TDP Microsoft Exchange Restore question

[tsmhelum]

Hello,

I have never done a TDP Microsoft exchange restore but I may have
To do one soon, I took a look at the TDP for MS Exchange server Backup/Restore
Client GUI and I am curious is there a way to restore a single file? I took a look
at the directory tree and could not see if a specific file was being backed up.
It only showed

 

[moon-buddy]

If by single file you mean a single user's mailbox, nope you cannot do a restore.

The way to recover a single mailbox is by restoring the database to another Exchange (test or development server), and extract whatever info you need. This is a tedious route.

Or, if you are doing Brick Level backup - a MS utility - you can restore a single user's mail via the extracted PST file.

 

[JohanW]

Exchange 2003 has Recovery Storage Groups (well, one). You then don't need a second server. But you still restore an entire database, export it to .PST and grab the handful of bytes you need out of there.

(If they're there, because you didn't actually need the backup from the day before, because the user got the date wrong. Trial-and-error restores get tedious this way fast.)

 

[sgabriel62]

Work with your Exchange Admin on his/her restore procedures and how he/she feels more comfortable with. But I would tend to agree with Moon - the entire information store is going to be recoverd and then the Exchange Admin will do their magic from there.
Good luck

 

[tmcquaig]

Exchange 2003 has Recovery Storage Groups (well, one). You then don't need a second server. But you still restore an entire database, export it to .PST and grab the handful of bytes you need out of there.

(If they're there, because you didn't actually need the backup from the day before, because the user got the date wrong. Trial-and-error restores get tedious this way fast.)

This is how I do restores for exchange. The program to export from storage group to pst is exmerge and is available from Microsoft.

In the exchange TDP GUI it will say that the restore is going to go to a recovery storage group. Make sure this is listed before you restore. Also make sure your current live production mailbox stores are set not to be overwritten by a restore.

 

[tsmhelum]

Moon, Johan, sgabriel62 and tmcquaig – Thanks for your responses!

The file is D:MDBDATA\Exc_data\mdbdata\priv1.edb there apparently
was a software problem with a drive and one of the solutions recommended
That the priv1.edb be restored. I could not find the file in the normal TSM Backup/Restore GUI file tree list although there is a Exc_data folder but it had no files in it.
I checked the MS Exchange Backup/Restore Gui but again it doesn’t show it at least as a single file.

Moon – Why can’t I just restore the Database to Exchange server that
I would be performing the restore on? Also can I restore the
Database to another server using the GUI?


Tmc - How do I know if the restore is going to the Correct recovery Storage group?
Also, how do I make sure the current live production mailboxes are not
Set to be overwritten? I have not seen how check this so far in the
Redbook.

P.S - Sorry If some of my questions are trivial I just don't want to make any mistakes
again I have never done this type of restore.

Some Information that I left out of my original post - Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server 5.3.3.0


Thanks again!

 

[moon-buddy]

Moon – Why can’t I just restore the Database to Exchange server that
I would be performing the restore on? Also can I restore the
Database to another server using the GUI?

Thanks again!

Reason being is that you don't want to overwrite or create another instance of the Exchange database!

It has been our practice to restore to another server. We replicate the dsm.opt file to trick TSM in believing that you are restoring (the TSM services on the original server are disabled) to the original server.

 

[tmcquaig]

What version of Exchange are you using?
Is your information store service started? Can you successfully mount the mailbox store? If the mailbox store doesn't mount at all then there is no point to restoring to a recovery storage group. There are some commands you can run with eseutil to try to repair the database but this is exchange and not tivoli. If you have exausted your options for repairing the database and the mailbox store won't mount then you can restore directly on top of it.

I would review this guide to bring you up to speed on the tasks ahead of you. http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/topic/com.ibm.itsmfm.doc_5.3.3/ab5ex002.pdf

This two sections will help you. http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...com.ibm.itsmfm.doc_5.3.3/ab5ex00208.htm#wq127
and
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...bm.itsmfm.doc_5.3.3/ab5ex00214.htm#recstrggrp

 

[tsmhelum]

Moon – Thanks that makes sense, before that would have to occur
I would hope there would be a pop-up box to ask if you want to overwrite the
Instance that is already there? Or that say’s there is a instance the
Exchange Database and you would be creating another
if you continue with the restore.



Tmc – I believe the Exchange version is 2003, not sure about the other
questions about store service and if the mailbox can be successfully mounted
Remember this Exchange stuff is new to me and thus far the restore has not
been requested but this good to know just in case. I will review the guide
along with the sections that you recommended.


Thanks again for all your help – I appreciate it.