Veritas Backup Exec Administrator's Guide

To set default backup options for Exchange Server

1. Click the Backup Exec button, and then select Configuration and Settings.
2. Select Job Defaults, and then select a backup option.

   For example, if you want to set up the default options for Exchange Server backups to disk, select Back Up to Disk. The options that appear vary depending on what types of storage devices you configure. You can configure different default options for the backup jobs that you send to different types of storage.

3. In the left pane, select Microsoft Exchange.
4. Select the appropriate options.

   Perform a consistency check before the backup when using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot provider	Select this option to perform a consistency check when the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service option is selected. The option Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service is automatically used whenever a software backup is selected on the Advanced Disk-based Backup properties. You can also select the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service on the Advanced Open File backup properties. The consistency check, which is run on the snapshot, determines if possible data corruption exists. If this option is selected, and the dependent option Continue with backup if consistency check fails is not selected, then data for specific Exchange objects that are determined to be corrupt are not backed up. All other non-corrupt Exchange objects are backed up. For example, if a specific Exchange database file is corrupt, then backup is skipped only for that corrupt database file. All other non-corrupt database files and transaction log files are backed up. When the option Continue with backup if consistency check fails is enabled, then all Exchange data is backed up regardless if corrupt files exist. See Snapshot and offhost backups with the Exchange Agent.
   Continue with the backup if consistency check fails	Select this option to continue the backup job even if the consistency check fails. You may want the job to continue if you think a backup of the database in its current state is better than no backup at all, or if you are backing up a very large database that may have only a small problem.
   Exchange in a Database Availability Group	Specify one of the following backup sources for Exchange: Back up from the passive copy and if not available, try the active copy (recommended) Lets you back up a passive copy of the database by default. For Exchange 2010 or later, Backup Exec selects the passive copy based on your selections in the Preferred Server settings. However, if the passive copy is not available, Backup Exec backs up the active copy of the database. During the backup, database performance degradation can occur if you have to back up the database over a WAN. Back up from the passive copy only (job fails if not available) Lets you back up a passive copy of the database. If Backup Exec cannot access the passive copy, the job fails. In this case, neither the active nor the passive database is backed up. Select this option when you do not want to affect the performance of the active copy of the database. For Exchange Server 2010 or later, Backup Exec selects the passive copy based on your selections in the Preferred Server settings. Note: You must have the preferred server settings configured to use this option. Back up from the active copy only (job fails if not available) Lets you back up the active copy of the database. If Backup Exec cannot access the active copy, the job fails. Therefore, neither the active copy nor the passive copy is backed up. The active copy contains newer information than the passive copy. When you back up the active copy, you have a backup of the most recent database data. Back up from the preferred server configuration only (Use the passive copy first and if not available, use the active copy. Job fails if copies are not available in the preferred server configuration.) Lets you back up from the preferred server configuration that you specify as the preferred backup source. Backup Exec selects the passive copy of the database as the backup source first. However, if the passive copy of the database is not available, Backup Exec selects the active copy as the backup source. If no copies of the database are available for backup on the configured preferred servers, the job fails. See Managing preferred server configurations for Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups.
   Backup method	Specify one of the following backup methods that you want to use for this job: Full - Back up databases and logs (truncate logs) This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. After the databases and transaction logs are backed up, the transaction log files are deleted if all transactions are committed to the database. Full Copy - Back up databases and logs This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up. You can use this option to make a full backup of a database without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.
   Use Backup ExecGranular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual mailboxes, mail messages, and public folders from Information Store backups	Select this option to enable the restore of individual items from Information Store backups. Ensure that the backups meet the requirements for Granular Recovery Technology. Note: Veritas recommends that you do not send an incremental GRT-enabled Exchange backup to a deduplication disk storage device. The transaction logs contain primarily unique data that does not deduplicate well. For best results, create a backup definition that runs a full backup of Exchange to a deduplication disk storage device, and then runs an incremental backup to a disk storage device. See Granular Recovery Technology. See Configuring Instant GRT and full catalog options to improve backup performance for GRT-enabled jobs.
   Backup method	Select one of the following Exchange-specific backup methods that you want to use for this job: Full - Back up databases and logs (truncate logs) This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. After the databases and transaction logs are backed up, the transaction log files are deleted if all transactions are committed to the database. Full Copy - Back up databases and logs This option backs up the databases as well as their associated transaction log files. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up. You can use this option to make a full backup of a database without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups. Differential - Back up logs This option backs up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full backup. However, the transaction logs are not deleted after they are backed up. To restore from differential backups, the last differential backup and the last full backup are required. Incremental - Back up logs (truncate logs) This option backs up all of the transaction logs that have been created or modified since the last full or incremental backup, and then delete the transaction logs that have been committed to the database. To restore from incremental backups, the last full backup and all the incremental backups done since the last full backup are required. See Snapshot and offhost backups with the Exchange Agent. If circular logging is enabled, incremental and differential backups cannot be performed.
   Use Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) to enable the restore of individual mailboxes, mail messages, and public folders from Information Store backups	Select this option to enable the restore of individual items from incremental Information Store backups. Ensure that the backups meet the requirements for Granular Recovery Technology. Note: Veritas recommends that you do not send an incremental GRT-enabled Exchange backup to a deduplication disk storage device. The transaction logs contain primarily unique data that does not deduplicate well. For best results, create a backup definition that runs a full backup of Exchange to a deduplication disk storage device, and then runs an incremental backup to a disk storage device. See Granular Recovery Technology. See Configuring Instant GRT and full catalog options to improve backup performance for GRT-enabled jobs.

5. Click OK.