The advice that I give to clients is quite simple. When it comes to backup of Exchange, an Exchange aware backup should always take priority. This should be the first thing that is done. Any other options, such as brick level or GRT should be secondary and if the backup window or space becomes too small to do them all, then they are dropped. With an Exchange aware backup (NTBACKUP or another backup product with Exchange agent) you can restore the entire database, that is all settings, data, permissions etc.
Brick level backups are slow, inefficient, and close to useless in a disaster recovery scenario. BLBs are data only, and are only useful when Exchange is functioning. If you lose Exchange, then they are worthless. Bit like having all of the bricks from your house, but no plans. I also have recollection that the Symantec Backup Exec GRT method is not supported by Microsoft. This may simply be a stronger line than their recommendation against doing brick level backups - which has never been part of the product as supplied by Microsoft, it is always third parties doing it. The fact that Symantec have dropped brick level backup in favour of GRT should be an indication of the numerous problems that it causes. Simon. -- Simon Butler MVP: Exchange, MCSE Sembee Ltd. e: [email protected] w: http://www.sembee.co.uk/ w: http://www.amset.info/ w: http://blog.sembee.co.uk/ Need cheap certificates for Exchange, compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0? http://CertificatesForExchange.com/<http://certificatesforexchange.com/> for certificates from just $23.99. Need a domain for your certificate? http://DomainsForExchange.net/<http://domainsforexchange.net/> Exchange Resources: http://exbpa.com/ From: Michael B. Smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 08 March 2010 14:38 To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? That registry setting is not required in Outlook 2007 or above. (And in fact, its meaning has changed over the years, but that's a topic for an entire article, not a mailing list post.) Regards, Michael B. Smith Consultant and Exchange MVP http://TheEssentialExchange.com From: paul d [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 9:35 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? If you have the reg hack "dumpster always on," you can still recover those emails that were 'hard-deleted.' ________________________________ From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:16:00 -0500 Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? Talk to me about item 5... I'm using Exchange 12.5. In my backup job, I have an option I can check to enable "Granular Recovery Technology." GRT lets me restore individual messages and mailboxes. You're saying that when I check that option, I'm no longer doing a "normal IS backup" and need, in essence, to create a second backup job in which GRT isn't enabled? We can live with item 1. Our Exchange backups take a few hours, but in our environment that's acceptable (we're not an overnight operation here, so long backups at night are fine). But you've piqued my curiosity; I may disable GRT and see how big a difference that makes in the time. On item 2, can't users permanently delete items from their Deleted Items folder, even it retention is enabled? I thought retention forced those items to be permanently deleted after a period of time, but I didn't know if also forced them to NOT be permanently deleted for that same period. But I'm not an Exchange wiz by any means; I'm a generalist, not a specialist. :-) John From: Michael B. Smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 8:48 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? 1] it takes a long time - typically 2 or 3 times longer than a full Information Store backup 2] if you have properly configured and know how to use deleted item retention and deleted mailbox retention, BLB provides you with no added benefits 3] it makes mailbox auditing worthless 4] you lose visibility to "last accessed by" for the mailbox 5] if you are doing a BLB INSTEAD OF a normal IS backup (usually happens because of item [1]), it will give you a false sense of security - a BLB does NOT replace a full IS backup That being said - there are times and places and environments where it makes sense. Very few and far between. But they exist. Regards, Michael B. Smith Consultant and Exchange MVP http://TheEssentialExchange.com From: John Hornbuckle [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 8:39 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? Is there a downside to doing brick-level backups, though? We're doing this with BackupExec, and I see only potential benefits to it-no drawbacks. John Hornbuckle MIS Department Taylor County School District www.taylor.k12.fl.us<http://www.taylor.k12.fl.us> From: Ben Schorr [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 6:39 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? Oh, don't do Brick Level backups. :-( Try Ed's method instead: http://www.exchangefaq.org/faq/Exchange-5.5/The-Ed-Crowley-Never-Restore-Method/sectionID/1009 Ben M. Schorr Chief Executive Officer ______________________________________________ Roland Schorr & Tower www.rolandschorr.com<http://www.rolandschorr.com> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> From: justino garcia [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 13:37 To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Exchange brick level backup software Options / soultion? Exchange brick level backup software, Anything beside NT-backup, has scheduling, can backup to NAS or DISKS, and that is Simple, and under 500USD? 30 mailboxes, about 60 gig store, needs to be backed-up daily, and restored just in case, to test, has scheduling, and how long it can retain a backup before it does a cleanup?? Any suggestions? Thanks NOTICE: Florida has a broad public records law. Most written communications to or from this entity are public records that will be disclosed to the public and the media upon request. E-mail communications may be subject to public disclosure. NOTICE: Florida has a broad public records law. Most written communications to or from this entity are public records that will be disclosed to the public and the media upon request. E-mail communications may be subject to public disclosure. ________________________________ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now.<http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469228/direct/01/> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
