Symantec NetBackup Blueprints

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints

Blueprint for Microsoft Exchange

Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Services

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints

Notice

This NetBackup Blueprint presentation includes example diagrams that contain objects that represent applications and platforms from other companies such as Microsoft and VMware. These diagrams may or may not match or resemble actual implementations found in end user environments. Any likeness or similarity to actual end user environments is completely by coincidence.

The goal of the diagrams included in this blueprint presentation is not to recommend specific ways in which to implement applications and platforms from other companies such as Microsoft and VMware; the purpose of these diagrams is to illustrate NetBackup best practices only.

For guidelines and best practices on installing and configuring applications and platforms from other companies, please refer to best practice documentation and other resources provided by those companies.

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints

Preface/disclaimer

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints

How to use ?

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These Blueprints are designed to show customer challenges and how NetBackup solves those.

• Each Blueprint consists of:

– Pain Points: Explain the current challenges a customer faces.

– Whiteboards & Example Diagrams: Describe the implementation of NetBackup solution.

– Best Practices: Present NetBackup best practices to avoid common pitfalls

• Use these Blueprints to present the NetBackup best practice implementation example

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Pain Points

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints 4

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ⁵

NetBackup Blueprints: Microsoft Exchange

Today’s challenges

• Availability – Minimize the recovery window in case of downtime.

• Scalability – Scale up capacity and performance as an organization grows, without affecting availability.

• Manageability – Effective management of application and associated storage to achieve availability and scalability requirements.

– Exchange is getting more complex to manage/protect – Multiple servers with different roles

– Different clustering technologies

• Native backup tools are insufficient

– Windows backup tools are inadequate for handling the complexity of Exchange database.

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NetBackup Advantages

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NetBackup Blueprints: Advantages

What is NetBackup for Exchange?

• Extends the capabilities of NetBackup to include snapshot backups and restores of Exchange databases

• Protects Exchange data at the database and mailbox level

• Facilitates granular recovery of mailboxes.

• Includes features such as:

– Snapshot backups

– Full, incremental, differential, and copy-only backups – Redirected restores

– Granular Restore Technology (GRT)

– Integrated Snapshot Client support for local and off-host backups

– Support for VMware backups along with Accelerator that protect Exchange

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ⁸

NetBackup Blueprints: Advantages

Solution designed for Microsoft Exchange Server

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NetBackup Blueprints : Microsoft Exchange

Supported Exchange versions, backup and restore types

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ⁹

*NetBackup does not support granular recovery of Exchange 2013 objects. Support this is planned for a future release of the product.

Exchange Version

Backup type Restore Type

2007

• Snapshot

• Streaming

• Individual mailboxes and public folders (MAPI)

• LCR and CCR

• Full database restore

• Full database restore to a

Recovery Storage Group (RSG)

• Individual mailbox item restore from MAPI/GRT protected

backups

2010 and 2013

• Snapshot (Using VSS only)

• For a Database Availability Group (DAG), NetBackup supports backups of the

active and the passive VSS writer of a (DAG).

• Full database restore

• Full database restore to a recovery database

• Individual mailbox item restore

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Whiteboards and Diagrams

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹¹

NetBackup Blueprints: Microsoft Exchange

Exchange Server Components

• Storage Group (Exchange 2007, not Exchange 2010) – Made up of system files, databases, and transaction logs – One set of system files and logs common to all databases

• Database

– Contains storage Group (Exchange 2007) – Contains mailboxes and public folders

• Mailbox Database (Exchange 2013)

• Transaction logs

– Named Exxyyyyyyy.log

• xx is SG number (database number for Exchange 2010). Numbered in hex.

• Exchange truncates logs (deletes committed log files) after full or differential backup

• Exx.chk is Exchange checkpoint, marks last committed log

• Exx.log is log generation file (the current working log file.

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹²

White Boards: Microsoft Exchange

Pre-Requisites for Exchange Backup

Backup Network (10 Gigabit)

NetBackup Client

Production Network (10 Gigabit)

Exchange Server

1 2

4

3 5 6

1. Add a valid license key for Exchange on the master server 2. Exchange server software must be installed and operational.

3. Install the NetBackup client on the Exchange server, if the Exchange server is not locally installed on a NetBackup server.

4. For Exchange 2007, if you want to perform MAPI operations or GRT, then install the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) package On the Exchange Server.

5. NFS must be installed on Media Server and All Exchange Servers (Mailbox and CAS servers) which are to be backed up with GRT enabled . The server for NFS can then be disabled. UNIX should have port mapping daemon on by default.

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NBU Master Server

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White Boards: Microsoft Exchange

NetBackup Snapshot Client Features

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹³

• Snapshot Backup

– A snapshot is a disk image of the client's data.

– NetBackup backs up the data from the snapshot volume, not directly from the client’s original volume.

– Client operations and user access are allowed to continue without interruption during the backup.

• Off-Host Backup

– NetBackup supports off-host backups of Exchange using an alternate client.

– Off-host backups require a separate Snapshot Client license key.

– Off-host backups use a second, or alternate, client to perform the backup on behalf of the primary client. Compared to local Snapshot Client backups, this approach reduces the backup I/O burden on the primary client.

Refer to the “Exchange Agent Comments” section from the snapshot client compatibility list.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH126901

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁴

Example Diagram: Microsoft Exchange

Exchange Backup Resource Selections

Exchange 2010 DAG

Exchange 2010 Standalone server

Exchange 2007 Storage Group

Exchange 2013 DAG

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁵

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Policy recommendations for Exchange 2010 DAG

• For more information, refer to :

http://www.sy mantec.com/do cs/HOWTO47409

Perform snapshot backups must be enabled.

