Conference decwet::networker

    Hi
    
    I've read the field test draft of the Exchange Server Module
    Installation Guide.  In it were examples that, to me, stressed and
    implicitly recommended the creation and use of separate pools for the
    data backups and transaction log backups.
    
    Is this necessary?  Why would this be a good idea?
    
    Thanks!
    tl

It is not absolutely required that one use pools, but it will
make your recovers much faster (uses fewer tapes, less interleaving
of regular client stuff and database stuff, etc).  That is why
a jukebox was listed as desirable in the questionaire for field test.

There are a few other reasons that I'd want to separate database
backups from other client backups.  Some of those reasons stem from
having to have the same browse and retention time for each client,
even though different types of data will not need to be saved for
the same amount of time.

Hi

I found an item on p.21 of the 'NetWorker Module for Microsoft Exchange Server
Administrator's Guide' that concerns me:

"5.  Specify any valid save set name as the entry for "Save set":
MSEXCH:
MSEXCH:DS
MSEXCH:IS

MSEXCH: is a special save set that does a full backup of the Directory Service
and the Information Store and their transaction logs.  You can only specify
MSEXCH:DS and MSEXCH:IS for incremental backups."

I'd like to create a NetWorker client entry for our Exchange Server.  In this
entry, I'd like to specify the savesets for the partitions on the server; I
also
want to specify that Exchange be backed up.  So, I was planning to enter
these savesets:

C:\
D:\
E:\
MSEXCH:

I want to use a schedule for this client that will reflect our schedule of
monthly fulls with daily incrementals.

But, given the language of the manual, I can't figure out how to accomplish
Exchange full and incremental backups using the same client.  If I specify:

C:\
D:\
E:\
MSEXCH:

then only fulls of the Exchange area will be done.  If I specify:

C:\
D:\
E:\
MSEXCH:DS
MSEXCH:IS

then only incrementals will be done.

And the manual explicits lists:

MSEXCH:
MSEXCH:DS
MSEXCH:IS

as a no-no.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
tl
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]

Clue me in if I misunderstand you, I've been out sick and
am not fully up to speed yet...

When you back up exchange, you will need a separate client
definition so that you can use the backup command field,
so you can't put everything into one client definition
anyway.  Why not have three definitions for your client?
One with MSEXCH:, one with MSEXCH:DS and MSEXCH:IS and the
third with the normal filesystems.  More work, cause you
probably want complementary schedules for the exchange 
system.  I know that Legato is aware of the 'ease of use'
problem with the current setup.

    Amy
    
    Welcome back; hope you're feeling better!
    
    Arrgh, you're right:  the need to use the nsrxch.bat script on
    the backup command line complicates things.  I understand why you
    suggest creating 3 NetWorker client entries per Microsoft Exchange
    Server backup client.  Yeah, that's ugly.
    
    Didn't I read a while back that having more than one client entry per
    client was bad, not allowed, wouldn't be supported in a forth-coming
    release, or something like that?
    
    Anyhow, we'll set it up as you suggest until a better mousetrap comes
    along.
    
    Thanks!
    tl

>    Didn't I read a while back that having more than one client entry per
>    client was bad, not allowed, wouldn't be supported in a forth-coming
>    release, or something like that?
    

I'd be really surprised if you had...  It's a very standard technique
for managing large clients.

Kevin

It is the different schedule aspect, guess that
isn't quite possible... gee whiz, there should be
a way to do this nicely... I need to think about
this for a bit.

    Kevin, thanks for debunking my mis-memory.
    
    Amy, what is the 'different schedule aspect' that 'isn't quite
    possible'?  Can't I have three instances of the same client, each with
    a different backup command, savesets and schedule?
    
    Thanks
    tl
    

Yesterday I wasn't too with it.... I was thinking this
would affect browse and recover, but you are right, this
shouldn't....  Although there *should* be an easier way,
I think this is a good as it gets for now. 

    Amy
    
    Okey dokey.  So it is okay to have three instances of the same client
    in NetWorker, each with a different schedule, saveset, backup command,
    etc.?
    
