Using backup to backup and restore Exchange data

Using Backup to Back Up and Restore Exchange Data

This topic explains how to use the Backup tool (NTBackup.exe), which is the backup application included in Windows Server 2003. You can use Backup to back up and restore your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 organization. A thorough understanding of what needs to be backed up, where to store backups, and how to restore backups is key to being an effective Exchange administrator.

Backup is automatically modified to support Exchange when you install the Exchange management tools on a computer. Backup uses the legacy streaming APIs to perform mailbox and public folder database backup and restore. Backup has Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) capability for file-level backups, but it does not perform Exchange-aware VSS backups. (It does not work with the Exchange VSS Writers.) We do not recommend the use of Backup as a VSS-based backup solution for Exchange databases because those backups can only be taken at the file system level.

You can use Backup to back up and restore the following items on an Exchange server:

· Entire directories For example, the Unified Messaging (UM) prompts directory.

· Selected files For example, the .xml files with user-modified settings stored in the \bin folder.

· System State data For example, the Windows Server 2003 operating system registry information.

· Exchange mailbox databases One database or groups of databases.

· Exchange public folder databases The public folder database on any server.

· Entire storage groups Storage groups, including all the log files and database files.

· Remote data Information from other servers or workstations over the network.

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