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Exchange Disaster Recovery Concepts

Exchange Disaster Recovery Concepts. Kevin Wall Principal Consultant The Henson Group Kevin.wall@hensongroup.com. Overview. Disaster Recovery Scenarios Exchange Database Architecture Making a Simple Offline Backup. Lesson: Disaster Recovery Scenarios. Database Protection

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Exchange Disaster Recovery Concepts

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  1. Exchange Disaster Recovery Concepts Kevin WallPrincipal ConsultantThe Henson GroupKevin.wall@hensongroup.com

  2. Overview • Disaster Recovery Scenarios • Exchange Database Architecture • Making a Simple Offline Backup

  3. Lesson: Disaster Recovery Scenarios • Database Protection • Service Level Agreements

  4. Database Protection Types of data to protect • Private mailbox data • Public folder data • SMTP queue data • MTA queue data • Active Directory configuration information • IIS Metabase • Local server adjustments and configuration • Operating system and Exchange binary installation • Message tracking logs

  5. Service Level Agreements Key considerations for meeting service level agreements: • Database sizing • Backup technology • Free disk space • Proficiency in backup and restore procedures

  6. Lesson: Exchange Database Architecture • Overview of Exchange Database Architecture • Transaction Log (.log) Files • Checkpoint (.chk) Files • File Locations • Database and Log Signatures

  7. Overview of Exchange Database Architecture

  8. Entries in transaction logs (*.log) Current database Current database .edb file .stm file Transaction Log (.log) Files

  9. DemonstrationUsing Eseutil to View the Database State In this presentation, your instructor will demonstrate: • How to use Eseutil /mh to view the database state • Clean and dirty shutdown states • How to view entries in the Application log file to see log replay events after the database is remounted following a dirty shutdown

  10. Checkpoint (edb.chk) Transaction log file Committed Uncommitted Checkpoint (.chk) Files

  11. Demonstration Missing Checkpoint Files In this presentation, your instructor will demonstrate: • What happens if the checkpoint file is deleted • Entries in the Application log, to see log replay events after the database is remounted

  12. File Locations

  13. Database and Log Signatures • Database signature • A 32-bit random number combined with the time the database was created • Can be viewed with the Eseutil /mh command • Log file signature • Generated when Exchange Server 2003 creates a new log file series • Can be viewed with the Eseutil /mh command

  14. DemonstrationUsing Eseutil File Dump Mode In this exercise, your instructor will demonstrate detailed use of: • Eseutil /mh • Eseutil /mk • Eseutil /ml

  15. Repairing an Exchange Database

  16. Overview • Understanding the Database File Structure • Understanding Database File Corruption in an Exchange System • Repairing an Exchange Database File

  17. Lesson: Understanding the Database File Structure • How a Database File is Structured • The Database Structures Repaired by the Database Repair Utilities

  18. How a Database File is Structured Database Concepts Root Internal Page Page Pointer Leaf Record

  19. The Database Structures Repaired by the Database Repair Utilities • Eseutil • Eseutil /p is used to repair a database • Eseutil /d is used to defragment a database • Corrects database problems at the ESE level • Views a database as a set of pages, trees, and tables or indexes • Isinteg • Checks the integrity of the database • Corrects database problems at the mailbox, folder, and item level • Views a database as an Exchange private or public database rather than a generic ESE database

  20. Lesson: Understanding Database File Corruption in an Exchange System • Types of Database File Corruption • Determining When to Restore or Repair a Database File • Determining the Extent of Database File Corruption • Errors Associated with Database File Corruption

  21. Types of Database File Corruption • Page Corruption • Caused by damage to the file system, a bug in the server or disk system firmware, or faulty or failing hardware • Usually not fatal to the database and only affects a limited number of items, folders, or users • Logical Corruption • Caused by problems in ESE or Exchange code • Occurs when data on a page is stored correctly, but the data is wrong

  22. Determining When to Restore or Repair a Database File • When to Restore a Database File • Restoring a database from backup and then rolling it forward is preferred to repairing a database because it is faster and less risky • When to Repair a Database File • When a backup does not exist • When a database cannot be rolled forward • When to Restore and Repair a Database File • When restoring an older version of a database and then rolling it forward while repairing the current database and then merging the contents of the repaired database into the restored database

  23. Determining the Extent of Database File Corruption • Damage to Tables Containing User Data • Usually results in limited database corruption • Users may lose messages, folders, or entire mailboxes, but the database remains intact • Usually the database can be completely repaired • Damage to the Tables Containing Critical Systems Data • Can result in profound database corruption • After repair, a database can remain unmountable, unresponsive, or generate frequent errors • Many system tables can be complete repaired or rebuilt

  24. Errors Associated with Database File Corruption • -1018 errors indicate that at least one database page has been damaged at the file system level • -1019 errors usually indicate page damage but can be also indicative of logical corruption • -1022 errors indicate that Exchange cannot access part of the database file. This error can be caused by a transient condition or it can indicate massive damage to the database files

