Backing Up Microsoft Exchange Server Data

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Database backup types
 Full. A regular full database backup stores the selected storage groups or databases along with
transaction log files and Exchange-related information from Active Directory. After a full backup
is created, transaction log files are truncated (p. 58). A full backup is self-sufficient; that is, you do
not need access to any other backup to recover the data from a full backup.
Additionally, full backups can be created by using one of the following methods:
 Express full backup (p. 26). This method allows creating creating full database backups in
deduplicating vaults. Although regular data deduplication can be used full database backups,
we recommend using the Express full backup method to achieve maximum deduplication
effect.
 Copy-only backup (p. 30). This method allows creating full database backups without
truncating the transaction log files.
 Transaction log. A transaction log backup stores the transaction log files along with checkpoint
files and other files required for recovery. After a backup is created, transaction log files are
truncated. At first, a regular full backup is created. By having full and transaction log backups,
you can recover the data to a custom point in time. From a recovery perspective, transaction log
backups are similar to incremental backups. To recover from a transaction log backup, each
transaction log backup since the last full backup and the full backup is required. A long chain of
transaction log files may significantly increase recovery time.
Note: To back up transaction log files, disable circular logging in Exchange. When circular logging is
enabled, Exchange overwrites the first log file after its data has been written to the database. This in turn,
breaks the transaction log chain preventing Acronis Backup from doing transaction log backups. If you
enable circular logging after a backup plan creation, the backups will fail.
Microsoft Exchange mailboxes
Not available when backing up data of Exchange 2013 or later.
When you select this data type, the software will perform a mailbox backup.
You can select the following items to back up:
 Mailboxes or mailbox folders
 Public folders
By using the exclusion filters (p. 54), you can specify items to be skipped during a mailbox backup.
After a mailbox backup, transaction log files are not truncated.
How to use a mailbox backup
A mailbox backup gives you the additional flexibility to back up individual mailboxes or public folders
without backing up the entire database. We recommend that you use a mailbox backup to protect
the most important mailboxes or if you need to back up less than 15 GB of data. For larger volumes
of data, a database backup is more effective. It will take less time and you can recover individual
mailboxes, e-mails, or other data items (p. 31), as well as the entire database.
Limitations of a mailbox backup
 Though you can select archived mailboxes, they will not be backed up.
 Unlike full database backups, mailbox backups cannot be deduplicated.