Restoring an Exchange policy

LiveVault allows you to restore Microsoft Exchange 2003 and later Server Storage groups and databases, in the event that an Exchange database becomes corrupted or lost. Data may be restored to the same directory on the same computer from where it was originally backed up, or to a different directory, or even to a different computer. This article describes how to restore in all three scenarios, and contains the following sections:

• Restoring an Exchange policy to the same computer
• Redirecting restored Exchange data…
  • to a different directory
  • to a different computer
• Post-restore action

In addition, a further section, entitled Additional information for CCR and DAG environments, is included to give extra information for these two particular configurations.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the Exchange policy restore procedure, you must have:

• Access to the Backup Direct Server Vaulting Management Portal.

Considerations prior to restoring an Exchange policy

Before carrying out the Exchange policy restore, consider the following:

• You can only restore a database that is in active mode.
• The restore will abort with an error, in the following conditions:
  • If a restore policy contains any database in passive mode of a Database Availability Group (DAG) configuration.
  • If a restore policy contains any node in passive mode of a Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR) configuration.
  • If the restore policy contains a combination of active and passive databases or nodes.
• Prior to executing a restore, LiveVault will suspend replication of the selected databases on all databases in a DAG. After the restore is completed, LiveVault will re-enable replication.
• If you are restoring from the passive node of a CCR environment, or a passive database in a DAG environment, you must do a redirected file restore to either a new folder or a new computer. Refer to Redirecting restored Exchange data, later in this article.
• For CCR and DAG configurations, there are post-restore steps to restore the Exchange to full functionality. These are described at the end of the article, in Additional information for CCR and DAG configurations.

Restoring an Exchange policy to the same computer

Follow this procedure to restore Exchange databases to the Exchange Server.

To restore an Exchange policy, proceed as follows.

1. In Backup Direct Server Vaulting Management Portal left hand Navigation Pane, select the Exchange Server that originally held the data that you are restoring.

The Computer Summary page opens, for the selected Exchange Server.

2. Click the Restore tab.

The Restore Summary page opens.

3. Click New Restore.

The Restore Wizard opens.

4. In the Restore Wizard, select a delivery option, either Restore data over the Internet, or Have Media Device Shipped to you:
   1. Restore data over the Internet - Only select the Internet restore delivery option if you are sure that you have sufficient bandwidth and the connection stability to restore your data.
   2. Have Media Device Shipped to you - Depending on the amount of data you have to restore, if you request a device before 10 a.m., it may ship as early as the next business day. Restores larger than 100 GB may ship on the second business day (Mon-Fri). Restores larger than 500 GB may ship the second business day. Note that there is a charge associated with this service. Please call your account manager to discuss before proceeding.

The system displays a page for you to select the version of data to restore, and the shipping method. When you click Next, the Restore Wizard Shipping Information form opens, requesting the address for shipment of the appliance. When the restore device arrives, you attach it to your network. You can then restore the backed-up files.

5. Select Exchange Server and then click Next.

The Restore Request page opens.

6. In the Name to use for this restore request box, type a name for the restore job.
7. From the Policy filter list, select Exchange.
8. From the Version list, select the backup version from which you want to restore the Exchange data. The most recent version is selected by default.

You can restore either the most current version that has been backed up, or an historic version.

Note:
The currency of the most current version depends on the backup schedule on which the computer backed up. However, in a data corruption event, the most current backed up version may be corrupted. You may need to perform several restores, current, then historic, until you restore a version from before the corruption occurred.

9. Browse and select the Exchange objects.
10. In the Restore Request page, select the Options tab.

The Exchange Restore option is selected by default, but you may wish to take the option of a File Restore instead. The difference between Exchange Restore and File Restore is as follows:

• Exchange Restore - An Exchange Restore interacts with the Exchange Server. The LiveVault software will dismount selected objects from the Exchange Server, replace them with the objects selected for restore, and re-mount them.
• File Restore - This option does not involve the Exchange Server. Selected files are restored to a selected location. Cloud Direct recommends choosing a different location than the one from which the original backup was taken.

11. To optionally perform a File Restore (or redirected restore) instead of an Exchange restore, select File Restore, and go to Redirecting restored Exchange data. To continue with an Exchange restore, proceed to Step 12.

Note:
The Backup Direct Server Vaulting Management Portal service cannot perform an Exchange Policy restore to a passive node or database.

12. Select Restore the Original Backup Security Attributes.

The Restore Request Confirmation page opens.

13. Select Disable the Exchange backup policy, to disable backup.

Important Note:
You must remember to resume backup when you are finished with the restore, in order to protect your data.

14. Click Next.
15. Click Done.

The restore job is created and begins restoring according to the schedule.

16. Go to Post-restore action.

Redirecting restored Exchange data

LiveVault lets you restore Exchange databases backed up with an Exchange backup policy to a different location than the where they were backed up from. You can also restore Exchange databases to another computer on your network.

The two options can be combined; ie. restore Exchange data to a different directory, on a different computer. However, the computer you are restoring Exchange data to must have a LiveVault agent running on it, and must have stored locally the same encryption key as the computer the data was originally backed up from.

Note:
A LiveVault agent computer can have encryption keys from multiple computers, but you must retrieve each of the keys individually.

Redirected restore considerations

In addition to the considerations detailed earlier in Prerequisites, before redirecting an Exchange policy restore, the following must be considered:

• You cannot perform a redirected restore of an Exchange policy when the restored version of Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) does not match the version on the target computer. You must install the same version of VSS that exists in the restored version.
• If you are redirecting an Exchange restore to a different location when you have mount points and log files for a database, then select, Don't preserve directories, in the restore options.

