A Descriptive Guide Over Data Protection Manager for Exchange 2013
In the recent date, cloud computing technology is a boom for worldwide users. Whether it is about healthcare domain or IT domain, this technology is playing a vital role in the life of every individual. A dire requirement for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery is always there to ensure that the Exchange resources are in use during the planned and unplanned outage incidents. The respective measure helps the bad times when things go in a wrong manner through restoration for the normal working mode. Data Protection Manager for Exchange 2013 is discussed in this write-up for recovery.
Overview of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
An effective recovery strategy holds the information in a secure manner and keeps its replica. It continuously ensures that all the industry products, operations, and services are 24*7 available. One of the best Business Backup and Recovery Systems, which contribute in BCDR strategy is DPM or Data Protection Manager. This solution provides both backup as well as recovery operations for the enterprise information.
About Native Data Protection in Exchange Server
Native data protection is present in the MS Exchange Server 2016 / 2013 but, there are a few situations where the traditional backup measure is required. The cause behind the same might be that it has been deployed particularly to secure different Microsoft workloads as well as the Exchange Server. It is true that Native Data protection access in a perfect manner when it is about recovering of accidentally deleted items, processing of disaster recovery, long-term data storage, and Point-in-time database snapshots. However, when we discuss the application errors, corruptions, malware problems, and security troubles, this Native Data Protection option doesn’t suit here. At this time, system center Data protection Manager roles as a lifesaver in such situations.
Data Protection Manager for Exchange 2016 / 2013
Several technologies are used in Exchange DPM for rendering continuous data security in the Exchange server 2016, 2013, 2010 version. Following things are present in this DPM :
- Continuous data replication
- DAG Active and passive database
- DAG Active and passive database
- A standalone backup solution for mailboxes
In the below-mentioned conditions, data protection manager for Exchange 2013 / 2016 deals with backup and recovery:
- Exchange mailbox databases backup in DAG
- Mailbox data protection with configuration settings
- Performs the configuration for volumes protection
- Take the backup of Exchange Server Roles
What Makes Exchange Data Protection Manager the Best?
The listed points will help you in knowing that why Exchange 2016 / 2013 DPM is best from all :
- There is no dependency on DAGs for backup with DPM protection.
- The solution gives assurance of taking regular backup of entire workloads.
- A simple, as well as centralized recovery, is practiced in Exchange DPM.
- Long-term data backup feature is available in Microsoft (DPM) Data protection manager.
List of Prerequisites to Deploy Exchange Data Protection Manager
- Thoroughly read the release notes and check what is used for checking the Exchange problems
- Verify that the version of Ese.dll and Eseutil.exe are identical on the Exchange server and DPM servers
- Check that you are owning a current version of Visual C++ Redistributable
- Install the DPM protection agent on the Exchange 2016 / 2013 DAG node for its protection
- Ensure that everyday at least one complete backup configuration takes place
- Do not truncate the log files and check the backup database
- Set the minimum frequency for the mailbox synchronization for more than 15 minutes
- Add Exchange databases to each protection group to house a parallel backup
Apart from the above technicalities, the following things need to be considered :
Storage Setup – Make the storage settings in a way that the backed up file is saved on disk, tape, and on the Azure cloud.
DPM Deployment – Before beginning with the process, check that system center Data protection manager is properly installed and deployed
DPM Protection Agent Setup – It is essential to ensure that agents are accurately installed on the server.
How to Use Data Protection Manager in Exchange 2016 / 2013?
Exchange Server Recovery, Exchange database recovery, and Single mailbox recovery – these three things are included in recovering of Exchange mailboxes using DPM.
