There are several ways RBackup can back up Exchange Server and SQL Server databases. Use the method that best suits your needs or that is supported by your version of RBackup software:

 Note: RBackup Versions 9.0 and higher natively back up and restore Exchange (at the mailbox level), SQL Server (at the database level) and all open and locked files. Backups take place no matter whether the files or databases are open, or closed, or in heavy use.

For RBackup versions 9.0 and higher:

EXCHANGE - Rbackup software (v. 9.0+) natively backs up open and live Exchange databases. You can also exclude specific Exchange user account folders (e.g. Junk Mail, Deleted Items, etc.) from selected mailboxes, and back up only new messages in selected folders after the initial backup is complete - thereby shortening backup sessions and insuring that you back up only the most critical data. You can even set the Exchange backups so that as new users are added to Exchange, they are also added to the backup system. Restores are at the mail-folder level, per user. There’s no need to shut down the Exchange server for either backups or restores. This is a standard feature at no additional charge. For more detailed information, please see the Client Help File, located underneath the User Manuals link on the left side of this webpage.

SQL SERVER - RBackup software (v. 9.0+) natively backs up and restores SQL Server databases while they are open and live. It also supports multiple instances of SQL Server while they are in use on a single machine, one per backup job, so there’s no need to shut down the SQL Server. This is a standard feature at no additional charge. For more detailed information, please see the Client Help File, located underneath the User Manuals link on the left side of this webpage.

For RBackup versions 8.5 and prior, here are some options:

1) You can back up OPEN databases through the use of an Open Files Manager like St. Bernard Softwar’s OFM. You can find more information on the OFM at this link.

2) Use NTBackup to backup Exchange to a file. This will perform a backup of the exchange database without stopping and restarting the Information Store for Exchange. The same thing can apply for SQL except that the NTBackup tool does not back up SQL. Instead, configure SQL Server to perform a file backup of the db in question and then configure RBS to backup that file. You may be able to schedule these operations using RBackup’s batch files processing feature (see below) or Windows Task Manager.

3) Close the database before backing it up, then reopen it afterwards. This is done with the two batch files that RBackup supports. See http://remote-backup.com/rbstech/TS10 0164.HTM for more information on the pre-rbs and post-rbs batch files.

Create your pre-rbs.bat batch file with the following commands (edit if necessary for your particular Exchange Server setup)

net stop "microsoft exchange internet mail service"
net stop "microsoft exchange event service"
net stop "microsoft exchange information store"
net stop "microsoft exchange message transfer agent"
net stop "microsoft exchange directory"
net stop "microsoft exchange system attendant"

Create your post-rbs.bat batch file with the following commands (edit if necessary for your particular Exchange Server setup)

net start "microsoft exchange system attendant"
net start "microsoft exchange directory"
net start "microsoft exchange event service"
net start "microsoft exchange message transfer agent"
net start "microsoft exchange information store"
net start "microsoft exchange internet mail service"

pre-rbs.bat for SQL Server:

@ECHO OFF
NET STOP SQLSERVERAGENT
NET STOP MSSQLSERVER

post-rbs.bat for SQL Server:

@echo off
NET START MSSQLSERVER
NET START SQLSERVERAGENT

These batch files must run on the computer that runs the database servers. So, to make this work you will have to install Remote Backup on the database server computer.

If you can’t install RBackup on the database server, put these batch files on the Database Server and launch them from Task Manager, making sure to leave enough time for RBackup to run on a workstation while the database is shut down.

Remote Backup Systems cannot help you write, design, or debug batch files. Coordinate this work with the System Administrator responsible for the Exchange Server.

 Print This Page  Email This Page