Select this option to enable GRT

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁶

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Policy Options for Exchange Server 2010 DAG

The backup source for DAG can be selected from one of the 3 options. Third option is the default.

• The preferred server list is a collection of one or more servers in the DAG that you select as preferred backup sources.

• You can let NetBackup choose the best server from which to back up the replicated database copies or you can designate a preferred server list.

• Designating a preferred server list gives you more control over your backup jobs.

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁷¹⁷

Virtual Host

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Protecting the Exchange in a virtual environment

Network

NetBackup

Virtual Machines

4 3

1

2

1. Install the NetBackup 7.6 client software on the virtual machine . 2. Install the Symantec VSS Provider on the virtual machine.

3. Configure the client and the server privileges for GRT.

4. Configure a VMware policy that has the applicable attributes selected

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁸

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Configuring a VMware policy to backup Exchange (1)

Granular recovery is automatically provided for any VMware backups that protect Exchange.

You do not need to enable it in the policy.

Using Accelerator option, you can achieve faster backups.

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ¹⁹

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Configuring a VMware policy to back up Exchange (2)

By default, NetBackup backs up all the active databases.

However, it can be configured in the Registry to catalog the passive copies.

For more information, refer to http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH173707

This is the default

configuration.

We require the first option to be checked.

Select this option to enable GRT

For more

information, review HOWTO85817

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁰

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

GRT selections for Exchange

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²¹

Example Diagram : Microsoft Exchange

Database restore selections for Exchange

For more

information, on these option, jump to slide 26

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Best Practices

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• Backup all the Host Server(s) for Exchange.

• Avoid making the Exchange server a domain controller.

• Backup the Active Directory.

• For Exchange 2010/2013 use a Database Availability Group with at least one passive database copy for each database .

• Place the Exchange transaction logs on separate disk from database.

• Define your backup and restore requirements – create and review your recovery plans.

• Become familiar with the Microsoft documentation for Exchange database management, disaster plans, and recovery.

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²³

Best Practices: Microsoft Exchange

Exchange General best practices

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• Verify that you have a supported Exchange Server configuration and have a media server platform that supports GRT.

• On all Exchange granular clients, ensure that the computer has an available drive letter on which to mount the backup image.

• Enable or configure NFS for your environment as per Technote 85389

• Configure the NetBackup Client Service.

• Create an Exchange mailbox to associate with a domain account that is used for NetBackup change operations.

For more information, refer to

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO85692

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁴

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

NetBackup GRT best practices

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• (For Exchange 2007)Restore all databases in a storage group at the same time and before the transaction logs are committed and the databases are mounted.

• Do not restore mailbox or public folder items from a GRT-enabled backup and a streaming backup at the same time.

• To restore full and incremental backups, you can restore backups in one of the following ways:

– restore all the backups (of same type)in a single operation – restore the full backups and incremental backups individually

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁵

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Restoring Exchange database data [1]

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• (Exchange 2007 streaming restores) Make sure the temporary location for log files is empty before you start a restore job.

• Depending upon the data recovery scenario you have, you must take existing transaction logs into consideration.

• For example, do one of the following tasks:

– Roll-forward recovery (or replay all log files)

• Retains the existing transaction logs. Exchange replays transaction logs that are part of the restore operation, followed by any transaction logs that currently exist.

• If there is any gap in the numeric sequence of log names, no further transactions are committed beyond the gap.

– Point-in-time recovery (or replay only restored log files)

• Restores the database(s) or storage group(s) and replaces only the transaction logs that existed at the time of backup.

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁶

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Restoring Exchange database data [2]

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• All databases in a storage group must be dismounted before you begin a restore operation. You can instruct NetBackup to dismount the databases before the restore begins.

• (Exchange 2007)While selecting the images for restore, do not mix streaming and snapshot backups.

• Only Exchange 2007 allows snapshot restores to the recovery storage group (RSG).

• Exchange 2010 allows restores to the recovery database (RDB).

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁷

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Restoring Exchange snapshot backups

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• It should be noted that you cannot browse or recover granular items (GRT) from GPT disks (GUID partition table).

• For restores of a cluster (including CCR and DAG), select the virtual Exchange server name for the source client, and initiate the restore from the master or media server.

• Following are the disk/volume types are not supported for recovery inside the guest:

– Dynamic disk set – ReFS

– Independent disks

• In some cases (like backing up DAG)the Primary VM identifier in the VMware policy does not match the NetBackup client name that is configured for the VMware host. In this case, you must configure the client to perform a

redirected restore. For more information on this, review the article:

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁸

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Restoring Exchange data from a VMware backup

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• You must have NetBackup server privileges or be logged into a server with the NetBackup Administration Console or the NetBackup Remote Administration Console.

• The databases or the storage groups must exist on the target server.

• (Exchange 2007):

– The storage group databases must have the same names as those in the original storage group.

– The target server must have the same Organization and Administrative Group name as the source server.

• Snapshot backups can be restored to databases that are named differently as long as they are in same domain.

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ²⁹

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Performing a redirect restore

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• Best Practices for configuring NetBackup for Exchange over a backup network

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH49883

• NetBackup client requirements for NetBackup for Exchange

• Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for when upgrading to NetBackup 7.6 (NetBackup for Exchange)

• NetBackup 7.6 for Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator's Guide

http://www.symantec.com/business/support//index?page=con tent&pmv=print&impressions=&viewlocale=&id=DOC6478

Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ³⁰

Best Practices : Microsoft Exchange

Top Support Technotes

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Symantec NetBackup Blueprints ³¹

Thank You!

Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Services