To clarify Ben's response.  The agent license you purchase just unlocks the additional options for the backup of Exchange servers.  The agent you push to the server is the same as any agent you push to any server. 

Hello all,

much obliged for the replies.

I've deselected the original mail server in the backup job properties and will hopefully now be fine.  I'd previously changed the resource order to move the new email server before the old one in the job, but that didn't work.  I was wondering if the license binds to a hostname of a mail server or something, but that would be needlessly complicated.

Makes sense - if it's the same universal software client, only the license will control how it works.

Thanks again.

BF

Hello,

I'm still having problems backing up Exchange mail databases and logfiles, unfortunately.

I had to build a new mail server as our old one had a HW failure, new name, new AD computer account etc.  I now can't back up mail databases on the new server for a reason I don't understand.

Having built the new server, I created a new backup job in Backupexec and disabled the original backup job, but the new backup job failed to complete.

I since deleted the original backup job completely and created a new one to back up the mail server only.

Now the backup will complete, but the Exchange databases and the log files don't get backed up - the log files keep accumulating and the .edb file doesn't get backed up - the MDBDATA folder it is in is in the selections in the job and copies to tape, but the database file inside it doesn't get backed up.

All other non-exchange files on the new mail server do go to tape.

In license keys I have 1x license for Agent for Microsoft Exchange Server.

What could I be missing?

BF

as long as the maintenance period is still valid, then the agent can be upgraded.

How do I work this out please?

BigFinn, I can't say I know what Albert is suggesting, but I have an idea what might be your issue.  I suspect that your AD schema still has references to the now failed Exchange server.  Basically I suspect that there are AD entries that reflect the organization having two Exchange servers and an Exchange-aware backup utility like BE may not like having one that can't be reached.  It's sort of like having a cluster, only not.  There's a whole method for manually removing references to a failed Exchange server that you should be following.  No, I don't know exactly where to link you, but some Google searching should do the job.  I'm certain ADSIEdit will come into play but know that you must be very cautious with its use.

BE itself shouldn't care about the license side of things.  It's relatively dumb.  What I mean is that I don't think it enforces license-assignment.  Once you license the Exchange agent, I'm pretty sure it will happily back up more than one Exchange server.  I've never actually tried this, but given that I've never found any sign of a mechanism to assign licenses to specific servers, I strongly guess it to be the case.  If you install one Remote Agent license and you make two jobs, each selecting a different server, I see no mechanism in BE to remedy that oversight.  I think you've got an Exchange architecture issue, not a BE issue.

You'll have to provide more info as to your platform to get more help.  OS versions, Exchange versions.  I'm not qualified to walk you through surgically removing the old references but someone else might.

Dang and blast!  I have no idea where to start troubleshooting this.

Thanks for the post, Paul.

I went through this when removing the original server:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822931

The original mail server is still up on the network - it's got a different name now and is no longer a DC, and is doing a different job of work.  I didn't re-install the OS, just DCpromoed it down to a member server.

The temporary exchange server I used while solving my original issue is still on the network as a hot spare, but houses no email boxes - it's just there in case my current box throws a new problem.

The Servers are 2003 R2, Exchange is 2003 SP2.

I shall Google...

BF

My only symptom of the problem is:

-When I go and try to do a Restore and browse the selections to the MDBDATA folder, I get a popup saying:

"
Important Message from Backup Exec

Reminder: In order to fully back up or restore a remote computer, the apprpriate Backup Exec Remote Agent must be installed and running.

Please refer to the documentation or online help for more information.
"

I've run the Symantec autoupdate on the BU server and pulled down the latest updates, and I've reinstalled the agent on the Exchange server via push from the BUexec server, and rebooted - still no joy.

UI've got the wrong agent on the Exchange server, or the BUexec server has an AD problem and is confused?

BF

I've been on the current email server and deletd the BU agent - I've also been on the original mail server, now running as member file server, and deleted the agent on that one as well.

When I go to push out an agent to tye new mail server, all I get as an option is a 'normal' agent, with Advanced Open File Agent and four options - there is no mention of pushing out an Exchange agent.

The BUexec server that houses the tape drive has the Exchange agent installed locally - could this be the problem?  Installed accidentally on the wrong server?  There is no option to remove it, is it structural?

Would it be worth a try to uninstall BUExec altogether, reinstall it, reimport licenses, recreate jobs and push out Exchange agents (and others) from scratch?

Sorry about all the questions.

BF

You are thinking too much about the exchange agent.

There is only one remote agent that is pushed out to all servers you backup.  There are the DLO options or the AOFO options.  Once the exchange license is entered into Media Server, that is it.  The Exchange optionis are now available in the backup job options.

In 12.5, I can go to help, about BE, license information.  This will show the current status of the license files you have installed. 

Once the agent for exchange is installed, I believe you can technically backup as many exchange servers as you want.  If you get audited for licenses by Symantec is where they catch you to make sure you are up to date with the correct number.

Thanks for the help - much obliged.

I've uninstalled the Exchange license, stopped all BU services and restarted, then reinstalled the license as you suggested - that all went ok.

I'm now doing a push of the agent to the mail server again - I'll let you know how the backup job runs overnight.

I had a look at the installed components on the BU server while the Exchange license was off - the Exchange agent locally showed as uninstalled now, so great - it seems to come and go with the license.

Thank you!

MP

Still no change - the exchange databases won't back up.  It's behaving exactly the same.

ANy more ideas?

BF

Hello,

I've kind-of solved the issue, though I'm not sure how.

I'vee installed CPS (Continuous Protection Service) server snd CPAn agent on both the Exchange server and on the tape server - I'm managing to take CPS backups (snapshots) of the mailstores and the log files to disk, and from there they go to tape via normal BU backup.

I re-installed BUexec altogether, and then CPS on top of it.

Despite rolling out CPS, I still can't back up the mail databases in Backupexec. I can select them in a backup job propertiesm, but they don't come over.

Also, I'm still worried about the fact that the Exchange log files keep accumulating - they are not being merged into the database, despite the CPS job settings being set to full.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

BF

Despite rolling out CPS, I still can't back up the mail databases in Backupexec. I can select them in a backup job propertiesm, but they don't come over.

Do you mean the flat files, or are you selecting the Storage Groups under the Exchange Server on the selection list screen?

The flat files will be skipped due to Active File Exclusion (AFE) and no notice will appear in the job log that they have been skipped

if you have the Storage Groups selected, you should be covered.  If you do and the logs are not clearing -

is the Exchange backup a separate job?  if not try creating one.
What kind of backup is specified in the job properties?