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How to Back Up the System State and the Exchange Program Files

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

This topic explains how to make a backup of the System State and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 program files by using Windows Server 2003 Backup. This will allow you to make a backup of your server that can be restored to the same hardware if needed.

Note

Windows Server Backup in Windows Server 2008 no longer supports Exchange-aware backups or restores. Unlike earlier versions of Windows Backup, you cannot make or restore streaming backups of Exchange by using Windows Server Backup. Therefore, to back up and restore Exchange Server 2007 SP1 or Exchange 2007 RTM on Windows Server 2008, you must use an Exchange-aware application that supports the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writer for Exchange 2007, such as Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager, a third-party Exchange-aware VSS-based application, or a third-party Exchange-aware application that uses the streaming backup APIs locally on the Exchange server to make a backup locally on the Exchange server. An application that uses a backup agent that runs locally on the Exchange server and streams the backup remotely to a backup application is considered a local backup.
However, Exchange 2007 SP2 includes a new plug-in that enables you to make Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)-based backups of Exchange data using Windows Server Backup in Windows Server 2008. You can use Windows Server Backup to back up and restore your Exchange 2007 SP2 databases. A thorough understanding of what needs to be backed up, where to store backups, and how to restore backups is key to being an effective Exchange administrator. For more information about what needs to be backed up in Exchange 2007, see Using Windows Server Backup to Back Up and Restore Exchange Data.

Before You Begin

To perform the following procedures on a computer that has Exchange 2007 installed, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Membership in the Backup Operators group, in the domain in which your Exchange 2007 server is installed.

  • Membership in the local Administrator group on the computer from which you are running Backup.

  • Exchange View-Only Administrator role in the domain in which your Exchange 2007 server is installed.

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange Server 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Procedure

To perform a backup of the System State and Exchange program files

  1. Start Backup in Advanced Mode.

  2. Click the Backup tab, and then on the Job menu, click New.

  3. Under Click to select the check box for any drive, folder or file that you want to back up, select the System State check box. Select the folder that contains the Exchange 2007 binary files. Exclude from the folder containing the Exchange 2007 binary files the following folders under the Exchange Server folder:

    • \TransportRoles\data   This folder contains the active message queue and cannot be backed up unless you shut down the Microsoft Exchange Transport service.

    • \Mailbox\<Storage_Group_Name>   These folders contain your Exchange databases and will not be able to be backed up unless you shut down the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. Also, your Exchange databases should be backed up with an Exchange-aware backup application that can back up the database while it is mounted. For information about how to back up the Exchange database, see How to Perform a Basic Backup of Exchange Databases.

    Note

    By default, Exchange 2007 program files can be found in the following path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server.

  4. In the Backup destination field, click a destination device for your backup, such as File if you want to back up to a disk, or the name of an attached tape drive.

  5. In the Backup media or file name box, enter the backup media or file name to use for your backup. You can enter the full path and file name, or use the Browse button to select a file.

  6. Click Start Backup, and then in the Backup Job Information dialog box, verify that the settings that you require for the backup are correct.

    Warning

    If the backup file name you use for this backup already exists in the backup media or file location, confirm that the settings in Backup Job Information are correct to avoid overwriting a backup file that you might want to keep. You have the option to overwrite or append to the backup file if it exists. Select the option that best fits your needs.

For More Information

For more information about what data needs to be protected for each server role, see What Needs to Be Protected in an Exchange Environment.

For more information about using Backup, see Backing up and restoring data in Windows Server 2003 online Help.