Exchange 2007 with mail client size

[raistlin1981]

Hello,

Can anyone explain to me the method that TSM uses with Exchange 2007 mailboxes. What I'm trying to do is predict what amount of data will need to be stored for a 30 day retention of 1TB of Exchange mail box data. I'm not sure if TSM client for mail looks at each users mailbox db and backs it up or if the API integration allows TSM to store only new / edited items from each mailbox. Thanks for your help.

 

[moon-buddy]

I maybe dated but there isn't any mailbox level backup for Exchange on the current TSM versions. This would come in TSM version 6.x.

There are only two ways to backup the Exchange database: FULL (DAILY) and INCREMENTAL daily+FULL on weekends (this is how I backup it up using TDP for Exchange).

Individual mailboxes can be backup using a combination of PST via ExMerge and TSM backing up the resulting PST files. This accumulative as a new backup is made everytime mail is added to the PST file.

I hope this is the answer you are looking for.

 

[raistlin1981]

It's a valid answer, not what I was hoping for but still a valid answer. Thanks.

 

[moon-buddy]

It would be hard to make a prediction on much space is needed. Only observation over time may tell you how much space you need.

A starting point maybe determined by multiplying the number of versions retained with the size of the database.

 

[THE_WIPET]

I got this kind of discussion with our Exchange admin where i work. The debate was the deletem item retention policies in exchange and brick level backup. I would add since Exchange 2003 and the recovery storage group.. Brick level backup are not Microsoft best practice..

Just imagine doing an exmerge of every mailbox into a PST file for a 1tb database.. (time to do the export and after back it up with TSM) Correct me if i'm wrong but i'm not sure that Exmerge and do "only new e-mail since the last exmerge" after that... TSM will backup all the PST..

Moon-buddy is right for a starting point (total Exchange db size * retention) i would add divide it by the average capacity of your tapes.. EX: 1TB*30day/750gb) = 40.96 tape in the librairy

With this i could prove that is more cost effective to modify the "retain deletem item in exchange" ratter dans adding version in TSM. so they boost the retain version to 90 days.. And with outlook 2003 and up they love the option of "recovery delete item in outlook" So they can recover an Item faster... and they stop bothering me asking to recovering a storage group in exchange just for one e-mail..

 

[ypcat]

For selective restores we have people do that from Exchange and for server recovery and DRM we use TSM - it's much more convenient even if you have small storage groups in Exchange, and I believe this is how MS recommends it to be done. We backup about 20 Exchange servers in different environments. Restoring an entire storage group to retrieve a single email is a bit excessive.

In addition to this convention we also add on Email archiving through DB Commonstore. Thus we have 1 week for selectives, 30 days for Exchange (point in time) via TSM and unlimited (7+ years) done monthly with DB Commonstore archives, and it seems to work well. The idea is to provide full coverage which is reasonably cost effective. Going back 7 days is good enough without growing Exchange out to a massive size, and anything over that is retrieved via TSM, and with anything beyond 30 days is retrievable by archive (DB Commonstore).

 

[Mita201]

Well, there is already TDP for exchange V6.1 that works with TSM server 5.5 (i personally tested it: Exchange 2007, TDP For Exchange v6.1, TSM server 5.5) And it has options for mailbox restore and mail item restore.
But, guess what it really do?
It creates recovery group on Exchange, restores complete mailbox store database, takes mailbox/mail item out of there, put it back where it belongs, and then, cleans things behind - remove restored database and recovery group.