UBQ ID Number: UBQ000077
Last Modified: 2000-06-09 at 10:44:19
SUMMARY:
Common questions regarding Exchange backups, and answers.
DETAILS:
Q: Recently our log file has been indicating the following error message:
Unable to prepare DS Database File List: Unknown 0xc7ff0007
Would you please explain a little about what this error message is saying? Also, does it mean that the scheduled backup was aborted?
A: This is an exchange error. Are you running Exchange 5.5? If users don't have Exchange 5.5 SP1 installed then SP1 or later will probably fix the problem.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q177/8/07.asp If SP1 doesn't fix the problem...
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q192/4/40.asp Other problems with exchange
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q185/6/94.asp
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q186/1/84.asp
Q: After an Exchange restore the mailboxes do not exist.
A: The problem is one of the following:
1.) Created mailboxes, did Exchange backup, deleted mailbox, did restore without deleting logs or purging them first. Mailbox was restored, but log information still recorded deletion so mailboxes were deleted again when log files reloaded.
2.) Created mailboxes, did Exchange backup, deleted mailbox, did restore mailboxes not showing up because, there was no mail sent to the mailboxes so there were no objects to restore.
Q: I have been asked by company to look into migrating from MS Mail to Exchange, where we have 10 sites around the world with around 1100 users. I was wondering if you knew of any books/material that I could get my hands on that has an idiots guide to migration from MS Mail, I've read the Exchange server manual but that doesn't actually go into enough depth, as I need to understand all the steps required and/or any pitfalls.
A: Lot's of good info here. Includes case studies and problems that people have run into with workarounds and solutions.
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/support/deployment/migrate/
Q: Is it possible to spread the backup load of a large Exchange database to two tape drives that are each individually connected to the server? For example, could we set up the Information Store to go to one tape and the Directory Store go to the other? Or Private and Public stores? Can we cascade from one tape to the other?
A: Theoretically it is possible to spread the load of the directory store to one drive and the information store to another drive. But keep in mind that the directory store (\exchsrvr\dsadata\dir.edb) is very small in comparison to the information stores (\exchsrvr\mdbdata\pub.edb & \exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv.edb). The Private information store (\exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv.edb) is by far the largest. And you can't split up the information store anyway. You can restore only one, but when you backup you must backup both. My Point: Although this is possible, it sounds like more of a restore nightmare than anything else. On restore you would have to find the matching tape of the directory store and information store. It probably takes less then 1/10 the amount of time to backup the directory store than the information store(s) so you aren't saving much time here. You can cascade tapes using Exchange. If one tape fills up, it will automatically cascade to the next tape.
Q: What is the impact on exchange if we run a backup during business hours? Would UltraBac have a severe impact on the response of the server?
A: It could take a significant performance hit. Even when we backup with 25-30 users during the day we notice a slight performance hit. With more users the results would probably be sluggish response in Exchange.
Q: What would happen if we accidentally started and then stopped an UltraBac backup process before it completed? Would the transaction logs be affected? Would the next backup run be incomplete in some way?
A: Since the transaction logs are deleted AFTER the backup is completed, if you stop a backup before it is completed, then the transactions logs would not be deleted and you're basically at the same point you were before you started backing up.
Q: Is it better to have circular logging on or off in Exchange during restores?
A: It doesn't make any difference for restores.
Q: During restore, does UltraBac delete or overwrite transaction logs, or does it add to what's there from before?
A: If the "Delete Existing Logs before Restoration" option is selected, all pre-existing log files will be removed. If it is not selected, then these log files will remain. After starting the Service, and after the database commits transactions contained in the restored log files, all transactions contained in pre-existing log files will be committed if they qualify. See the documentation from the 5.0 issue 4 manual included below. The most applicable paragraph is here:
The "Delete Existing Logs before Restoration" option will remove log files pre-existing on the target exchange server. De-selecting this option will cause these log files to remain. After starting the service, and after the database commits transactions contained in the "restored" log files, all transactions contained in qualifying pre-existing log files will be committed. To qualify the pre-existing log files must be contiguous and must be sequential to the highest restored log file according to the numeric log file name sequence.
Q: Can I do an Image backup of a computer when Exchange is running?
A: An image backup of an Exchange server disk is OK as long as ALL the exchange services are stopped. If you are running the image backup will restore, but exchange will most likely fail to start because it will see the databases as inconsistent. This is why backing up using the Exchange Agent is the preferred method.
Q: I am using the Exchange server agent and adding it to a group. Even when I don't create the group, when the Exchange server pick list pops up, I choose load server list then my server appears but if I close out the window and reopen it, it doesn't remember my Exchange server.
A: Try putting the file in C:\ultrabac\exchange.esv. Assuming that C is where UltraBac is installed, make sure it is in the UltraBac directory and that it is named exchange.esv. Also make sure you have a set called exchange.ub in the same directory. You can create a set by going to backup/new and selecting exchange and loading the exchange.esv file then saving the set.
