Exchange Server 2003 Interview Questions and Answers - 5

This chapter includes interview questions and Answers on Exchange Backup and Restore

1. Why Exchange data should be backed up?

In today’s business environment, email is possibly the most used method of communication, and private and public stores contain large volume of valuable information. In order to have safety and stability on this valuable information we have to take back up the exchange data.

2. What are the types of Exchange Backup?

• Full (Normal)


• Daily Backup


• Copy Backup


• Incremental backup

3. What is Normal backup?

Full backup copies both the database and transactional log files. At the completion of full backup, transactional logs that are committed to the database are deleted from the server. Perform everyday

4. What is Copy backup?

Copy backup same as the full Backup, except no file marling is performed. Copy backups are used to archived data that can be stored offsite

5. What is Incremental backup?

Incremental backup performs backup on all selected data which are modifired after last backup. It removes the archive bit, informs that backup has done on this

6. What is Differential backup?

Differential Backup backups all the selected data created or modified after the last backup. It does not remove the archive bit. So when you performing differential back up on the next day, if will back up the whole thing from the last backup

7. What is Daily backup?

Backup all the selected data, which are created or modified on daily basis.

8. What is Online Backup?

When performing Exchange Server 2003 online backup, all services, including the exchange store, continue to run normally throughout the backup process. This allows continuing to access their mailboxes during backup process, whether the backup process is incremental, differential or full backup.

9. Which files are backed up with Online backup?

Following are the files that are copied during the online backup, the .edb, .stm and log files that comprise the exchange stored. After the online backup done it will check for corruption at the file system level.

10. After performing an online backup which tool you should use to determine whether the Exchange store is corrupt?

Event viewer is the tool to use to determine whether the exchange store is corrupt. If you see a page read error, there may be problem with the Database.

11. How to find out the most recent backup time?

Go to the properties of the Database in which you want to know the most recent backup time. On the properties window it will show the recent backup time

12. What is Offline Backup?

Offline back up is not a recommended solution. To perform a offline backup you must dismount the mailbox and public folder stores and then backup the database and transactional logs manually. However you may to perform offline back if online backup fails

13. After performing an offline backup of your Exchange Server, which utility must you use to check for corruption?

We can use backup logs

14. How to perform an online backup of a storage group?

1. Opening the Backup utility, on the backup and restore wizard click next


2. Select backup all files and settings and click next


3. On what to backup page, browse the Microsoft Exchange server and choose the Storage Group that you want to backup


4. On the Backup type, destination and name click browse and enter the required information


5. On the completing backup page, click finish

15. What is the advantage of performing an online backup?

1. No need to stop database services


2. Users can access their mailbox during backup process


3. The database corruption is checked during the offline backup


4. The change of data loss is very less

16. How to backup the Exchange Store?

1. Opening the Backup utility, on the backup and restore wizard click next


2. Select backup all files and settings and click next


3. On what to backup page, browse the Microsoft Exchange server and choose the Storage Group that you want to backup


4. Navigate the particular Mailbox store from the Storage Group and click next


5. On the Backup type, destination and name click browse and enter the required information


6. On the completing backup page, click finish

17. What are the components of system state data?

System state holds the Active directory data, Microsoft certificate cervices, site replication services etc

18. Can you perform differential or incremental backups on the databases with circular logging enabled?

We have to take full backup if circular logging is enabled. Because circular logging periodically deletes the transactional logs

19. What are the methods for Exchange restoration?

Exchange 2003 has some nice features to prevent damage from a disaster or to recover Mailbox items and mailboxes. Some of these features are:

• Deleted item Recovery in Outlook


• Mailbox Recovery through Mailbox Recovery Storage Group


• Mailbox Recovery through Keep Deleted Mailbox for XX days


• Mailbox Recovery Center

20. What are the methods of restoring an offline backup of exchange Database?

There are two methods to restore an offline backup of Exchange databases: a point-in-time restoration and a roll-forward restoration.

The point-in-time method is used when a database is restored but no log files are replayed into the database. All the data created after the backup is lost. This method is used to restore from an offline backup when circular logging is enabled on the Exchange server. As circular logging reuses the log files, not all files required to update the database are available. To perform restoration by using the point-in-time method, an administrator must ensure that the databases to be restored are dismounted and consistent

21. What is recovery storage group?

You can restore Mailbox stores and individual mailboxes to a recovery storage group and then merge them with the contents of the original stores are mailboxes. You cannot restore a public folder to a recovery storage group

22. What is Mailbox Recovery Center

The Mailbox Recovery Center is the weapon of choice when you accidentally delete a lot of Mailboxes.

You simply add the Mailbox store in which you have deleted the mailboxes to the Mailbox Recovery Center and after the process has finished, you can see the deleted Mailboxes.


Mailbox Recovery Center

23. Can you restore Public folder store using recovery storage group?

Public folders cannot be restored with the use of a recovery storage group

24. How to restore a mailbox store?

We can restore a Mailbox store in 3 methods

Restoring Mailbox store by using Exchange System Manager

Make sure Mailbox deletion settings are already done.

Expand the Mailbox store go to the Mailboxes and run cleanup agent.

Right click the mailbox u want to recover and click reconnect

Restoring Mailbox store by recovery storage Group

The recovery storage group is a specialized storage group in Exchange 2003. After you restore a mailbox store to the recovery storage group, use the Exmerge.exe tool to move the recovered mailbox data from the recovery storage group to the regular storage group.

Restoring Mailbox store from backup to a recovery server

To recover a mailbox from backup, you must have a recovery server that has sufficient storage capacity to install Exchange Server 2003 and to restore the private information store database. This server can be on the same physical network as your production Exchange Server 2003 computer.

25. How to create a recovery storage group and add the database to restore?

Use the context menu of the server object to setup the recover storage group

Specify the transactional log and system path location

Add the database to be recovered to the recovery storage group by using the context menu of the recovery storage group

26. How to restore individual mailboxes and messages?

Recovering individual mailboxes

Individual mailbox can be restored with the help of mail box retention period enabled on the mailbox store. By default mailbox retention period is set to 30 days. And if a mailbox is deleted and if restoration is requested within 30 days retention period then you can recover and reconnect that mailbox without restoring the entire mailbox store

If the retention period has expired you have to restore by creating a recover server. You need to perform the following tasks

Install recovery server in different active directory forest from the forest where original server is located

Install exchange server on a recovery server by using the same organization name

Recover the database to an administrative group in which legacy exchange Dn value matches the original server

Name the restore storage group and the restore logical database so that their name match the original storage group and logical database names

Create a .pst file and move all data that you need to recover in to the .pst file

Open the .pst file on the original server and move the data back to appropriate location

Recovering messages

Exchange server 2003 performs backup and restore in page level rather than in mailbox level, so you cannot easily restore individual messages in a mailbox from a backup.

You can allow users to retrieve messages from the delete items folder in outlook or OWA, to do so you have to set the keep deleted items for certain days in individual user account setting from the Active directory users and computers

Alternative you can create new mailbox policy using exchange system Manager. To recover deleted mails. User has to point to the deleted items folder and use the recover deleted items option from the tools menu in outlook or in OWA