Backup Tools

Third-party backup programs provide advanced archiving capabilities. With the introduction of Windows Server 2003 and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSCS), backup software companies and administrators can worry a little less about disaster recovery. Using point-in-time snapshots of data, backups can be performed while leaving Exchange Server online. They provide the next level of backup and recovery and add enhanced functionality not found in Windows Backup.

Although the Windows Backup can be used to perform backups of Exchange Server, it does not support backing up Exchange with VSCS. Administrators will need to purchase a backup product from a vendor such as Veritas to support using VSCS.

VERITAS Backup Exec

Backup Exec for Windows Servers in conjunction with VERITAS Backup Exec Agent for Exchange Server provides protection for Exchange 2003 data while the Stores are online. The Backup Agent for Exchange provides backups and restores of all Exchange data. In addition, mailbox or message-level restores from a full traditional backup do not require installation of a separate Exchange 2003 server. When running on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, the Backup Exec Agent for Exchange Server supports Volume Snapshot (VSS) technology, allowing the user the option of selecting either the VERITAS or the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service technology for protecting open files.

CommVault Galaxy Backup and Recovery

Galaxy Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 is CommVault's (www.commvault.com) enterprise archiving solution for protecting Exchange 2003 data. The CommVault Galaxy iDataAgent for Exchange provides a centralized and automated backup/recovery. Similar to VERITAS Backup Exec, Galaxy leverages Microsoft's Single Instance Store and scales to support large enterprise organizations. Galaxy leverages VSS (software and hardware), allowing a single system to manage Exchange data across the enterprise.