Frequently asked questions

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Review the answers to the following frequently asked questions about Data Protection for Microsoft™ Exchange Server.

How do I compress my Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups?
Use the compression option to instruct the IBM Storage Protect™ API to compress data before the data is sent to the IBM Storage Protect server. Compression reduces traffic and storage requirements.

For VSS backups, specify the compression option in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Local DSMAGENT Node. If the environment is configured for VSS offloaded backups, you must also specify the compression option in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Remote DSMAGENT Node. Review the compression information in the client documentation before you compress your data.

How do I encrypt my Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups?
Use the enableclientencryptkey and encryptiontype options to encrypt Microsoft Exchange databases during backup and restore processing.

For VSS backups, specify the encryption options in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Local DSMAGENT Node. If the environment is configured for VSS offloaded backups, you must also specify the encryption options in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Remote DSMAGENT Node. Review the encryption information in the client documentation before you encrypt your databases.

How do I deduplicate my Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups?
Use the deduplication option to enable client-side data deduplication. Client-side data deduplication is used by the IBM Storage Protect API to remove redundant data during backup processing before the data is transferred to the IBM Storage Protect server.

For VSS backups, specify the deduplication option in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Local DSMAGENT Node. If the environment is configured for VSS offloaded backups, you must also specify the deduplication option in the backup-archive client options file that is used as the Remote DSMAGENT Node. Review the deduplication information in the client documentation before you encrypt your databases.

How do I verify that I have Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects correctly installed to complete Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox restore operations on my Exchange Server?
When you use the configuration wizard in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to configure Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server, the wizard completes a requirements check. This check verifies whether the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects is correctly installed.

You can also issue the tdpmapi.exe testmapi command to verify whether the MAPI is installed correctly.

How does a Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox restore operation really do mailbox-level and mailbox item-level restores?
When a mailbox restore operation is initiated, Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server completes the following actions:
  1. Starts a session with the IBM Storage Protect server.
  2. Queries the IBM Storage Protect server for a list of available backups.
  3. Selects an appropriate backup that is based on user input.
  4. When necessary, create an Exchange recovery database.
  5. Restores the selected backup into the Exchange recovery database.
  6. Copies individual mailboxes or individual mailbox items from the Exchange recovery database into the specified destination.
  7. Removes the Exchange recovery database and the associated files.
Can I back up and restore a Database Availability Group (DAG) copy?
Exchange Server DAG replica copies can be backed up and restored by using the VSS method.
What is a VSS restore into operation?

A VSS restore into operation can be completed on VSS backups. A VSS restore into operation allows a VSS backup of data to be restored into the recovery database, an alternate database, or a relocated database.

Are VSS restores restored into the recovery database?
Yes, VSS restores can be restored into the recovery database or into an alternate database.
Why does the VSS instant restore fail over to a VSS fast restore?
A failover can occur if the Exchange data is on storage systems that are not supported for VSS instant restore.
How does VSS instant restore work?
VSS instant restore is a volume-level hardware-assisted copy where target volumes (that contain the snapshot) are copied back to the original source volumes. A SAN Volume Controller, Storwize® family, XIV®, or IBM® System Storage® DS8000® series storage system is required to complete VSS instant restores.
Now that I am completing VSS operations, why are there so many active backups?
IBM Storage Protect policy manages VSS backups on local shadow volumes and on IBM Storage Protect server storage. This management allows for different policies, which can lead to an increase in the number of active backups.
Can I use UNC drive letters with VSS offloaded backups?
No, Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server VSS offloaded backups do not process correctly if the Exchange database or log location are specified with UNC-based drive letters. For example, the following path uses UNC drive letters and is not supported in a VSS offloaded backup: 
\\host_srv1\c$\Program Files\Exchsrvr\First Database
The following path is specified correctly: 
C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\First Database
Drive-based names are supported when you use a volume mount point. For example: 
X:\Exch_Mount_Point\Program Files\Exchsrvr\First Database
However, UNC-based naming (as shown in the following example) is not supported when you use a volume mount point: 
\\host_srv1\x$\Exch_Mount_Point\Program Files\Exchsrvr\First Database
Why do I receive a TCP/IP timeout failure when I have Windows™ internal VSS tracing turned on?
Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server VSS operations might timeout with a TCP/IP failure when Windows internal VSS tracing is turned on because of the additional time that is required to write entries to the trace file. You can avoid this issue by increasing the values for the IBM Storage Protect server commtimeout and idletimeout options or by decreasing the amount of Windows internal VSS tracing.
How do I complete a mailbox-level and an item-level backup and restore for Exchange?

With the Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox restore feature, you can complete individual mailbox recovery and item-level recovery operations in Microsoft Exchange Server environments on Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups.

Can I restore a Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server database backup to flat files without using an Exchange Server? Can I restore a Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server database backup to a flat file without interrupting the Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server Server?

Yes, use the restorefiles command. For more information, see Restorefiles command.

How do I schedule Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups?

You can schedule Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server backups by using the IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client scheduler or the MMC scheduler.

How do I know whether my backup ran successfully?
A message displays that states the backup completed successfully. In addition, theTDPExchange service for backup starts and finishes displays messages in the Event Viewer. The Task Manager in the MMC provides centralized information about the status of your tasks. Processing information is also available in the following files:
  • Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server log file (default: tdpexc.log)

    This file indicates the date and time of a backup, data backed up, and any error messages or completion codes.

  • IBM Storage Protect server activity log

    Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server logs information about backup and restore commands to the IBM Storage Protect server activity log. If you do not have an administrator user ID and password for IBM Storage Protect, your IBM Storage Protect administrator can view this log for you.

  • IBM Storage Protect API error log file (default: dsierror.log)
To prevent unsuccessful backups, refer to the following facts:
  • An incremental backup of an Exchange Server database can fail if a previous full backup attempt of the same database that ended prematurely. If you receive Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server errors ACN3025E or ACN4226E, complete a full backup of the database.
  • A backup can fail if necessary transaction logs are deleted or truncated. An error message is displayed stating that log files or patch files are missing. Perform the following steps to recover from this type of backup failure:
    1. Verify that only one product is completing backups on your system.
    2. Perform a full backup.
    3. If an error is still encountered, shut down and restart the Exchange Server, then complete a full backup.
    4. If an error persists, restart the system and complete a full backup.
How do the Exchange Server transaction logs get truncated?
The log truncation can seem delayed because Exchange must make sure all log updates are sent and committed in all copies (active and passive) before it truncates the logs. A backup product, for example, IBM Storage Protect, completes a full backup and reports the backup is successful to Exchange. The Exchange server processes the actual log file truncation. You see evidence of this notification to truncate logs in the Windows Event log.
What do I do when the following IBM Storage Protect server error message is displayed: ANR9999D snmode.c(xxxx): Error validating inserts, and so on

You do not need to do anything because this message can be ignored. Installing a later version of IBM Storage Protect server prevents this message from being displayed.

Do I use the same nodename as used by my backup-archive client?

No, you must use different node names.

What happens if I bypass integrity checking of database backups?
In a Database Availability Group (DAG) environment, you can bypass integrity checking only when the database that you are backing up has at least two healthy copies of a database (one active and one passive copy).

However, if you directly bypass integrity checking by setting the /SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK=YES parameter, the backup that is stored on IBM Storage Protect server might not be valid, or data loss can occur. To ensure that at least one active and one passive database copy are available before you skip integrity checking, set the /SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK=SkipDbCheckIfHealthy or /SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK=SkipDbAndLogCheckIfHealthy parameters.

If you bypass integrity checking and the database is not recoverable because of errors, you must contact the software vendor to resolve the issue.