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Restore Exchange Server Backup Data

Overview

Restoring a storage group or database is sometimes necessary when a database becomes corrupt. You can restore your Exchange databases using your most recent full backup and incremental or differential backups. This section will give you information on how to restore Exchange Server databases using ACCDataVault.

Before you can attempt to restore a database in Exchange Server, please ensure that the following conditions are satisfied:

  1. The Exchange Server must be running.

  2. The database to be restored must be dismounted.

  3. "This Database Can be overwritten by a restore" option must be checked for each Information Store.
    (Right click the store->Properties->Database)

  4. Copies of the current *.edb, *.stm and other related files from the db storage location have been taken.

It is possible to restore multiple databases from the same storage group as part of a single restore job.
The transaction log files in the backup set and the patch files are restored to the temporary disk location specified by the user. If you selected Mount Database after restore, the database is automatically mounted in the target storage group.

The restore process relies on the user to provide a path to a temporary location that will be used during the restore. Separate Exchange restore processes running at the same time must use different disk locations. The temporary disk space required is about 10 megabytes (MB) more than the size of the transaction log files and patch files that are being restored.

How to get here in the ACCDataVault Web Console?
 In the top menu, select: "Restore". It will display the "List Of Backup For Restore" page. In the Action Column of the (Exchange) Backup Schedule you want to restore, click on the Restore icon.

Requirements

Exchange Server 2000 with Service Pack 3/ Exchange Server 2003 / Exchange Server 2007.

Restore Exchange Server Backup Data

In ACCDataVault, restoring Exchange Server database is quite simple and can easily be done. The following are the steps to be followed while restoring an Exchange Server:

  • Step 0: Decide how to restore

    Decide between restoring the Exchange Server directly from the backup server or if use data which has been previously restored from the backup server (to a local folder).

    This step has the following options :
    - Restore data from backup server
    - I have previously restored data from my backup server to a local folder. I now want to use this data to restore the Exchange Server database.

    1. If the second option is selected (to restore Exchange Server data from the previously restored data), then ensure that :

      1. Exchange Server backup data was restored from backup server locally through the menu "Reseller Management->Reseller Name->Customer Name->Client Name->List of Backups->Actions->Proceed to Restore Backup" and transferred to client machine.
        or

      2. You had previously chosen the option "Restore data from backup server only (I will separately run ACCDataVault through the 'locally restored files' to restore the Exchange Server later)" in "STEP 4: Confirm Exchange Server Restore Settings" of the Restore Exchange Server Data page (during your previous restore).

    2. Enter the local restore location and click "Submit Location" button to restore Exchange Server data from the local folder.

  • Step 1: Choose backup server (in case of multiple servers)

    This step allows you to choose the backup server (if the backup schedule was configured to multiple servers). This step has the following options:

    • Backup Name - The backup name is a non editable field here.

    • Backup Server - The backup server is non-editable if the backup schedule is backing up to only one server. But if the replication feature is enabled in the backup server for the client and replication server name is added/discovered in client machine, then choose the server from the choice box.

  • Step 2: Select backups for Exchange Server restore

    This step allows you to choose the full backup version based on timestamp. This step has the following options:

    • Show backups after - From the drop-down list, select the most recent full backup version based on timestamp to restore from. Once recent full backup version is selected and if "Load" button is clicked, ACCDataVault will list the files available in the backup server.

    • Load - Once you have selected the required timestamp in the field "Show backups after", this button can be used to list the files backed up to the backup server for restore (satisfying the timestamp criterion).

    • Select Files for Exchange Server restore - ACCDataVault will list the files based on what timestamp/version you have chosen in the "Show backups after" fields. Now, you will have to select the Storage Groups / Mail Stores to be restored from the server.

  • Step 3: Confirm Restore Settings

    • Password - If you had password protected the backup schedule, you will need to provide the password here.

    • Restore Location - You can specify the location to which the backup data has to be restored. The restored files will be saved in this location, but with their full original path – that way you know exactly where these files were in the first place !

  • Step 4: Confirm Exchange Server Restore Settings

    This step helps you restore backed up data right into the Exchange Server database. By default the option "After restoring data from my backup server, continue to restore the data into the Exchange Server" is selected. Alternatively you can also choose the option "Restore data from backup server only (I will separately run ACCDataVault through the 'locally restored files' to restore the Exchange Server later)".

    This step has the following option:

    • Exchange Server Name - Name of the Exchange Server from which Storage Group(s)/MailStore(s) were configured for backup (and to which data has to be restored).

    • Temporary location for log and patch files - Enter a directory name in the Temporary location for log and patch files. This directory should be different from the one where the original log files are to be stored and should have sufficient disk space to store the files. During the restore process, Exchange will first apply the older transaction logs from the temporary directory and then apply the more recent logs from the original location.

