My sbs2008 server will not backup the exchange server. I have applied all updates, including sp2 for exchange 2007. the backup within sbs console reports that the backup has no errors, however, when I run the best practices analyser there are critical issues, namely "Database backup Critical , Database 'Mailbox Database' on server SBS8 accommodates 61 mailboxes. This database has not had a full online backup for 124 days. Last database backup: 03/31/2010 12:07:46" I get the feeling that sbs2008 is a backwards step, if I cannot get the backup sorted without resorting to 3rd party software, I will go back to SBS2003. does anyone else have this problem? is there a migration path from SBS 2008 to SBS 2003?

Hi, Have a look into this post, it lot of important update & resolution of issue that you are facing : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/exchangesvrgeneral/thread/14b80759-5938-46ed-846b-c698cda36327/ Also Have a look into this article : http://www.msexchange.org/articles_tutorials/exchange-server-2007/high-availability-recovery/uncovering-new-exchange-2007-sp2-volume-snapshot-vss-plug-in-part1.html Ripu Daman Mina | MCSE 2003 & MCSA Messaging

I am not aware of a way to go backwards that is supported. You would probably have to build a fresh domain then do a manual migration using PST files. It is a major backwards step though. It is like buying a new car, then giving it away because you don't like the colour and returning to a 8 year old car. SBS 2008 backup works fine, although it is a little limited. From a third party point of view, Backup Assist works well and is cheap and provides more options and is what I use with all of my deployments. However I would suggest that you reset the backup job in SBS 2008, delete the job and run the wizard again. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP. http://blog.sembee.co.uk , http://exbpa.com/

thank you for your prompt reply Ripu, I have had a look at the posts you mentioned. the first just had people moaning about how sbs2008 is providing less functionality than its' predecessor, and the second details the plugin released within exchange sp2. I did mention in my original post that I had applied sp2 for the exchange server, although I still have problems. Like a lot of people in the post, I am a busy person, and don't have time to research whether a new MS products works or not, I stupidly assumed that it would. I had to resort to raising a technet support call to perform the migration, spending almost 25 hours on the phone before it functioned correctly. I cannot get my client to buy DPM, I incorrectly assumed that SBS2008 was a one box solution. is there an article that provides step by step instructions for moving from sbs2008 to sbs2003? how do I get my mailboxes back to an sbs2003 machine? do I need a new copy of sbs2003? as the server I had stopped working after the migration had completed. my transaction logs are still growing, and I think I would need to raise another technet support call to address the backup situation, if I decide to stay with SBS2008 which currently I consider to be considerably inferior. what do you recommend that I do to address my problem? kind regards Grant Dickeson

it appears that my wsbexchange.exe did not install at all. I have found an article here http://microsofttoolbox.com/2009/12/sbs2008-exchange-backup-how-to-manually-install-the-backup-plug-in/ do I REALLY have to do this to make it work????>????????? this is becoming ridiculous

Hi Simon, strangely my 8 year old car works fine, but my work colleagues brand new car, although the colour is fine, has been in and out of the garage for the last 6 months with intermittent faults. I disagree that sbs2008 works fine, mine reports that the application (Exchange) will not be available for recovery, I agree that I could buy backup assist, I have downloaded a trial version, which performs backup to PST really well, although if exchange was to fail, would I be able to restore the public folders, and the calendars? that reminds me, the free busy issue with clients running outlook 2003 and outlook 2007 drives me mad. I will try resetting the backup job in sbs2008, and see what that does, thanks for your input, kind regards Grant Dickeson

Hi, Have a look into this article, it has steps for taking backup for exchange 2007 SP2 with windows 2008 installed : http://www.msexchange.org/articles_tutorials/exchange-server-2007/high-availability-recovery/uncovering-new-exchange-2007-sp2-volume-snapshot-vss-plug-in-part1.html Revert if the solution is not feasible. Ripu Daman Mina | MCSE 2003 & MCSA Messaging

Hi Ripu, the article details exactly what I have been doing, this is why I am upset, as it does not work, I have an error that states Exchange: Application will not be available for recovery. so what do I do now? I have exchange Version: 08.02.0254.000 sbs2008 has all updates applied, is there anything I am missing, or does the backup just not work?