# 1: Exchange Server Recovery
1. Go to DPM Administrator Console and click on Recovery view
2. Now choose the server where recovery needs to be taken place and hit on Recovery Time >> Recover >> Recovery Points
3. Select Data and recovery point from the displayed list and right-click on BMR → Recover
4. Move the cursor towards Recovery Wizard and check Recovery Selection. Click Next to proceed with recovery using Microsoft data protection manager for exchange
5. In Selective Recovery Type window, either go for Copy to a network folder or Copy to tape as per your storage setup
6. Define the path where recovered files need to be saved and then, go to Specify Recovery Options window
7. As per your decision, perform the actions on current screen and then, go to the Monitoring Tab. Here, you can see the current status of the recovery process
8. When recovery procedure gets successfully completed, a message will be displayed. Now open the folder where you have saved recently recovered files and then, rename it
9. If you desire to execute Bare Metal Recovery then, insert Operating system ISO and click Repair. Choose the System Image Recovery option under the Advanced tab
10. Click on Select a system image in Select a system image backup screen and again go to Advanced option. Choose recovery files from a network sharing
11. Select Search for a….. and click on Yes. Define the network folder, select backup, and mention image time period, which needs to be regained back by system center Data protection manager in Exchange 2016 / 2013.
12. Finally, you are done with Exchange server recovery. Click on Finish for restoration
# 2: Exchange Database Recovery
Guidelines to retrieve Exchange mailboxes via DPM are given below :
1. Open the Recovery view in DPM Administrator Console window and choose the mailbox to be regained back
2. Select the date and hit on Latest for achieving the recent backup
3. Click on the Recover and analyze the entire recovery selection. Once done with this, click on Next to proceed with data retrieving steps through data protection manager in Exchange 2013 / 2016
4. Mention the recovery type to be executed and click Next
5. This pops up a ‘Specify Recovery Options’ where you have to choose Network bandwidth and Mount the database option. If want then, check the checkbox of SAN-based recovery
6. Click on Send email….. in Notification window and mention the recipient’s email id.
7. Open Exchange Admin Center and click on Servers >> Databases
8. Choose the ‘Exchange mailbox database’, which needs to be overwritten and then, click on Edit >> Maintenance >> This database can…..
9. You are done with enabling of overwriting operation on the recent window. Click on Save >> Recover and then Finish
# 3: Single Mailbox Recovery
Following steps need to be taken for retrieving an individual mailbox in the Exchange server :
1. Use New-MailboxDatabase command to create recovery mailbox in the server. If you are already having such mailbox then, skip this step
2. Configure the recovery database by running Set-MailboxDatabase command
3. Select the database to be recovered from system center Data protection manager administrator console (You can take reference from ‘Exchange Database Recovery’ process description)
4. Click on Recovery Time and hit on Recover button. Select the Recovery points option and then, click on to the data & choose a recovery point
5. Examine the recovery selection details and hit on the Next
6. Mention the recovery type to be executed and click Next
7. A ‘Recovery Option’ screen pops up where you have to decide whether you want to enable throttling, enable SAN-based recovery, send email notification, mount database on completion or not.
8. Review the settings of Recovery in Summary screen and click on Recover. When the process gets completed, click on Close to continue restoring via Exchange 2013 / 2016 DPM
9. At this point recovering procedure is finished but, the mailbox is not fully restored. For this, execute New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase ‘RDB-CONTROL’ -SourceStoreMailbox ‘mailbox name’ -TargetMailbox @contoso.com -TargetRootFolder Recovery -SkipMerging StorageProviderForSource command.
10. When restoring gets completed, open Windows PowerShell command and end up the process by running Remove-MailboxDatabase -Identity ‘RDB-CONTROL’.
Instant Solution: There is no doubt that Data Protection Manager is best for recovery but it requires users to have in-depth knowledge as well as hands-on experience and to avoid all this technicality & complexity user can use the advanced software provided by SysTools i.e. Exchange Recovery Software. This recovery manager for Exchange database utility provide scan mode option i.e. Quick and Advance scan which repair corrupt Exchange mailbox and EDB file with no data loss.
User can recover mailbox from Exchange database file when it is permanently deleted and also recover as well as repair Exchange public folder database from corruption without any loss of data. After recovery, you can easily export the recovered & healthy mailboxes to Live Exchange Server, Office 365, and multiple file formats.
Observational Verdict
The blog briefly introduces Data protection manager for Exchange 2016 / 2013. It also illustrates its usage for recovery procedure under different circumstances. Administrators can go through these manual approaches to perform recovery in the Exchange server. Users can also use the automated wizard mentioned in the above section for the smooth recovery of Exchange database file and mailboxes without losing any data.
