server and use Windows Server Backup. Edited October 1, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 What's everyone doing for a backup solution? Nowadays... easy decision.. we recommend cutomers to use another backup software. Why? As Exchange 2007 was released there were also no support for Exchange 2007 within a timely manner. That they now have exactly the same "problem" with Exchange 2010 is unbeliveable. [irony]But hey, it was absolutely surprising that a new Exchange version was released by MS so it was impossible to "get" a working agent for Exchange 2010 within one year after RTM-Version of Ex2010[/irony] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markmaytum Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I don't know how I managed to do this on our exchange server because it won't work anywhere else - I cannot backup to a UNC path on either of our domain controllers for example (w2k8 x86). I did get it to work on exchange 2010 SP1 running on 2008 R2. The mail databases and transaction logs are on their own volumes - don't know if that makes any difference. The only problem is there's no option other than 'overwrite' when backing up to a remote volume. I have to be careful to have retrospect backup the remote volume when it's not being written to by windows backup. I'm backing up my exchange 2010 vm using a retrospect VCB image script. I have successfully restored from the ground-up with these backups. That said, looking forward to message-level and mailbox-level recovery as well as disaster recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakaul Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 The lack of timely support, or even a commitment to a timetable, has led our company to begin an earnest evaluation of alternative products. It's a shame because we have been loyal Retrospect customers for almost a full decade. Unless a miracle occurs and support for exchange 2010 is forthcoming in the next month or two I believe we will have switched to a competitive product for good. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 Well, being just a user I have no more insight into the future than you do, but this thread might provide some glimpse of the timeline that you seek: Glimpse of timeline for Exchange 2010 support Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvil Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 Retrospect is too much behind. If they want to be a business product they certainly need to speed up the development process and fix some of these periodicly grooming issues plus make it a true service application. In this type of marked it is way too late to release support for products that was released from other venders more than 1 year ago and many people do not have a choice other than migrate to other competitors which do support currently released products. How hard can it be to fix the VSS writer issues on windows 2008, fix grooming issues, fix configuration corruption ect. I do not know how EMC did business, but it seems as they did make things slow down extremly much, so lets us hope now where EMC is out of the picture things will speed up. Currently Retrospect looks more as a desktop backup product more than a business backup solution. Regards Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
levitas Posted November 30, 2010 Report Share Posted November 30, 2010 I know that Mr Mayoff is trying to help. But real help would be talking to R&D and get a realistic estimate instead of pointing out the next quarter or end of the year or not this month for sure. I know it is not easy to commit a time for R&D but one year of excuses is just too much. Or let us know that "we dropped the ball", "they are selling the Company again" "No budget, it is over folks" so that we move on. I am quoting Mr Mayoff's posts for reference 01-28-10 06:39 AM - Post#134543 In response to szembek No. I believe 2010 support will require a big change to how Retrospect does mailbox backups. 04-02-10 04:40 PM - Post#137259 In response to David Mekalian Exchange 2010 is NOT SUPPORTED and will not be for at least 1 or 2 more software updates. 04-09-10 01:25 PM - Post#137437 In response to szembek We have not announced a release date for this feature. It will not be available in june for sure. 06-22-10 04:55 AM - Post#139737 In response to szembek Support for Exchange 2010 will be much later in the year. 09-20-10 07:56 AM - Post#142821 In response to fakaul It is not yet supported. I wish it was. This 2010 support will be in our next planned update. I do not know the timing yet. 11-04-10 03:33 AM - Post#143926 In response to RobertVil I do not have an exact date, but I think it will be early in Q1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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