About restoring Exchange data from a VMware backup
Exchange data is restored from a VMware backup like it is restored from a backup that was performed with the Exchange Agent. Though you use a VMware policy type to back up the data, you use the policy type for the restore. NetBackup displays the Exchange data in the VMware backup image that is available for restore. See the following topics for information on how to restore Exchange data from a VMware backup:
See About restoring Exchange snapshot backups.
See About restoring individual Exchange mailbox and public folder items.
See About redirecting a restore of Exchange mailbox or public folder objects to a different path.
Note the following when you restore Exchange from a VMware backup:
You cannot browse or recover granular items (GRT) from GPT (GUID Partition Table) disks.
All the restore options are available. You can recover to any of the following:
A recovery database
Another database
An alternate server
The target server can be a virtual computer or physical computer.
When you perform a restore, it is important that you select the appropriate source or destination clients. Note the following:
In some cases the Primary VM identifier in the VMware policy does not match the NetBackup client name that is configured for the VMware host. In this case, you must configure the client to perform a redirected restore.
For a restore of a cluster (including DAG), select the virtual Exchange server name for the source client. If the client name for the VMware backup used a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), the DAG name is also in FQDN format.
For a restore of an Exchange standalone server, you must select the source client name that NetBackup used for the VMware backup. For example, a particular Exchange Server has the real host name of
Exchangesv1. You configure a VMware backup policy using theExchange_server1and perform a backup. When you want to perform a restore, you browse for the backup using the source client nameExchange_server1.Select a destination client name that NetBackup recognizes. The destination client name must be a network name or computer name. This name must allow NetBackup to connect to the NetBackup client.
No additional requirements apply if you want to restore an Exchange database from a VMware backup. However, if you want to perform a granular browse and restore the following requirements apply:
You must configure NFS on the client that you use to browse or restore.
The client must have an unassigned drive letter on which to mount the backup image.
For restore operations, for the destination client you must configure the in the Exchange client host properties.
No additional requirements apply if you want to restore an Exchange database from a snapshot copy that was created with Replication Director. However, if you want to perform a granular browse or restore from a snapshot copy, note the following:
You must configure the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service. This account must have access to the CIFS shares that are created on the NetApp disk array.
For a restore, you must configure the in the Exchange client host properties.
Note that when you browse or restore a snapshot copy, NetBackup does not require NFS. Nor does it require an unassigned drive letter on which to mount the backup image
If you use Replication Director to create a disk image and want to perform a granular browse or restore from that image, the following requirements apply
You must configure NFS on the client that you use to browse or restore.
The client must have an unassigned drive letter on which to mount the backup image.
To restore from a disk image, you do not need to configure the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service with an account that can access the NetApp disk array. For granular restore, for the destination you must configure the Exchange credentials in the Exchange client host properties.