Summary
This article describes how to recover Exchange 2003 Mailbox Stores, Mailboxes, and Mailbox items using DPX SnapVault and Instant Availability.
Resolution
This article applies to the following products:
- Catalogic Software DPX
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
REQUIREMENTS
- Exchange Server 2003
- MS iSCSI Initiator 1.05 or higher installed on RSG server
- iSCSI license installed and enabled on NetApp's Filer or NearStore
- SnapVault Backup of volume containing Exchange data
The procedure included below assumes that you have previously performed a successful OSSV backup of a volume containing the Exchange database and that a snapshot of this data is available to perform an Instant Availability map. In addition, this procedure is based on an environment where the Exchange data in contained in one directory and that the RSG will occur on the same server.
In the procedure below, we will use Mailbox Store (VM-EXCH-TEST) which belongs to the First Storage Group. The First Storage Group's original log file prefix is e00 (this information can be found in the Storage Group Properties page) and needs to match the log file on the Exchange server. The Storage Group is installed in E:\Program Files\exchsrvr\mdbdata\
PROCEDURE
1. Perform an Instant Availability map of the appropriate snapshot that contains the Exchange database to an available drive on the Exchange server. For our example, we mapped the G: drive. Additional information on mapping a drive using Instant Availability can be found in the DPX User's Guide.
2. Using Exchange System Manager, right click on the server (VM-EXCH-TEST), select NEW and then select Recovery Storage Group to create a Recovery Storage Group (RSG) on the same drive as the IA map. In our example, this is the G: drive. Note the transaction log location and system path location created as part of this process. In our example, this will be G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\recovery storage group\ for both the transaction log and system path location. Note this directory for use later in the procedure. Be sure to change drive letter in the transaction log location and the system path location fields to the Instant Availability mapped drive.
3. Using Exchange System Manager, add the database by right clicking on Recovery Storage Group, and then Add Database to Recover. When the Select Database to Recover window appears, select Mailbox Store (VM-EXCH-TEST), then click OK. The next window that appears will be the Mailbox Store Properties window. Be sure to select the database tab, then change the Exchange database and the Exchange Streaming database fields to the appropriate *.edb and *.stm files that will be in the RSG directory. (In our case, the files are G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\recovery storage group\priv1.edb and G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\recovery storage group\priv1.stm). Also confirm that the "This database can be overwritten by a restore" is checked.
4. Leave the database unmounted. This is indicated by a red down arrow on the database.
5. Open a command prompt and run chkdsk on the Instant Availability mapped drive (G: Drive). Be sure the drive comes back good. If not, you must repair the disk before proceeding.
6. Change directory to the location of the Exchange database on the mapped drive. In our example, this is G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\mdbdata\ within this directory, there should be a priv1.edb file which corresponds to our Mailbox Store.
Perform a soft recovery of the Exchange data on the mapped drive. Be sure that you are in the Instant Availability mapped drive before running this command. Type at the prompt
..\bin\eseutil /r e00 /i
In the event the operation does not come back as successful, either the database, log or both may be corrupted. In which case, unmap the current Instant Availability drive (G: drive) map another backup instance and retry from step 1.
7. The next step will repair the database and bring it to a clean state. As a reminder, please confirm that you are in the Instant Availability mapped drive before running this command. You will get a warning (below), click OK to proceed. Type at the command prompt
..\bin\eseutil /p priv1.edb /i /s priv1.stm
8. After successful completion of running the eseutil utility, copy the contents of G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\mdbdata folder to G:\Program Files\exchsrvr\recovery storage group folder
Note: you also can Link the location of the Recovery Storage Group to the location of the IA mapped database using Linkd.exe.
- Linkd.exe executable can be downloaded from the internet and it is also part of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.
- In the following command, the Recovery Storage Group is located on the D: drive and linked to an IA mapped location on the Q: drive of the database.
C:\TEMP>linkd "D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Recovery Storage Group" "Q:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Test-1GB"
Link created at: D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Recovery Storage Group - You can also validate successful link operations by listing files under directory that contain needed files such as:
D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Recovery Storage Group>dir *.edb
08/06/2007 04:40 PM 136,575,918,080 Test-1GB.edb
9. Using the Exchange Systems Manager, mount the RSG database. To do this, right click on the Mailbox Store and select Mount Store. You will receive a warning window (below). Select Yes to proceed. Press F5 to refresh the Exchange System Manager.
10. You should now be able to see the mailboxes in Recovery Storage Group's Mailbox Store (VM-EXCH-TEST). At this point, your Exchange database is available.
Mailbox Items Recovery
Use the exmerge utility from Microsoft to recover items as necessary. This utility may need to be downloaded from Microsoft's website.
See the following Microsoft KB article for more information on Recovery Storage Groups:
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824126
Mailbox Items Recovery with Exchange 2003 with (sp1)
See the following Microsoft KB article for more information on Exchange Server 2003 SP1 Recover Mailbox Data Feature:
www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/RMD.mspx