Using wildcards in an Exchange backup selections list

Wildcard characters can be used to define groups of databases. This way multiple objects can be backed up without having to specify the objects individually in the backup selections list. Multiple data streams must also be enabled. If this option is not enabled, the backup fails.

Table: Supported wildcard characters

Wildcard character	Action
Asterisk (*)	Use as a substitute for zero or more characters. Specify the asterisk as the last character in the string. Example: To specify all objects that start with an a use a*.
Question mark (?)	Use as a substitute for one or more characters in a name. Example 1: The string s?z processes all objects that have s for a first character, any character for a second character, and z for a third character. Example 2: The string `Data??se` processes all objects that have Data as the first four characters, any characters for the fifth and sixth characters, and se as the seventh and either characters.
Left & right brackets ([ ... ])	These wildcard characters are not supported for the `Microsoft Information Store:\` directive or for the `Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\` directive.

Wildcard character

Action

Asterisk (*)

Use as a substitute for zero or more characters. Specify the asterisk as the last character in the string.

Example: To specify all objects that start with an a use a*.

Question mark (?)

Use as a substitute for one or more characters in a name.

Example 1: The string s?z processes all objects that have s for a first character, any character for a second character, and z for a third character.

Example 2: The string Data??se processes all objects that have Data as the first four characters, any characters for the fifth and sixth characters, and se as the seventh and either characters.

Left & right brackets ([ ... ])

These wildcard characters are not supported for the Microsoft Information Store:\ directive or for the Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\ directive.

The following rules apply when wildcard characters are used in the backup selections list:

Only one wildcard pattern per backup selections list entry is allowed.
If a wildcard pattern is not honored it is treated literally.
Wildcard patterns are honored only in the final segment of the path name. For example:
Microsoft Information Store:\*
Microsoft Information Store:\Database*
Microsoft Information Store:\Data??se
Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\*
Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\Database*
Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\Data??se

More Information

Performing Exchange backups with multiple data streams

Using wildcards in an Exchange backup selections list

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