Hi Simon, I tried resetting the backup routine, unfortunately I get the same error, Exchange: Application will not be available for recovery. exchange is Version: 08.02.0254.000 all updates to SBS2008, kind regards Grant

PST backup is no use - that isn't a valid Exchange backup and will not flush the transaction logs. SBS 2008 does work fine, yours may not be, but in general it is a stable product that functions as designed. I have many of them out in the field that give no problems at all. The error that you have posted - when exactly do you get that error? If it is in the event log, then you need to post the full entry. I suspect the VSS writers are the cause of the problem, something wrong with the Exchange writers. Unfortunately that will mean that no backup application, even third party, will work because they all depend on those writers to backup Exchange. There is a possibility that installing Exchange 2007 SP3 on to the system (following the release notes and the instructions for installation on SBS 2008) may correct the problem because it effectively reinstalls Exchange. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP. http://blog.sembee.co.uk , http://exbpa.com/

Hi Simon, I have read your blogs (just now) with interest the error is displayed within windows server backup. when the backup is completed, I click "view details" then the "errors" tab. the full error is, application will not be available for recovery from this backup. Consistency check failed for component Microsoft Exchange Server\Microsoft Information Store\Replica\Server name\4994eb73-7c23-49d3-b52e-2511bfb6d741 contact the application vendor for help in resolving if I do go the sp3 route, how can I protect my data , assuming it is a reinstall, what happens to the EDB's? thanks for getting back to me, Grant

according to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1687160b-634a-43cb-a65a-f355cff0afa6&displaylang=en sbs2008 is not a supported OS, it says it applies to server 2008, will it work on sbs2008, bearing in mind that it cannot be uninstalled, if it breaks it I need to totally remove exchange, and start again. I don't really think that is an option, Grant

Hi, Have a look into this post it might help: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverfiles/thread/616e9c98-39f0-4e0e-9e15-410a93728db4 Ripu Daman Mina | MCSE 2003 & MCSA Messaging

excellent thank you! I will investigate further tomorrow morning, 22:45 here now, back to the office in the morning. thank you again for looking into this for me, kind regards Grant Dickeson

OK, I found numerous blogs referring to running ntbackup on sbs2008, I copied the 64 bit files, ( ntbackup.exe, ntmsapi.dll, vssapi.dll) into a folder created in the C: drive. Then I ran server manager - features - add features - removable storage manager - install. Once installed, I started the service, and ran ntbackup by double clicking on the exe, ( it can be made more elegant by copying to system32, and doing a regedit) . obviously this is backing up to a file, as there is no tape drive ( sbs2008 does not support tape ) but it is infinately better that the scary " exchange will not be available for restore" error. one problem I still need to address is the numerous transaction logs that have not been cleared, there are thousands, bearing in mind that the exchange server hadn't been backed up fo 6 months! anyway, one step forwards.... thanks to Karl Foley http://cs.thefoleyhouse.co.uk/blogs/karl/archive/2008/02/10/how-to-backup-exchange-2007-on-server-2008.aspx

Hi, If increasing size to transaction logs is a problem you can have circular logging enabled & disable it after the full backup is taken. Have a look into this article : http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=147524Ripu Daman Mina | MCSE 2003 & MCSA Messaging

Hi Ripu, thanks for the input, I really appreciate you sparing your time to assist me. the backup appears to work fine, I have enabled circular logging, and remounted the database, but the logs did not get deleted when I backed up the database. I will do a RDP later tonight when there are no users in the system, and restart the exchange server, and retry. once again, thanks for your input. kind regards Grant

well I restarted the server, with circular logging enabled, and ran a backup and there are still over 4,000 logs. I really think that I have exhausted all avenues open to me, Microsoft set the server up for me ( remotely , tech net paid for call ), but I feel I will have to raise another chargable call to get it actually working properly. Hmmm.

Hi, Have a look into this post it has a lot of details & workarounds : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchangesvravailabilityandisasterrecovery/thread/fe1bee52-8c6f-4e4c-a6d8-2100d337eb75 Like this one : http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/2008/05/30/how-to-configure-server-backup-in-sbs-2008.aspxRipu Daman Mina | MCSE 2003 & MCSA Messaging