Q: I have read form the Documentation that the Exchange Administrator Software must first be installed on the target machine. How could I do that?
A: When you use the Exchange CD, there is an option to install only the administrator for Exchange. This allows you to create/modify accounts from many different machines. What you need to do is get the MS Exchange CD and install the administrator program on the machine from which you wish to backup Exchange using UltraBac.
Q: I am attempting to stop exchange on a remote machine using the before command on a set.
NETSVC MSEXCHANGEIMC \\nt2 /stop
SLEEP 10
NETSVC MSEXCHANGEMTA \\nt2 /stop
SLEEP 10
NETSVC MSEXCHANGEIS \\nt2 /stop
SLEEP 10
NETSVC MSEXCHANGEDS \\nt2 /stop
SLEEP 10
NETSVC MSEXCHANGESA \\nt2 /stop
It is returning an exit code(1). What does this mean, and how do I get rid of it?
A: Exit code 1 indicates success by NETSVC. Therefore, what you need to do is set the exit code to good before returning, this can be done with basically any other command. A good way would be:
SET > NUL:
This does not produce any output, and doesn't take long to execute.
Q: During restore, I'm getting error 67s, followed by CRC errors.
A: This means that the C$ share has been removed from the computer being backed up. To fix this, recreate the C$ share, and retry the restore procedure.
Q: I moved from one Exchange server to another, and now I get the error message "Can't find directory store" on backup.
A: The old Exchange server name is still in the set (.UB file). You need to either recreate your .UB file for that Exchange server, or edit it using Notepad or another text editor to reflect the new Exchange server name. (For more information, see UBQ000013 – Creating and Editing Sets and Groups Through a Text Editor.)
Q: I'm trying to do a restore, and I'm getting an error message that says that a restore is already in progress.
A: In order to prevent more than one user from doing a restore to a single Exchange database, as well as to store information regarding a restore, a registry entry is made on the Exchange server during a restore. It is automatically deleted after the restore completes, but if for any reason the restore is aborted or canceled, the registry entry remains, and no further restores can take place. The user will also be unable to start the Information Service, and may get one or both of the following errors:
"Unable to initialize the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service" or "Unable to recover the database because error 0xc8000713 occurred after a restore operation."
To remove this registry key, go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/MSExchangeIS
The key to delete in its entirety will be called "RestoreInProgress".
More information may be found at the following Microsoft Q article: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q175/1/16.asp?
Q: I get the errors:
Unable to Prepare DS Database File list: Access is denied. 0x5
Unable to Prepare MDB Database: Access is denied. 0x5
A: If you get the errors during scheduled backups, do the following:
1) Go to "Control Panel" / "Services" (or if you're using Win2K, go to "Control Panel" / "Administrative Tools" / "Services"), double-click the BEI Scheduler and check the account being used for that service. Generally you'll see something like "DOMAINNAME\UltraBac". If it just says "UltraBac" then it's logging on as a local account, not a domain one, and you could have issues right there.
2) Once you've determined the account that's being used in the BEI Scheduler, launch Exchange Enterprise Manager. Check all of the following levels - Site, Organization, Configuration, and Server - and make sure that the appropriate user (i.e. "DOMAINNAME\UltraBac", or whatever the user was defined in the BEI Scheduler) is a Service Account Admin at all of those levels. Regular "Administrator" privileges is *not* sufficient; the user needs to have either Service Account Administrator or Permissions Account Administrator privileges.
If the errors are occurring on ad hoc backups (i.e. when you select either "Run Now" or "Perform Backup"), then the permissions of the currently logged in user are the ones in question. Verify what user you're logged on as if you didn't do the logon yourself (log off and back on again if you're not certain), then verify that that user has the sufficient privileges within Exchange to do the backups.
One thing you can do to test everything out is to logon as the UltraBac user, then try to do a backup of Exchange using the NT native backup utility. That will test to make certain that you have sufficient permissions to do scheduled backups with UltraBac. If you do not, then you will get errors when using NT Backup as well, since UltraBac and NT Backup use the same Exchange API's.
MORE INFORMATION:
See UBQ: UBQ000020 – Static Exchange and SQL Backups
See UBQ: UBQ000022 – Defining UltraBac Account as an Exchange Administrator
See UBQ: UBQ000029 – Exchange Single Mailbox or Single Message Recovery
See UBQ: UBQ000038 – Exchange Stop/Start Command Lines
See UBQ: UBQ000042 – Pros and Cons of an Exchange Brick Level Backup and Restore
See UBQ: UBQ000102 – Open Files: Exclusively Locked
CATEGORIES:
Before/After Commands, Configuration/Administration, Error Numbers, Exchange, Permissions
VERSION:
2.x to 6.x
Copyright UltraBac.com 2000-2001