Archiving Exchange backups

About this method

When you use Exchange backups to archive your SnapManager backups, you use NTBackup (which, in turn, uses the Exchange Backup Agent) to create a copy backup of your Exchange databases. In this case, the Exchange data itself is captured and archived. Because SnapManager is not used to create the backup, it also is not used to perform the restore, so the SnapInfo directory does not need to be archived for this method.

Caution
You must use a copy or differential backup for this method. Performing any other type of backup causes your existing SnapManager backups to become unusable for an up-to-the-minute restore.

This archive method is represented by the following diagram:

Advantages and disadvantages of this method

Using this approach provides the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

The procedures and tools used for this method are probably familiar and available to you.

Disadvantages:

No SnapManager backups can be initiated while this method is in use.

Usage example

The following script launches NTBackup and tells it to perform a copy-type backup through the Exchange backup agent.

Before you can use this script, you need to use the NTBackup GUI to create a .BKS file that contains the storage groups you want to back up. (The NTBackup command-line parameters /IS and /DS are for Exchange 5.5 only.)

This script assumes that it is being run on the computer running Exchange and SnapManager.

Script

REM Launch NTBackup

ntbackup backup "@c:\MyConfig.BKS" /M copy

Note
Although this archive method does not use SnapManager backups, it can be invoked using the Run Command After Operation feature. For more information about the Run Command After Operation feature, see Using Run Command After Operation to archive automatically.