Install, Configure, and Manage

the Mailbox Role:

Develop Backup and Recovery Solutions
for the Mailbox Role and Public Folders


Develop backup and recovery solutions
for the Mailbox role and public folders
This objective may include but is not
limited to:
Manage lagged copies
Determine most appropriate backup
solution/strategy
Perform a dial tone restore
Perform item-level recovery
Recover the public folder hierarchy
Recover a mailbox server role
Company: LAN-Slide Tech
A first response network agency that
happens to have its headquarters right on
the San Andreas fault in California

Problem:
In the off chance they have a major disaster
come their way (considering their location)
how would they recover their data (fast!)

Goal:
Map out options available for DR beyond
high availability (they are currently using a
single site DAG)
Scenario: Not Our Fault
Activating lagged copies can go one of two ways:
Activate database and replay all log files to bring the database
current
Activate database and reply up to a point in time (requires ESEUTIL)

The process is done through the EMS
Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy
Use vssadmin (takes a VSS snapshot of volumes containing copy)
Procedure varies depending on if you want to:
Activate to a specific point in time
Activate by replaying all uncommitted log files
Activate using SafetyNet recovery

Managing Lagged Copies
Before you can worry about restoration, you need
to know what can be lost:
Items
Mailboxes
Databases
Servers

Based on RTO and RPO you can design your
backup/recovery strategies
DAG can assist with both RTO and RPO for your SLA
You can use built-in Windows Backup
You can use System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM)
You can use a third-party backup/recovery solution

Backup Solutions and Strategies
There are pros and cons to Windows Backup
Its free (and logically supports VSS backups for Exchange)
Runs locally
Backs up to local disk or a network share (but not tape)
Restores full databases (no item level recovery, must use recovery
database for mailboxes and/or items)
Cannot backup passive DAG copies

Data Protection Manager
Not free (but not killer expensive either)
Requires agents on the Exchange servers (centralized management)
Can restore databases and/or mailboxes
Can backup passive database DAG copies
Backup Software
Third-party Solutions
More expensive solution (although price varies depending on the type
you choose and the feature-set)
Some solutions can perform item level restore (right back into a users
mailboxes)
Backup Software (Third-Party)
DAG can assist with immediate availability but it is
not helpful with historical data nor can it serve as
an archive
Note: Although backups may meet archive requirements, modern
archive solutions may suit your needs better

You need a backup if you want to
recover a hard-deleted item (when single-item recovery is not
enabled) or an item that has gone past deleted item retention
recover a database that isnt part of a DAG
recover a database on a MB server that IS part of a DAG but perhaps
that database doesnt have a passive copy for some reason
You need to recover a lost server (that requires backed up
information like databases in the event you are using a DAG)

When and Why Use Backup Solutions
Obviously we always think the databases are the
most important parts to a backup (and they are
really thanks to database portability)

However you want to remember the following:
Message-tracking logs
UM custom audio prompts
Server certificates (CAS)
IIS configuration (CAS)
What to Backup
You can restore a server role faster than
restoring the whole server

If recovering a lost server you need to do the
following:
Reset the computer account for the lost server
Set up new server (or new virtualized server) (try and make it
exactly the same) and with the same computer name
Join the server to the domain
Install all the prerequisites
Run: setup /m:RecoverServer /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
Server Recovery
With items (default is 14 days) and mailboxes
(default is 30 days) you can use the deleted item
retention times to mitigate loss (and restoration
frustrations)

Recoverable Items Folder: Located in the non-IPM
subtree of each mailbox and includes the following
subfolders: Deletions, Versions, Purges,
DiscoveryHolds, Audits and Calendar Logging

Single Item Recovery: If a mailbox has single item
recovery enabled the Managed Folder Assistant will
not purge deleted items
Item Recovery Built-in
You can use a recovery database to perform:
Same or alternate dial tone recovery
Mailbox recovery
Item recovery

Recovery databases are created through the EMS
New-MailboxDatabase Recovery Name Server

Recover data using the New-MailboxRestoreRequest
cmdlet

Working with the Recovery Database
If you need to get your people up and running fast with
the ability to email and their data can wait, the dial-tone
restore is your answer

You crate an empty database and change the database
quickly for users (for example)
New-MailboxDatabase Name DTDB EDBFilePath
Get-Mailbox Database DB1 | Set-Mailbox Database DTDB
Mount-Database Identity DTDB
Create a recovery database RDB.edb and restore or copy the backed up data
to it (mount, dismount and copy the data to safe place)
Dismount your dial tone database and move files to RDB and mount it
Move recovered database and files into the dial tone folder and mount it
Use Get-Mailbox Database DTDB | New-MailboxRestoreRequest
TargetMailbox RDB
Dismount and remove the RDB database
Dial-tone Recovery
Because Public Folders are in mailboxes, when you
delete items they go in the dumpster (for 14 days by
default) so they can be restored from Recovery
Deleted Items

You can make Public Folders more highly available
through a DAG and can recover them with the
database (same as other mailboxes)

To recreate the public folder master hierarchy is a bit
of a nightmare
One Exchange admin says its a do-over move
http://careexchange.in/how-to-recreate-public-folder-master-
hierarchy-in-exchange-2013/
Recovering Public Folder Information
Were going to encourage them to use Windows
Backup (considering the cost) because they already
have a DAG in place

We would recommend a hosted archive solution as
well to ensure compliance and also complete mail
recovery

We recommend they have a documented set of
instructions for their environment so they can
perform DR under various circumstances
Scenario: LAN-Slide
Additional Research
Activate a Lagged Mailbox Copy
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd979786(v=exchg.150).aspx

Perform Single Item Recovery
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff660637(v=exchg.150).aspx

Demystifying The Exchange Dial-tone Restore Method
by Henrik Walther
http://www.msexchange.org/articles-tutorials/exchange-server-
2003/high-availability-recovery/Exchange-Dial-tone-Restore-Method-
Part1.html

Recovery Database in Exchange Server 2013
http://msexchangeteam.in/recovery-database-in-exchange-server-2013/