Backing up Exchange 5.5

[mrlucio]

Is there a easy way to backup Exchange 5.5. When I do a backup it tells me that I can't do a successful backup because files are being used. What does this mean?

[mairving]

What it means is that your log files and your exchange information store files are in use. You can either stop Exchange by stopping the service or get a prorgam like BackupExec that will backup the files while they are open.

Even if you copy your priv.edb and your pub.edb files to another location, they are unlikely to work. They can become corrupt if Exchange is writing data to the file at the time that it is copied.

[mrlucio]

What if I am on a budget and cannot afford the better backup packages such as ArcServeIT and Veritas. Is there a way to use the regular NTBackup? I understand there is, but I need a script to run at a certain time to shutdown the Exchange services so the files won't be in use. Any clues???

[mairving]

I have used this little batch file before for defragmenting Exchange. I am sure that it could be altered for the purpose of making a backup. It could also be automated.

PHP Code:

CLS
@ECHO OFF

REM EXCHANGE SERVICE STOP
NET STOP MSExchangeIMC /Y
NET STOP MSExchangeMTA /Y
NET STOP MSExchangeIS /Y
NET STOP MSExchangeDS /Y
NET STOP MSExchangeSA /Y

REM DEFRAGMENTATION
ESEUTIL /D F:EXCHSRVRMDBDATAPRIV.EDB /LC:EXCHBAKPRIVLOG /SC:EXCHBAKPRIVSYS /BPRIV
ESEUTIL /D F:EXCHSRVRMDBDATAPUB.EDB /LC:EXCHBAKPUBLOG /SC:EXCHBAKPUBSYS /BPUB

REM EXCHANGE OFFLINE DIRECTORY BACKUP
XCOPY F:EXCHSRVRMDBDATAPRIV.EDB SERVER4EXCHBKUPEXCHEDBMDBDATA
XCOPY F:EXCHSRVRMDBDATAPUB.EDB SERVER4EXCHBKUPEXCHEDBMDBDATA

REM EXCHANGE SERVICE START
NET START MSExchangeSA /Y
NET START MSExchangeDS /Y
NET START MSExchangeIS /Y
NET START MSExchangeMTA /Y
NET START MSExchangeIMC /Y 


[mrlucio]

AI think I could use this script. The stopping and starting part. What is the command to pause a certain about of time before the the command starts up the service again. I want to at least give it about a 2 hour pause. Because I run a backup at 2am automatically for about 1hour and 30minutes.....

[mairving]

Easiest thing to do is to make 2 scripts, a start and a stop script. Schedule the stop script for 2am and the start for 4am. Of course, you run the risk of missing some of the early morning spam.