Defining and Running Exchange Backups

Before Backing up Exchange databases the first time, see Backing Up VMware virtual machines.

Backing up Exchange databases consists of the following steps:

  1. Browse Enterprise for the Exchange node.

  2. Select components of the node to back up.

  3. Select the destination volume.

  4. Select backup options.

  5. Optionally set source and notification options and schedule the job.

  6. Save and run the backup.

To back up an Exchange database:

Use the Block Backup Wizard to create an Exchange backup job, see Block Backup Wizard. The Select Source step of the wizard displays a list of nodes available for backup. The node group can be either a DAG or a node group containing one or more standalone Exchange nodes.

  • In the case of a standalone node, browse directly to the node, where you can expand the Exchange application disk to display the Exchange databases hosted on that Exchange server.

  • In the case of a DAG, expand the virtual node to display the Exchange disk and expand further to display nodes in the DAG and their mailboxes. Nodes in a DAG are always backed up through the virtual node. Only active Exchange databases in a DAG display for backup. And only DAG nodes that contain an active database display.

Note. Exchange recovery databases do not display for backup.

The following example shows two Exchange nodes on the virtual node expanded to show active mailbox databases for backup. Note the active database DAGDB1 that displays under the node DAGNODE2.

However, in the following example, DAGDB1 has failed over to DAGNODE1. Thus DAGDB1 displays on the virtual node under DAGNODE1. DAGNODE2 no longer displays on the virtual node since DAGNODE2 no longer contains an active database.

Note. Exchange servers (DAGNODE1 and DAGNODE2 in the example) also display as physical nodes, distinct from the virtual node. However, browsing these physical nodes do not display the Exchange application. These physical nodes are available for backup, but their Exchange components can only be backed up through the virtual node.

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