Requirements
- Supported MS Exchange Server platforms are 2010 and 2013);
- The OBRM/SOS Business application must be installed on the same machine where the MS Exchange Server is installed;
- The person who sets up the Exchange backup must know Windows account credentials that has permissions to backup Exchange databases (consult the following Microsoft KBA: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876854(v=exchg.150).aspx. Usually, Exchange Administrator credentials (or credentials for Exchange Management Console) are used to configure MS Exchange Backup.
Backup Exchange Databases with OBRM / SOS Business
After the OBRM/SOS Businees v5.12+ installed and the Exchange databases exist on the machine, the Backup procedure can be started.
- Launch the OBRM / SOS Business application;
- Click on the “wrench” icon opposite to “MS Exchange Backup”
or in case the Exchange was previously configured:
- the application will require credentials for Exchange Management Console:
- choose the Exchange machine domain from the dropdown menu and enter the appropriate credentials:
- if the credentials are correct, the list of Exchange databases available for backup will be shown:
- in case a connection error appears after entering the credentials, but after re-checking the Exchange Management Console, it is proven that the credentials are correct, please consult the KBA: Exchange backup with Online Backup and Recovery Manager (OBRM) / SOS Business - what should be checked when OBRM fails to connect to Exchange server?
Database Selection, Retention Policy and Authentication Policies
- Select databases for backup:
- Specify the following settings for each checked database separately:
- cloud retention policy for Exchange backups (Full and Incrementals): how long the backups should be stored in the cloud:
- whether to store the last copy of Exchange database locally at "Temp folder path" (may be needed for an urgent restore in case of problems with Live database).
- "Temp folder path" that is used to store Exchange database file (*.edb) and logs created by Exchange VSS writer by request from OBRM application. It is also used to store the latest copy of Exchange database locally if the option is checked. The folder may be either a local one or located on a network folder\NAS in the local network. The size of the database should be taken into consideration when choosing the Temp folder. Minimum required free space for Temp folder is the size of the database (or databases in case the same folder is configured for several of them):
- when connecting to a Network folder, please, enter the appropriate Windows credentials to access this folder. The Windows user should have FULL permissions for this folder (to be able to read/write/modify/delete files):
- At this page, warnings may appear that are related to Exchange Server configuration, for instance "Please disable circular logging feature."
With this feature enabled, Incremental backups will not run (consult the Microsoft KBA for further details).
- After Temp folders are chosen for all checked databases, "Next" option will become active, Click "Next" to configure the backup schedule.
Scheduling Options
These are default scheduling options for Exchange database backups:
- The backup schedule is configured for all checked databases. The most frequent schedule is following:
- Full Backup every 2 days
- Incremental backup every 1 day
- "Minimum required space" shows how much space is required in Temp folder(s) and in the cloud to backup chosen databases;
- In case the option "Backup even when Windows user is not logged on" is chosen, Windows credentials should be configured for the Windows account under which the backups will run. The option is preferable for Exchange backups because usually these machines are switched on but the Administrator is logged out from the operating system:
- In order to receive Backup Reports after the backups, choose the option "Send email reports at the end of backup" and fill in the email address to which backup reports will be sent.
- If it is needed to start the backup hereafter the completion of the wizard, the field “Run backup at the end of wizard” should be checked:
- When all necessary fields are filled in, click “Finish” button to complete the wizard.
If "Run backup at the end of wizard" is selected, the backup will be started immediately and the following progress will appear regarding the backup of each chosen database (click "Show Details" and uncheck "Close when complete") to see the details of the backup:
- The following report is delivered to a configured email address after the backup completion:
- The current Exchange backup progress can be checked in Monitoring section. Click "Zoom in" icon to show details of the backup:
- The Reporting section shows statuses of previous backup jobs. Use "Backup Type" filter to get only MS Exchange" backup jobs:
- The following database Properties are updated after taking Exchange backups with OBRM / SOS Business:
Restoring MS Exchange Databases from the cloud with OBRM / SOS Business
Use the OBRM / SOS Business application to restore protected Exchange Databases to the local machine:
- click "View\Restore" to navigate to the data stored in the cloud
- To Restore the database for a chosen date, restore its previous FULL backup (mouse right-click > Restore) with the subsequent incremental backup. When importing the database, it will be possible to choose the needed date:
- Select the location to restore files to and click on “OK”
wait for the recovery completion
Restoring to MS Exchange server
Exchange database recovery may be performed in different ways, such as:
- Restoring database to a Recovery database:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876954(v=exchg.150).aspx
- Disaster Recovery for the database:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876880(v=exchg.150).aspx
http://practical365.com/exchange-server/exchange-2010-database-portability-disaster-recovery/