Redirecting restored files to a different directory

To restore files to a different directory, proceed as follows.

1. Follow Step 1 to Step 11 of Restoring an Exchange policy.
2. Tick the Redirect restored files to a different location check box.
3. To preserve the directory tree structure from which the files were backed up, select Preserve Directories. The directory structure must exist in the same form as it did when the files were backed up; if it is different, the backup directory structure is recreated, starting at the home directory.

Note:
If you select Don't preserve directories, then the files are restored at the directory you specify in the Path to restore to box. The directory tree is not preserved, all files are restored to the same directory, and directory and subdirectory names are restored as objects.
If you select Don't preserve directories, and don't specify a path to restore to, then the files are restored to the home directory.

4. In the Path to restore to box, enter the path of directory to which you want the files restored.
5. Click Next.

The Restore Request Confirmation page opens.

6. Click Done.

The restore job is created and begins restoring according to the schedule.

7. Go to Post-restore action.

Redirecting restored files to a different computer

Note:
Before attempting to redirect restored files to a different computer, that computer must have a local copy of the encryption key used by the computer on which the data was originally backed up. You will not be able to restore to a different computer unless it has a copy of the exact encryption key used during the original backup. To access the original encryption key, you must have the original encryption key password.

To restore files to a different computer, proceed as follows.   

1. Enter the source computer encryption key into the different computer:
   1. On the computer to which you are restoring, run the LVRegister Configuration Wizard utility from the Start > Programs > LiveVault Backup > LiveVault Configuration Wizard menu.
   2. Select the Restore Data from Another Computer option, and click Next.
   3. Select the Source Computer, and enter the Encryption Key Password for the source computer. (You must have access to the password for the source computer in order to perform this task).
   4. Click Next, to configure the computer.
2. Return to the Backup Direct Server Vaulting Management Portal.
3. From the Restore Requestpage Options tab, select Redirect restored data to a different computer.
4. Select the agent computer to which you want to restore the files.
5. Click Next.

The Restore Request Confirmation page opens.

13. Click Done.

The restore job is created and begins restoring according to the schedule.

14. Go to Post-restore action.

Post-restore action

Wait until the restore job runs, and then check that all is working as expected. For example, review the restore job log located on the Exchange Server computer you restored the files to.

Note:
After you restore the Exchange database, the Exchange Server uses its current log files to sync the files being restored. The restored database will be in the state it was in just prior to the restore, as opposed to when it was last backed up, which prevents any data loss. If you do not want the Exchange Server to synch the database with the latest log files, you can either perform a File Restore, or move the log files off the server prior to doing the Exchange restore. You can restore the log files selectively after the restore, or proceed with the operation of the Exchange Server without the previous log files.

IMPORTANT: 
Resume backup when you are finished with the restore, in order to protect your data.

Additional information for CCR and DAG configurations

The LiveVault agent can run backups on either the active or passive node, but can perform Exchange restores only to the active node. You can restore data to either node if you perform an Exchange File restore, and direct it to another location.

To perform a restore of an Exchange server in a CCR or DAG configuration, first complete the steps in the appropriate Exchange policy restore procedure earlier in this article.

Then, after the LiveVault service restores your Exchange data, you might need to complete additional steps to return the Exchange server to full functionality. The following paragraphs describe the additional steps required for CCR and DAG configurations.

Restoring Microsoft Exchange servers in a CCR configuration

 The following paragraphs describe the additional steps required for CCR configurations.

Verify databases and replication

After you perform the Exchange restore, verify that all appropriate databases are mounted, and replication is in a state that lets the LiveVault agent resume backups. Backups can take place successfully when replication is in the following states, depending on which node the LiveVault agent is installed on:

Manually Copy Exchange Files

If you perform a redirected restore to a different folder on the same computer, you might have to manually copy Exchange files to make Exchange functional again after the restore. Consult your Microsoft Exchange documentation for instructions on how to manually dismount the databases, copy Exchange files from one location to another, and remount the databases.

Seed the Exchange Database

If Exchange CCR replication is out of synch after a successful restore, resulting in a status of "Failed" or "Initializing", update the storage group copy to reseed the databases. Update the storage group copy status and delete the existing files. Consult your Microsoft Exchange documentation for instructions on how to update the storage group status and seed the Exchange database.

Remount the Public Store Database

If the public store database is down after a successful restore, and replication status is "Unknown" or "ServiceDown", remount the public store database to resume backups. For more information, refer to the Microsoft documentation.

Restoring Microsoft Exchange servers in a DAG configuration

 The following paragraphs describe the additional steps required for DAG configurations.

Verify Databases and Replication

After you perform the Exchange restore, verify that all appropriate databases are mounted, and replication is in a state that lets the LiveVault agent resume backups. Backups can take place successfully when replication is in the following states, depending on which database it is:

Manually Copy Exchange Files

If you perform a redirected restore to a different folder on the same computer, you might have to manually copy Exchange files to make Exchange functional again after the restore. Consult your Microsoft Exchange documentation for instructions on how to manually dismount the databases, copy Exchange files from one location to another, and remount the databases.

Seed the Exchange Database

If Exchange DAG replication is out of synch after a successful restore, resulting in a status of "Failed" or "Initializing", update the database copy to reseed the databases. Update the database copy status and delete the existing files. Consult your Microsoft Exchange documentation for instructions on how to update the database status and seed the Exchange database.

Remount the Public Store Database

If the public store database is down after a successful restore, and replication status is "Unknown" or "ServiceDown", remount the public store database to resume backups.