1. Exchange 2013 (backup &) Disaster Recovery
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2. Agenda Exchange Data Types & Storage Locations Backup
Disaster Recovery
Hybrid…
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3. Data Types & Storage Locations
What files are important and which ones are not?
Data Types & Storage Locations
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4. Data types User Data Configuration Data Emails Contacts
Holiday pictures
(everything in a user’s mailbox…)
Local Configuration Data (server-specific)
Global Configuration Data (environment-specific)
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5. User Data
Data stored in Mailbox Database, Transaction Logs (and memory)
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6. Why transactions logs matter
Exchange doesn’t update databases immediately (lazy writes)
User actions are written to transaction log files first
Logs are ‘rolled’ into the database on the go, but there might be a lag (checkpoint depth)
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7. Why transactions logs matter
E00x
E00
E001
CHK 5 1
DB01 2 3 4
E00.log
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8. Backups & circular logging
Circular logging removes log files which have been committed to the database
Potentially dangerous scenario *
* Hence the recommendation to have at least 3 database copies before switching on circ. logging.
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9. Backups & circular logging
E00x
E00
E001
CHK 5 1
DB01 2 3 4
E00.log 5
E001
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10. Configuration data Configuration data stored in multiple locations:
Local Configuration Data
server’s registry
Local files on the system
Global Configuration Data
Stored in Active Directory
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11. Local Configuration Data
Most of the items in the registry are stored in the same location:
HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\ ExchangeServer\v15
i.e. used to store M.A. overrides
HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchange*
Service-specific settings
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12. Local Configuration Data
Configuration files stored under Exchange installation folder: <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\v15
commonly-used files include:
Web.config (OWA)
..\ClientAcces\Owa
CmdletExtentionAgent(s)
..\ Bin\CmdletExtentionAgents
Managed Availability
..\ Bin\Monitoring\Config
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13. Global Configuration data
Forest Configuration Partition:
CN=OrgName,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services, CN=Configuration,DC=domain,DC=tld
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14. How to bring my data into safety?
Backup & Restore
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15. Need for backup?
Despite many stories about backup-less environments, backup still valid/useful for:
Historical restores
Deleted item (beyond retention time)
Legal
Purging Transaction Logs
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16. What to backup? User Data Configuration Data * Optionally:
System State (Server’s Registry)
Log Files
Certificates
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17. Exchange 2013 Backups Leverage a technology called VSS
VSS “Copy-on-Write”
Uses VSS Writer (since Exchange 2007)
part of the MSExchangeRepl service in 2013
Responsible for ‘talking’ to Exchange and temporarily halting writes (to the database) to ensure consistency
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18. High-level steps VSS Requestor (Backup App)1
Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) 2
VSS Writer
(Exchange) 6 5 3
VSS Provider
(hard- or software) 4
Storage

19. Help?! I’m on fire… What now?!
Disaster Recovery
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20. DRP! Anyone?
“A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented process or set of procedures to recover and protect a business IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster.” ~ Wikipedia
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21. Exchange DR procedures
Full DRP for Exchange includes:
Recovery of Mailbox, Database, Server(s)
Recover from full transaction log or database disk
Dial Tone Recovery, Database Portability
(Re-)Seeding Database (w/ or w/o AutoReseed)
Site Recovery + Switch back
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22. Deleted Object Recovery
Depends on what object was deleted
Mailbox(es)
Deleted mailbox retention allows to easily ‘reconnect’ mailbox to user account.
Beyond retention, restore from backup is necessary
User(s)
same process as Mailbox recovery, but user needs to be restored first.
Beyond tombstone period > recover from AD backup first OR connect mailbox to different user account
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23. Deleted Objects Exchange Security Groups Exchange RBAC Groups
Use Setup.exe /prepareAD to restore the deleted groups
Exchange RBAC Groups
Install-CannedRbacRoleAssignments will restore the groups (not the memberships though!)
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24. Dial Tone Recovery
Use to quickly restore service to users (while waiting for data recovery)
Mount empty database to recover service to the users (and while waiting to restore data)
Recovery data into Recovery Database
Swap Dial Tone database and Recovery Database
Merge data from Dial Tone database and Restored database
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25. Database portability
Exchange databases can be mounted on any server in the organization with the same database schema.
Can be useful in the Dial Tone Recovery procedure when the server cannot be restored/recovered (quickly)
Same process as ‘regular’ dial tone recovery, but mount Dial Tone + Recovery Database on other server
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26. Server Recovery Process
Using the /m:recoverserver switch:
Repair failed server. If replaced, make sure the original server is not reconnected to the network.
Join replacement server to the domain w/ same name (reset computer account)
Use the Exchange Setup.exe w/ /m:recoverserver switch (cli only)
Re-apply customizations
Import certificates
Restore customized files
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27. Demo time Demo various recovery scenarios:
- Accidental Deletes in Active Directory
- Recover object in AD (latent DC or from backup)
- Reconnect mailbox to same (or different) user
- Recover from full AD failure
- Recovery Active Directory
- Recovery Exchange (possibly require /m: recoverserver)
- Use a dialtone recovery in Exchange
- Use the /m: recoverserver switch (also point out the caveat of having the Scripting Agent enabled in a single-server environment)
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28. Hybrid Infrastructure / data is less important
Brings new challenges to the game
DirSync is the root of all evil *
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29. DirSync Used to be a real pain
“accidental deletion protection” included since version
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30. Accidental Delete Protection
Built-in into DirSync
Set-PreventAccidentalDelete –Enable –ObjectDeletionThreshold <value>
Forcing the deletions can be cumbersome in large environments due to Full Sync that is required…
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31. Protecting against the “oops-scenario”…
Demo time
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32. Thank you!
Q&A
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