In Vembu OnlineBackup, restoring Exchange Server database is quite simple and can easily be done. The following are the steps to be followed while restoring an Exchange Server:
Step1: Schedule Name
Give a name for the backup schedule. Vembu OnlineBackup supports creating multiple backup schedules each with its own configuration. The backup schedule name uniquely identifies the backup. You can restore the data using the backup schedule name.
Step 2: Select backups for Exchange Server restore
This step allows you to choose the full backup version based on timestamp. This step has the following options:
A. Show backups after -‐ From the drop-‐down list, select the most recent full backup
version based on timestamp to restore from. Once recent full backup version is selected and if "Load" button is clicked, Vembu OnlineBackup will list the files available in the backup server.
B. Load -‐ Once you have selected the required timestamp in the field "Show backups
after", this button can be used to list the files backed up to the backup server for restore (satisfying the timestamp criterion).
C. Select Files for Exchange Server restore -‐ Vembu OnlineBackup will list the files based
on what timestamp/version you have chosen in the "Show backups after" fields. Now, you will have to select the Storage Groups [or Databases in Exchange 2010/2013] to be restored from the server.
Step 3: Confirm Restore Settings
Encryption Password -‐ This is the default backup password provided for the Other Backups in the Global Encryption settings. Please make sure to provide the correct password to restore the mails/database as the files will not be restored without providing the correct password.
Restore Location -‐ You can specify the location to which the backup data has to be restored. The restored files will be saved in this location, but with their full original path – that way you know exactly where these files were in the first place !
Vembu OnlineBackup | Admin User Guide | Exchange Server Backup 38 Important : You must always provide an empty directory for the local restore location. There must be sufficient space in the directory to store the files; also ensure that the local restore location does not exceeds the 256 character limit.
Step 4: Confirm Exchange Server Restore Settings
This step helps you restore backed up data right into the Exchange Server database. By default the option "After restoring data from my backup server, continue to restore the data into the Exchange Server" is selected. Alternatively you can also choose the option "Restore data from backup server only (I will separately run Vembu OnlineBackup through the 'locally restored files' to restore the Exchange Server later)".
This step has the following option:
• Exchange Server Name -‐ Name of the Exchange Server from which Storage
Group(s)/Databases(s) were configured for backup (and to which data has to be restored).
• Temporary location for log and patch files [Not applicable for Exchange Server VSS
backup] -‐ Enter a directory name in the Temporary location for log and patch files. This directory should be different from the one where the original log files are to be stored and should have sufficient disk space to store the files. During the restore process, Exchange will first apply the older transaction logs from the temporary directory and then apply the more recent logs from the original location.
To perform the restore, you must have sufficient space in the directory to store the files. The disk space requirement is about 10 MB more than the size of the transaction log files that are being restored. This temporary directory should be different from the restore location you provided in step 3. And this temporary directory should be a local drive and not a mapped network drive.
Important: The directory that you specify in the Temporary location for log and patch files box must not contain the original database or log files or the restore might fail.
Note: It is recommended that you create an empty temporary folder for this procedure. Because transaction logs are written per storage group, and not per database, using a temporary folder ensures that transaction log replay is isolated and will not interfere with undamaged databases that are still running in a storage group during recovery.
• Last Restore Set(Log file replay will start after this restore completes.) -‐ Select the Last
Restore Set check box only if this is the last backup set that you have to restore before you remount your databases.
• Mount Database after restore -‐ Select the Mount Database After Restore check box, if
this is the last backup set that you plan to restore, and you are sure that you are ready to mount the databases. It is recommended that you do not select this check box unless if this is the last backup set.
Select the Last Restore Set check box and the Mount Database After Restore check box if any of the following conditions apply:
§ You are restoring from a normal (full) backup without any incremental or differential backups
§ You are restoring from the final incremental backup § You are restoring from the final differential backup
• Restore Exchange server database backup data in uncompressed state [Not applicable
for Exchange Server VSS backup] -‐ Normally for Exchange Server backups, the backed up data is substantially large. By default, the backup data is restored in compressed state as this requires less disk space in the client's restored location and the restore process is faster. However, you can to restore Exchange backup data in an
uncompressed state if you wish to import it to the Exchange server manually later. To do this, select this check box and proceed with the restore. This option can also be used to access and use *.edb and *.log files with another third party tool.
• Restore and Cancel Button -‐ Once all the options are set and the files and folders to be
restored are selected, click on the Restore button to restore the files and folders. The status of the restore operation will be displayed in a pop-‐up browser window.
Troubleshooting Tips
Error: Exchange Server data restore fails with one of the following errors.
"Error returned from a callback function call (0x%X)."
"Restore ended with error 0xC8000263. Existing log file is not contiguous"
Cause 1: This would occur, if a full backup of the entire storage group is done, then the log
files are purged and thereafter, a previous backup of the Storage Group (before the last full backup is restored) is performed. This produces a gap in the log files that were purged.
Solution: If the Entire Storage Groups is scheduled for restore.
(a). Dismount all databases in that particular storage group.
(b). Move the existing data *.edb, *.stm and other related files from the db storage location to another location.
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Cause 2: It can also happen if there is more than one database in a storage group, and
only one of the databases is restored to the storage group.
Solution: If only one or two databases in a storage group are going to be restored while
the other databases remain mounted:
(A). Dismount the particular database (that has to be restored).
(B). Move the existing data *.edb, *.stm and other related files from the db storage location to another location.
(C). Configure Exchange Server restore by deselecting the "Last Restore Set" option in restore page.
(D). Once restore is completed successfully, view the contents of the restore.env file available in the location given in the "Temporary location for log and patch files" option by using the command "eseutil.exe /cm". Take a note of the log file sequence in the restore.env file.
(E). Move the log files in the database storage location of Exchange Information Storage group.
(F). Perform a manual hard recovery with the /cc and /t switches of the eseutil command. For example: eseutil /cc temporary_folder /t (where temporary_folder is the folder that is specified in the Temporary location for log and patch files dialog box, such as C:\Temp\My Backup).
(G). Mount the database.
Click here for more details about these steps.
Error: <Information Storage Groups> and <Information Stores> might have not been
dismounted yet.
Cause 1: The databases selected for restore was not dismounted before restore.
Solution: Dismount the respective databases before restore operation.
Cause 2: The restored Exchange Server data does not have *.edb/*.stm files.
Solution: While restoring the Exchange Server data in Vembu OnlineBackup, verify that
*.edb, *.stm and *.GUID files are listed under database name. If these files was not listed in please try listing these files from the other full backup
timestamp/version and proceed with restore.
Limitations
Ø Multiple incremental backup sets can only be restored as single restore set.
Ø You must always provide an empty directory for the local restore location with sufficient space in the directory to store the files and ensure that the local restore location does not exceed the 256 character limit.
Ø [Not applicable for Exchange Server VSS backup] You must always provide an empty directory for the "Temporary location for log and patch files" option. And this temporary directory must be a local drive and not a mapped network drive.
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