Exchange 2003 disk full-services won't start

Hi macook,

The transaction logs should be flushed when you run a backup.

What backup software are you running?
When do the databases say they were last backed up?

Good Luck,

Chris

I use Veritas Backup exec to back it up. I do a full backup of both drives,mailboxes and public folders. Backup ran successfully last Friday. How can I check to see when the databases were last backup? Do I need to configure BE a different way?

Exchange server Backup method is set to-FULL DATABASE & LOGS(FLUSH COMMITED LOGS)

You may move the transaction log files to temp location. Then mount the stores & make sure u perform NTBACKUP to ensure you have the database backup.

What if backup is not working fine - atelast take a offline backup (means simply copy all .edb & .stm files to another location). Then you may trouleshoot the issue - also try to paste the backup log or application events which says why backup failed. Everybody will able to help you quickly.

macook,

Are you backing up the mailboxes, or the information stores. If you are only backing up the mailboxes and public folders and not the information stores, you are not backing up all of Exchange. To have a proper backup of Exchange, you only need to backup the Information Stores.

macook,

Also, what version of Backup Exec?

I think I may have a fix for th is. I'm being told there's issues with BE and exchange where the logs are not flushed. Looks like I need to run NTbackup in windows. Can set this backup to run now? Will it take down the server while it runs?

I'm using BE 9.0. Just notice under selections for my exchange server there is no option specifucally for the information store. There is for the drives,mailboxes and folders, but not for information store. What gives?

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=258243

running NTbackup now on the Information store I'll report back once it's done.

By selecting the drives, mailboxes and public folders in Veritas you are not doing a full Exchange backup.
A full Exchange backup is to select the information store. Veritas can do that for you quite happily - you don't have to use NT Backup.

The information store backup should be your primary backup method. That backs up everything in the store, including the data, permissions and settings. By recovering an information store backup you would have the Exchange server close to where it was when it failed.
Mailboxes and Public folders should be treated as a secondary job of lower priority. They only backup the data, are slow, inefficient and useless in most scenarios. You will find the information store backup will go much faster.

If you don't have the information store option in Veritas Backup Exec, then speak to their licensing people and see if you can get a new key. Veritas changed their licencing structure around version 9.x (so before the Symantec purchase). I have seen a number of times where the information store option just isn't available.

Simon.

macook,

That should flush the log files, but there should be no problem with BE 9.1 flushing log files. I think the problem with BE and log files is specifically with version 11d. ( I am running the trial atm and have this exact problem. I have to run NTBackup to flush the log files).

Are you using BE 9.0 or 9.1? I think there was a bug in 9.0 which is why 9.1 was release so quickly afterwards. Your keys for 9.0 will work with 9.1.

On you Ex server, you should see items listed as follows

<Local Drives eg. C/D/E>
Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
Microsoft Exchange Public Folders
Microsoft Information Store
Microsoft Site Replication Service (If using ADC/site replication)
Shadow Copy Components

If there are any shares setup, these will be mixed in with the above and can be safely ignored.

vishal_breed - I am sorry but I cannot allow your comment about moving the transaction logs go without a comment being made.

The general consensus in the Exchange community is that the transaction logs should not be touched. If they are to be moved then the tools in ESM should be used to move them. It is not advised to move them using cut and paste, certainly not when Exchange is running.

While I appreciate that you may have done such things in the past, I would prefer that if you are going to post that sort of advice which has the potential to cause problems with Exchange and backups, that you also post exact instructions on how to move the files, along with warnings. Remember that you are dealing with the application that most companies consider to be the most critical to their business and therefore the advice given has to be spot on.

In a drive full scenario you have also forgotten the quick fix. Transaction logs compress very well and compressing those files (not the drive) can gain some valuable space very quickly before a backup is taken.

Simon.

NTBackup has finished and the logs were purged and freed up alomost 15gig! Like I said there is no option in Backup Excec for the Information store...atleast in my version there isn't. I'm trying to see if I'm missing something in there but I don't see it. Thanks so much for everyones help!

You need to speak to Veritas/Symantec then.
Backup Exec definitely can do information store backups. I have used every version since 7.0 and every version has been able to backup Exchange and flush the transaction logs.

Simon.

I'll have to second Simon's comments.

I am using BE 9.1 atm and checked the listing on there before posting. I know that upgrades within a major version have historically been free from Veritas. Who knows with Symantec whether that will be the case.

Have you tried re-entering your Exchange Agent key?

Have you patched BE with any updates/upgrades available? Also, does the version of the Remote Agent match the version of the BE server? This can also cause problems.

Yea I think I will try reloading the exchange agent to see if that fixes the issue. I'll post back when it's done.