    Thanks!
    tl

but not with different browse and/or retention policies!

I'm not sure that this is the place to ask, but here
goes:  Since Digital is deploying Exchange so widely,
are we using Networker to back up all those Exchange
servers?  If not, then what are we using and why?

Thanks in advance.
BC

    This is probably better asked of the Corporate doowahs
    who have mandated the switch to Exchange.  

Okay,  anybody have a pointer to the appropriate corporate
doowahs?

BC

so many people commenting on Exchange problems, one of them
should know who to complain about/to.

another place to ask may be CHEFS::MS-EXCHANGE for other
Exchange backup strategies...

RE: .4

Sorry for the late reply, I've not been in the office for a few weeks. I had the
same questions after reading that section of the manual. Fortunately I had a not
yet production Exchange server to do some testing on. I found that you can do
full and incremental backups with only MSEXCH:DS & MSEXCH:IS entered as the save
sets. So you need two definitions for your client one for the C:\, D:\ & E:\
partitions and one for MSEXCH:DS & MSEXCH:IS, specify the same schedule for both
and that should have the result you require.

Chris

    Hi,
    
    somebody told me that it is possible to selectively restory individual
    documents (that may have been inadvertently deleted by a user) with the
    Exchange Module.
    
    Is this true ?
    
    And, a similar question regarding the SQL Server and DMO Modules - Can
    individual tables from Oracle or SQL Server Databases be restored with
    the relevant Database Access modules ?
    
    Thanks,
    /Heinz O.

With the current product (V1.0) one cannot
restore individual mailboxes or individual
files.  The code uses the 4.0 API and that just
isn't possible with that API.

One also cannot restore individual tables for
SQL - currently it uses the SQL dump per
database noted.  If you do a backup without
the database on line, you can backup individual
tables, but then you won't be using the SQL module.

    The 'NetWorker Save and Restore Module for Microsoft Exchange Server
    Version 1.0' states, on p.2 that Microsoft Exchange Server V4.0 SP3 is
    required.  We're running Microsoft Exchange Server V4.0 SP4.  Will
    NetWorker Module for Exchange support this version?
    
    Thanks!
    tl

The code is written to Microsoft's backoffice APIs.
If it doesn't work, Microsoft most likely will have
broken something in their service pack (not unheard
of if you know that they messed up one dll from SP3).  
We don't have the people resources to test every
service pack and all combos as they come out, since
most of that 'we' is 'me' except when a really pressing
support problem comes in.

Service packs should not break NetWorker or any other
applications but sometimes they do.

    I appreciate, as Paul Harvey says, "The rest of the story".  So I'll
    install it on my SP4 systems, and if I have a problem, I'll report it
    as a reply to this note.
    
    Thanks!
    tl

I installed SP4 last week on an Alpha Exchange Server, and NSR backups 
still work fine.

I have another question, however: How can I make a restore an Exchange 
information store to a different system than that originally backed up ?

While the "standard" NSR client can do a "directed recover" with files from 
another client, this seems to be impossible with the exchange client. No 
trace of this functionality in documentation or the GUI. I've also tried 
"nsrexchrc -c originalclient ..." but didn't succeed.

Can it be that this functionality was forgotten, or am I missing something 
? How am I supposed to restore documents that a user has deleted if I can 
neither request a restore at document level, nor restore the whole 
information store to another exchange server ?

Please help.

/Heinz O.

Legato has released a patch to the exchange version
which we haven't released yet, but will as soon as we
have time.

This is good news, but where can I find this patch ? I've searched Legato�s 
site without success.

If I understand you correctly, you talk about porting this patch to Alpha. 
Since the exchange server in my case is Intel, I suppose I could use 
Legato�s patch if I could locate it ??

Please help once more.
Thank you.

/Heinz O.

Well, that is easy...

ftp://ftp.legato.com/NetWorker/Exchange which is not
that much different from that noted in topic 57 (but 
since the NT client/server is a different product the
Exchange module gets a different directory).