      To perform the restore, you must have sufficient space in the directory to store the files. The disk space requirement is about 10 MB more than the size of the transaction log files that are being restored. This temporary directory should be different from the restore location you provided in step 3. And this temporary directory should be a local drive and not a mapped network drive.

      Important : The directory that you specify in the Temporary location for log and patch files box must not contain the original database or log files or the restore might fail.

      Note : It is recommended that you create an empty temporary folder for this procedure. Because transaction logs are written per storage group, and not per database, using a temporary folder ensures that transaction log replay is isolated and will not interfere with undamaged databases that are still running in a storage group during recovery.

    • Last Restore Set(Log file replay will start after this restore completes.) - Select the Last Restore Set check box only if this is the last backup set that you have to restore before you remount your databases.

    • Mount Database after restore - Select the Mount Database After Restore check box, if this is the last backup set that you plan to restore, and you are sure that you are ready to mount the databases. It is recommended that you do not select this check box unless if this is the last backup set.

      Select the Last Restore Set check box and the Mount Database After Restore check box if any of the following conditions apply:

      • You are restoring from a normal (full) backup without any incremental or differential backups

      • You are restoring from the final incremental backup

      • You are restoring from the final differential backup

    • Restore Exchange server database backup data in uncompressed state - Normally for Exchange Server backups, the backed up data is substantially large. By default, the backup data is restored in compressed state as this requires less disk space in the client's restored location and the restore process is faster. However, you can to restore Exchange backup data in an uncompressed state if you wish to import it to the Exchange server manually later. To do this, select this check box and proceed with the restore. This option can also be used to access and use *.edb and *.log files with another third party tool.

      Restore and Cancel Button - Once all the options are set and the files and folders to be restored are selected, click on the Restore button to restore the files and folders. The status of the restore operation will be displayed in a pop-up browser window.

Troubleshooting Tips

Exchange Server data restore fails with one of the following errors.
  1. "Error returned from a callback function call (0x%X)."
  2. "Restore ended with error 0xC8000263. Existing log file is not contiguous"
 Show/Hide

Cause 1: This would occur, if a full backup of the entire storage group is done, then the log files are purged and thereafter, a previous backup of the Storage Group (before the last full backup is restored) is performed. This produces a gap in the log files that were purged.

Solution : If the Entire Storage Groups is scheduled for restore.

  1. Dismount all Stores in that particular storage group.
  2. Move the existing data *.edb, *.stm and other related files from the db storage location to another location.
  3. Restore Exchange Server data.

Cause 2 : It can also happen if there is more than one database in a storage group, and only one of the databases is restored to the storage group.

Solution : If only one or two Stores are going to be restored while the other Stores remain mounted:

  1. Dismount the particular store (that has to be restored).
  2. Move the existing data *.edb, *.stm and other related files from the db storage location to another location.
  3. Configure Exchange Server restore by deselecting the "Last Restore Set" option in restore page.
  4. Once restore is completed successfully, view the contents of the restore.env file available in the location given in the "Temporary location for log and patch files" option by using the command "eseutil.exe /cm". Take a note of the log file sequence in the restore.env file.
  5. Move the log files in the database storage location of Exchange Information Storage group.
  6. Perform a manual hard recovery with the /cc and /t switches of the eseutil command. For example: eseutil /cc temporary_folder /t (where temporary_folder is the folder that is specified in the Temporary location for log and patch files dialog box, such as C:\Temp\My Backup).
  7. Mount the database.
Click here for more details about these steps.

<Information Storage Groups> and <Information Stores> might have not been dismounted yet. Show/Hide

Cause 1: The Information Stores selected for restore was not dismounted before restore.

Solution : Dismount the respective Information Stores before restore operation.

Cause 2: The restored Exchange Server data does not have *.edb/*.stm files.

Solution : While restoring the Exchange Server data in ACCDataVault, verify that *.edb, *.stm and *.GUID files are listed under Information Stores. If these files was not listed in please try listing these files from the other full backup timestamp/version and proceed with restore.

Limitations

  1. Multiple incremental backup sets can only be restored as single restore set.
  2. It is recommended to provide an empty directory for the local restore location with sufficient space in the directory to store the files and ensure that the local restore location does not exceed the 256 character limit.
  3. It is recommended that you provide an empty directory in the "Temporary location for log and patch files" option. And this temporary directory should be a local drive and not a mapped network drive.
  4. When two or more stores are restored simultaneously, and if the restore process of the first store fails due to some reason, then the entire restore process will be aborted with the remaining stores also unrestored.
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