Backing up databases

In the SnapManager for Microsoft Exchange main window, click the SnapManager Backup Wizard icon.

Click Next.

Result

The Databases to Back Up or Verify screen appears.

The Microsoft Exchange Servers navigation tree in the left panel lists the Exchange data stores that are managed from the current Exchange server.

• Storage groups or databases that reside on the same volume are shown with disk icons of the same color.
• Storage groups or databases that span multiple volumes are shown with disk icons with three colors.
• Storage groups or databases that cannot be backed up by SnapManager are listed with the label Invalid next to the LUN drive letter or mount point.

Follow the instructions in the Backup Wizard to initiate your backup.

For a list of information you need to provide as you complete this step, see Information you need to specify for a backup.

At the Completing the Backup Wizard dialog box, click Finish after you verify that all the settings in the window are true.

Result

The Backup Status window appears.

In the Backup Status Window, click Start Now to start the backup.

Result

The backup is performed and the Snapshot copy is written to the volume. SnapManager Backup completes each task and checks it off on the list shown in the Backup Task List view.

You can switch back and forth between the task check-off list and the progress report using the Switch buttons on either window.

If the backup is successful, the Task view shows the check-off list with the tasks completed.

Note
If Notification is enabled, e-mail is sent and the event is posted to the Windows event log.

In the SnapManager interface, select the Backup and Verification tab.

Result

The Backup and Verification tab is activated.

The Microsoft Exchange Servers navigation tree in the left panel lists the Exchange data stores that are managed from the current Exchange server.

• Storage groups or databases that reside on the same volume are shown with disk icons of the same color.
• Storage groups or databases that span multiple volumes are shown with disk icons with three colors.
• Storage groups or databases that cannot be backed up by SnapManager are listed with the label Invalid next to the LUN drive letter or mount point.

In the Backup window, select the storage groups (Stores) you want to back up.

In the Backup Management Group field, select the management group for the backup you want to create.

For more information about backup management groups, see How backup management groups are used.

If you want to delete older backups of this backup management group automatically, select one of the "Delete backups" options in the Advanced Options dialog box.

Note
Make sure to select the one of the "Delete backups" options to manage your Snapshot copies.

If you do not select automatic backup deletion, backups will be retained indefinitely. This would require manual removal of backups, or sufficient storage capacity for all backups and transaction logs.

For more information, see Automatic deletion of backups in a management group and Explicit deletion of backup Snapshot copies.

By default, automatic deletion of older backups within a backup management group is done selectively, in such a way that it does not cause a break in the continuity of transaction logs between the previous backup and the present time.

However, if you do not need to retain up-to-the-minute restore ability from a backup that is not the most recent, you can allow the automatic deletion feature to delete all older backups within the backup management group. This reduces storage system space consumption.

Note
If all backups have the same backup management group designation, deselecting this option has no effect.

For more information, see Option to retain up-to-the-minute restore ability.

To view or change this setting, click Advanced, and then select or deselect the "Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other management groups" option.

If you want to...

Then do this...

Avoid creating a break in the continuity of transaction logs (between the previous backup and the present time)

Select the "Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other management groups" option.

Result

Snapshots of LUNs that contain transaction logs related to this backup management group will not be deleted from the SnapInfo directory.

Reduce storage system space consumption by transaction logs (by allowing more transaction logs to be deleted)

Deselect the "Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other management groups" option.

By default, SnapManager backs up selected database files and all associated transaction logs, so that up-to-the-minute restores are possible from all backups.

However, if you do not need to retain up-to-the-minute restore ability from a backup that is not the most recent, you can omit the backup of transaction logs that Exchange will truncate after the backup finishes. To do this, you disable the "Back up transaction logs that will be truncated by Exchange at the end of the backup" option. This reduces the amount of disk space consumed by transaction log backups that Exchange will truncate after the backup finishes.

For more information, see Option to back up transaction logs that Exchange will truncate.

To view or change this setting, click Advanced, and then select or deselect the "Back up transaction logs that will be truncated by Exchange at the end of the backup" option.

If you want to...

Then do this...

Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability from a backup that is not the most recent

Select the "Back up transaction logs that will be truncated by Exchange at the end of the backup" option selected.

This option is automatically selected each time you launch SnapManager.

Reduce the amount of disk space consumed by transaction log backups that Exchange will truncate after the backup finishes

Deselect the "Back up transaction logs that will be truncated by Exchange at the end of the backup" option.

The option remains disabled only until you exit SnapManager.

Note
Deselecting this option causes SnapManager Backup to also remove the option to defer database verification.

If...

Then...

You want to verify the backup immediately after the backup is complete

Select the Verify Backed Up Databases and Transaction Logs check box.

You want to verify your backup later

Do not select the Verify Backed Up Databases and Transaction Logs check box.

See Deferred database verification.

Note
Although it is possible to restore from an unverified backup, You are strongly advised to restore only from verified backups.

If you want to run a command after the backup is complete, select the Run Command After Operation check box.

This is usually done to archive backups. For details, see Using Run Command After Operation to archive automatically.

If your volume is a SnapMirror source volume and you do not want the destination volume to be updated after this backup is complete, clear the Update SnapMirror After Operation check box.

If...

Then...

You want to run your backup immediately

Click Backup Now, and then proceed to Step 14.

Result

The Backup Status window appears, showing the Task list.

You want to defer your backup until later

ClickSchedule to use the Windows Task Manager to schedule your backup, and then proceed to the next step.

In the Schedule Jobs window, name your backup job, provide the user ID and password for the job, then click OK.

Note
If this name already exists as a Windows scheduled task and you want to replace it with a new job, select the Replace if it Exists check box, then click OK.

Result

The Schedule Job window is displayed.

In the Schedule Job window, use the Schedule tab to specify the parameters of your job schedule:

• When the job is to run
• If you want the job to repeat, at what frequency

After you schedule your job, click OK.

Result

The backup job runs at the times you specified in the Schedule Task view. The backup process is complete.

Note
You can use the Control Panel to modify the schedule or cancel the scheduled job.

In the Backup Status window, click Start Now to back up the selected storage groups.

Result

The backup is performed and the Snapshot copy is written to the volume. SnapManager Backup completes each task and checks it off on the list shown in the Backup Task List view.

You can switch back and forth between the task check-off list and the progress report using the Switch buttons on either window.

If the backup is successful, the Task view shows the check-off list with the tasks completed.

Note
If Notification is enabled, e-mail is sent and the event is posted to the Windows Application event log.