Chapter 31. Backing Up the Exchange Server 2003 Environment

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Using Backup to Solve Department Challenges

• Maintaining Documentation on the Exchange Environment

• Developing a Backup Strategy

• Backing Up the Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003

• Using the Windows Backup Utility (Ntbackup.exe)

• Backing Up Specific Windows Services

• Managing Media in a Structured Backup Strategy

• Best Practices

Network and messaging system administrators know they're supposed to back up their networks on a regular basis, and almost every organization goes through the process of inserting tapes into a tape backup system to back up its network. Unfortunately far too many organizations merely put tapes into their tape drives and put little thought into both the process and purpose of backing up a system and the validation of assumptions that a backup really did successfully occur when expected.

Typically the only time administrators worry about a backup is when a catastrophic problem has occurred and a restoral is necessary. At that point, it is far too common for a tape restoral to not be successful due to improper backup procedures and tape media that has not been validated.

This chapter focuses on the creation of a successful backup and backup validation plan and process that will drastically improve an organization's ability to successfully restore from a catastrophe.