benleicester
asked on
SBS 2003 Restore to new hardware Backup Exec 10d System State, AD and Public Folders
Hello all - I 've not had the best day.
I have had a motherboard fail in a production SBS server. The worst hasn't yet come to the worst as Dell are coming out to replace the motherboard, but I like to be prepared for every eventuality and have a plan in place should I end up needing to migrate them to new kit.
This client are due a new server fairly soon and if the server still doesn't work following the new motherboard, I suspect we will end up moving onto a new box as they are not likely to pay for my time to migrate everything twice.
Good news is that I have a backup. It is on an external drive as B2D folders. I have coped them to my own SBS and catalog'd them with BackupExec 10d. I am able to do successful restores to my box of file level data and email folders from the brick level backup. I am unable to do the same with public folders, which I have ascertained from research, are not redirectable.
For info, my backups consist of Share data, Exchange (store and brick level,) All Shadow Copy Components / System State.
The public folders are a major issue, as it is a massive structure of 14gb+ - I am not concerned with permissions as nothing is really locked down.
From what I have read, it should be possible to restore the entire public folder store to new (different) hardware, provided I make the server and domain name the same. Is this correct and tried and tested?
Leading on from this, if I am installing fresh on a new server, I know I shouldn't restore the system state as the registrys won't match, but is it possible to restore just the AD so I get my user accounts back? Is it possible to restore the stores if I don't do the system state as well? Can I just attach the mailboxes in the restored stores to my newly created users? Finally, and most importantly, as I have alternatives for the mailboxes, what will happen to the public folders?
It is the public folders causing the sticking point. I thought I could restore them from the brick level backups like mail folders but it seems not, rather gutted about this as I assumed it would be possible!
I have had a motherboard fail in a production SBS server. The worst hasn't yet come to the worst as Dell are coming out to replace the motherboard, but I like to be prepared for every eventuality and have a plan in place should I end up needing to migrate them to new kit.
This client are due a new server fairly soon and if the server still doesn't work following the new motherboard, I suspect we will end up moving onto a new box as they are not likely to pay for my time to migrate everything twice.
Good news is that I have a backup. It is on an external drive as B2D folders. I have coped them to my own SBS and catalog'd them with BackupExec 10d. I am able to do successful restores to my box of file level data and email folders from the brick level backup. I am unable to do the same with public folders, which I have ascertained from research, are not redirectable.
For info, my backups consist of Share data, Exchange (store and brick level,) All Shadow Copy Components / System State.
The public folders are a major issue, as it is a massive structure of 14gb+ - I am not concerned with permissions as nothing is really locked down.
From what I have read, it should be possible to restore the entire public folder store to new (different) hardware, provided I make the server and domain name the same. Is this correct and tried and tested?
Leading on from this, if I am installing fresh on a new server, I know I shouldn't restore the system state as the registrys won't match, but is it possible to restore just the AD so I get my user accounts back? Is it possible to restore the stores if I don't do the system state as well? Can I just attach the mailboxes in the restored stores to my newly created users? Finally, and most importantly, as I have alternatives for the mailboxes, what will happen to the public folders?
It is the public folders causing the sticking point. I thought I could restore them from the brick level backups like mail folders but it seems not, rather gutted about this as I assumed it would be possible!
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ASKER
That link seems to imply that if I just restore the stores to the new box they won't mount. It goes on to suggesting using a recovery storage group to exmerge everything to PST but I don't think I can do this with 16gb of public folders.
You say you have managed this before with new servers of the same name/domain - were you able to accomplish it without restoring system state as well.
It seems to me I may have a public store I have backed up in 2 different ways that I can only restore and mount on the exact same box? Surely (please) this can't be right?
You say you have managed this before with new servers of the same name/domain - were you able to accomplish it without restoring system state as well.
It seems to me I may have a public store I have backed up in 2 different ways that I can only restore and mount on the exact same box? Surely (please) this can't be right?
ASKER
A thought - if the server and domain are the same, can I use the brick level public store backup to restore to the new empty store with Backupexec?
You can restore the Exchange without the system state, but you won't have AD users connected. All the mailboxes will be disconnected. You also have 2 GB limits with exmerge.
Try here:
http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Restoring-Exchange-Server2003-Alternate-Hardware.html
and here:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24001344/Recover-Exchange-Public-Folders-from-Old-Server.html
Try here:
http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Restoring-Exchange-Server2003-Alternate-Hardware.html
and here:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24001344/Recover-Exchange-Public-Folders-from-Old-Server.html
ASKER
Just to clarify, when you have done this, have the stores mounted OK despite new hardware?
It's not the hardware so much as the naming and AD info.
ASKER
is the domain name and server name being the same sufficient?
ASKER
Thank you for your input, I have posted an additional question for now which expands on the backupexec side, as I have some more possible complications...
ASKER
If I did restore the stores to the new server, do I then just go to ESM and attach the old mailboxes to the new users? And also for the public folders, what would happen with the existing permissions?
Last question - are the domain and computer names the only things that have to be identical?
Thanks again for your help. I am praying that the motherboard fixes the problem and I avoid all this but it's best to be prepared!