OT: MS Exchange backups

[Glenn Steen]

On 23/11/2007, shuttlebox <shuttlebox at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Nov 23, 2007 10:04 PM, Denis Beauchemin
> <Denis.Beauchemin at usherbrooke.ca> wrote:
> > >> Manager (TSM) and Backup Exec but couldn't backup our 250GB data
> >
> > I'm not sure I understand your question...  it takes 48 hours to backup
> > to disk!
> >
> > Of course, we can't afford to stop Exchange to either backup or restore
> > data.  Everything has to be done online...
>
> Something is very wrong. We use Legato Networker on Solaris and it
> backs up many TB during the night including at least six Exchange
> servers each with larger databases than yours. Of course we spread the
> full backups so most servers only gets a diff or inc backup but still
> the full backups never takes more than a few hours.
>
I have to agree with Peter.... We do our backups (and have done for
quite some time) with EMC (used to be Legato;-) Networker... A full
backup is rather large, so we do them on Sundays... We do use an
Exchange module, we do use GigE, we backup to a DataDomain 430
(Excellent compression... Although we never get the x19 they boast,
more like x8). Including cloning to LTO3 tape (a small exchanger) it
all happens in well less than 24 hours.

The actual backup is usually less than 8 hours, and this is file
servers, exhcange, DCs, my Linux boxes (just a few small ones:-) and a
few more "function-servers"... like SMS (sigh). All well over 1 TiB
("and then there was compression":-).

I'd start by looking at what the backup clients have to contend with.
That the backup software doesn't "bounce" off of the NIC (and that the
NIC in question isn't less than GigE full duplex). That you don't have
multiplexing problems (too many clients contending for the backup
medium) etc etc...

Even though Networker looks like crap, and is semi-flakey.... once you
get the hang of it, it is a really good piece of SW.

Cheers
-- 
-- Glenn
email: glenn < dot > steen < at > gmail < dot > com
work: glenn < dot > steen < at > ap1 < dot > se