Getting started

With IBM Storage Protect™ for Mail: Data Protection for Microsoft™ Exchange Server, you can back up and restore Microsoft Exchange Server databases to IBM Storage Protect storage or local shadow volumes. A local shadow volume contains data that is stored on shadow volumes, which are local to a disk storage system.

Data Protection for Exchange Server provides a connection between an Exchange Server and an IBM Storage Protect, which allows Exchange Server data to be protected and managed by IBM Storage Protect. Data Protection for Exchange Server protects Exchange Server data and improves the availability of Exchange Server databases.

Data Protection for Exchange Server backs up and restores Microsoft Exchange Server databases to IBM Storage Protect storage or local shadow volumes. You can use a command-line interface or graphical user interface (GUI) to back up and restore Exchange Server databases.

Microsoft no longer supports the Microsoft Legacy application programming interface (API) for streaming backup and restore operations. Microsoft supports the use of Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) technology for backup and restore operations.

Data Protection for Exchange Server uses the IBM Storage Protect API to communicate with the IBM Storage Protect, and the Exchange API to communicate with Exchange Server.

In addition to these APIs, Data Protection for Exchange Server VSS operations require the IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client (VSS Requestor) and Microsoft VSS to produce an online snapshot (point-in-time consistent copy) of Exchange Server data.

You must install Data Protection for Exchange Server on the same system as the Exchange Server. Data Protection for Exchange Server also supports backup and restore operations in a Database Availability Group (DAG) environment.