Exchange Database Restore: Destination Name Invalid

[devolution]

i'm trying to restore a mailbox database backed up from a server that has been retired. i've set up a temporary mailbox server (Server 2008 R2) running as an Exchange 2007 mailbox server for this purpose. there is only "First Storage Group", with no mailbox database in it, on the server. the server has the same name as the old server. retrospect (7.7.503 or whatever the current version is) has no MAPI errors or anything like that.

 

whenever i run the restore, it fails almost immediately and i get the following error, which does not appear anywhere in forum posts (old or new) or documentation or knowledgebase:

 

- 7/26/2011 1:37:20 PM: Restoring from WM Exchange Daily

Restore type: Full

Trouble writing files, error -3653 ( Destination name returned by server is invalid)

7/26/2011 1:37:52 PM: Execution incomplete

Remaining: 3 files, 98.2 GB

Completed: 0 files, zero KB

Performance: 0.0 MB/minute

Duration: 00:00:31 (00:00:25 idle/loading/preparing)

 

one thing i notice right away: the original EDB file was named "Mailbox Database.edb", while the one Retrospect is trying to restore is named "Mailbox Database (XCHG-SRV-09).edb" (it's appending the name of the server to the EDB name). don't know if this is what's causing the error or not. if i have a database already in the FSG named "Mailbox Database.edb" and try to do this restore, it creates a second database, with the different name, in the storage group. in general i've just been leaving the SG empty to minimize conflicts.

 

i REALLY need some mailboxes from this database. i have found restoring DBs from Retrospect to be a complete nightmare, but i have done so successfully one time (on another server with a different backup). i could really use some help here.

[Lennart_T]

You should add the (empty) mailboxes to the Exchange server.

Then, in Retrospect, you should be able to select one of the mailboxes you want to restore and restore to an empty mailbox. Repeat with the rest of the mailboxes.

[devolution]

You should add the (empty) mailboxes to the Exchange server.

Then, in Retrospect, you should be able to select one of the mailboxes you want to restore and restore to an empty mailbox. Repeat with the rest of the mailboxes.

 

i don't have individual mailbox backups, only a full DB backup. if i try to use the Restore>Mailbox function, there are no snapshots and i can't create any because the backup set "does not contain any mailbox data".

Edited July 26, 2011 by devolution

[devolution]

ok, i think i just realized what the problem might be... i forgot that this backup was from way back when we were still on Exchange 2003 (the DB backup is 2 1/2 years old), and i've been trying to restore to Exchange 2007. i suspect that won't work.

[Lennart_T]

i don't have individual mailbox backups, only a full DB backup.

OK. That way you can not restore any messages if a user accidently deletes a folder with messages (for instance). You would have to restore all messages for all users, overwriting any and all new messages for the other users.

I recommend you to start backing up individual mailboxes.

 

 

ok, i think i just realized what the problem might be... i forgot that this backup was from way back when we were still on Exchange 2003 (the DB backup is 2 1/2 years old), and i've been trying to restore to Exchange 2007. i suspect that won't work.

I suspect that, too.