Yes, the PST files will be bigger given that they store all the messages and 
attachments for each mailbox in seperate files.  If you have a lot of mail 
traffic to internal groups you will notice the growth as Exchange only needs to 
store 1 copy of an attachment per database regardless of the number of 
recipients, wheres each relevant .PST will have a copy.
 
On the plus side, however, ExMerge does not need to be run on the Exchange 
server itself.  You can create and archive the .PST files on any TSM client 
that has the disk space (perhaps older, cheaper disk).
 
David Smith
Technical Specialist
Business Services and Resources

        -----Original Message----- 
        From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager on behalf of Ochs, Duane 
        Sent: Wed 3/31/2004 9:32 AM 
        To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU 
        Cc: 
        Subject: Re: Month End Strategies (TDP for Exchange)
        
        

        PSTs increase the overall backup significantly. The PSTs could be 5 - 10
        times the size of the exchange infostore.
        
        We do use our long term backups regularly and have run into a number of
        problems using the whole DB. OS level of the restore server, SP level of
        exchange, log file problems on the starting of the IS and very long 
restore
        times for 40Gb db from DLT7000. A lot of things can happen over a three 
year
        retention period.
        
        Backing up the PSTs may be a decent idea if your DBs are not that large 
or
        you can spare the space.
        
        Duane
        
        
        
        
        -----Original Message-----
        From: David Smith [mailto:davidsm AT BSR.COM DOT AU]
        Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 5:16 PM
        To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
        Subject: Re: Month End Strategies (TDP for Exchange)
        
        
        I assume that a month end backup will be used to restore individual mail
        items/boxes where required sometime down the track.  How about using 
ExMerge
        (sp?) to create .PST files once a month and archive them?  Should make
        restoration much easier as well as being a simple task to create and 
track
        the archives.
        
        Dave
        
        
                -----Original Message-----
                From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager on behalf of Wayne Prasek
                Sent: Wed 3/31/2004 3:20 AM
                To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
                Cc:
                Subject: Month End Strategies (TDP for Exchange)
        
        
        
                I'm wondering what the best strategy to get a month end backup 
of
                Exchange going.  We would like to keep the backup for an 
indefinite
                amount of time (most likely a few years).  The backup tape(s) 
will
        be
                sent offsite.  Currently we have a nightly backup of Exchange 
which
                expires after 30 days.
        
                I have a couple ideas on how to accomplish this.  I want to hear
        what
                other people are doing.   Thanks in advance.
        
                *******************************
                 Wayne Prasek
                 I.T. Support Analyst (Server)
                 204-985-1694
                 Wprasek AT mpi.mb DOT ca
                *******************************