  25. Lesson: Repairing an Exchange Database File • Repair a Database File Using Eseutil /p • Defragment a Database File Using Eseutil /d • Ensure the Integrity of a Database File Using Isinteg • Reset a Database

  26. Recovery Storage Group

  27. Microsoft IT Exchange Backup and Recovery Platform

  28. Microsoft IT Platform – VSS Components Microsoft Exchange Writer Freeze write operations to ensure data consistency 3rd Party - Requestor Scheduling Queuing Transport Checksum Volume ShadowCopy Service 3rd Party – Provider Establish calls between host and storage controllers SG-1 Log Source SG-1 Log Clone SG-1 Data Clone SG-1 Data Source Exchange Storage Group – Data and Log Source and Clone Targets Refer to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;822896 for specific support requirements

  29. Microsoft IT Platform – VSS Backup • Backup EVS1 Storage Group – Requestor Specific Functionality • Verify Exchange status • Storage Group online • Interrogate application event log for potential corruption • Remove previous clone presentation from backup server • Solution utilizes two clone targets for each source LUN. • Required to enable VSS recovery in the event of corruption detection • Initiate re-sync of source to previous last know good clones • Data and Log concurrently • Freeze write activity on source LUNs when clones are synchronized • 10 seconds max enforced by Exchange Writer • Fracture clone synchronization • Resume write activity to source LUNs

  30. Microsoft IT Platform – VSS Backup • Backup EVS1 Storage Group (continued) • Transport and expose clone Data and Log LUNs to Mount Host • LUNS should be presented in read only state • Checksum clone content – ESEUtil /k • Read intensive operation – design carefully • Checksum clone content – ESEUtil /k • Read intensive operation – design carefully • Complete backup by truncating logs on success • Flag Full Backup Complete • Start queued backup on EVS1 Storage Group 2

  31. SG1 Data F:\SG1Data 350GB Logs F:\SG1Logs 40GB Logs F:\SG1Logs 40GB SG1 Data F:\SG1Data 350GB SG1 Data F:\SG2Data 350GB Logs F:\SG1Logs 40GB SG2 Data F:\SG2Data 350GB Logs F:\SG2Logs 40GB SG2 Data F:\SG2Data 350GB Logs F:\SG2Logs 40GB SG3 Data F:\SG3Data 350GB Logs F:\SG3Logs 40GB SG3 Data F:\SG3Data 350GB Logs F:\SG3Logs 40GB SG4 Data F:SG4Data 350GB Logs F:\SG4Logs 40GB SG4 Data F:SG4Data 350GB Logs F:\SG4Logs 40GB SG1 Data E::\SG2Data 350GB Logs E:\SG1Logs 40GB SG2 Data E::\SG2Data 350GB Logs E:\SG2Logs 40GB SG1 Data E:\SG1Data 350GB Logs E:\SG1Logs 40GB SG1 Data F:\SG1Data 350GB Logs F:\SG1Logs 40GB SG3 Data E:\SG3Data 350GB Logs E:\SG3Logs 40GB SG2 Data E::\SG2Data 350GB Logs E:\SG2Logs 40GB SG4 Data E:\Sg4Data 350GB Logs E:\SG4Logs 40GB SG3 Data E:\SG3Data 350GB Logs E:\SG3Logs 40GB SG4 Data E:\Sg4Data 350GB Logs E:\SG4Logs 40GB Microsoft IT Platform – VSS Backup 1. Requestor issues backup call on EVS1 & EVS2 SG1 Fiber Attached Tape Library 2. Establish sync between source and clone LUNS 3. Freeze writes and fracture synchronization EVS2 CLONE Targets 4. Transport and expose clones to mount host 5. Run ESEutil to validate checksum 6. Truncate production logs on success 7. Content is copied to tape (14 day retention) Checksum Success ESEUtil /k Mount Host Requestor EVS Group 1 EVS Group 2 SMTP E:\ 50GB SMTP F:\ 50GB Checksum Success ESEUtil /k Clone Sync Fractured SG1 Data E:\SG1Data 350GB Logs E:\SG1Logs 40GB Clone Sync Fractured SG1 Data F:\SG1Data 350GB Logs F:\SG1Logs 40GB SG2 Data E::\SG2Data 350GB Logs E:\SG2Logs 40GB SG2 Data F:\SG2Data 350GB Logs F:\SG2Logs 40GB Quorum SG3 Data E:\SG3Data 350GB Logs E:\SG3Logs 40GB SG3 Data F:\SG3Data 350GB Logs F:\SG3Logs 40GB Data and log mount points nested to SMTP LUN Source LUNS – RAID1/0 72GB Clone LUNS – RAID5 146GB Quorum MSDTC Y: 1GB SG4 Data E:\Sg4Data 350GB Logs E:\SG4Logs 40GB SG4 Data F:SG4Data 350GB Logs F:\SG4Logs 40GB EVS1 CLONE Targets Active N 1 Passive N 1 Active N 2

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