Restore Exchange 2010 Mailbox From Backup Using 2 Procedures
One of the most common job roles of an Exchange administrator involves keeping a backup copy of Exchange mailboxes. These backup copies prove their significance whenever there occurs a need to restore mailboxes due to any disaster. Hence, in the following write-up, we will discuss the ways to restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup.
Although the market is surged with a lot of backup and restore utilities, choosing the best one among them is quite a task. Any loss of data during the restore process can create a lot of havoc among users. In the following section, you can either choose the Windows Server Backup solution to restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup or go for the automated solution that lets you restore the mailbox via EDB file.
Before directly jumping to the solution, let us first know about the Windows Server Backup (WSB) in detail.
Introduction to Windows Server Backup Utility
Exchange comprises a plug-in for Windows Server Backup (WSB), which enables users to create and restore Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)-based backups of the Exchange data.
Windows Server Backup utility can be used to move back mailboxes into Exchange Environment. To use this feature, first, we have to enable this feature using Powershell.
Before You Start Restoring Exchange 2010 Mailbox from Backup
Assigned permissions are required before performing this operation. In order to check the required permissions, see the “Mailbox recovery” entry. Windows Server Backup must be installed on the local computer.
While restoring an Exchange server with the help of the WSB role, the administrator must check that the backup is Exchange-aware VSS-based backup. It is important to minimize the problems that may occur while restoring the backup. This Exchange-aware backup can only be generated by using the plugin WSBExchange, which does not support remote backup.
Restore Exchange Mailbox from Backup In 2010 Environment
After assigning permissions in Exchange Environment, Open Administrator Tool and select the “WSB” section and follow the simple stepwise guide:
Launch Windows Server Backup (WSB).
Now, on the Actions pane, expand the Local Backup option and select the “Recover…” option.
Getting Started page will display now. Here, select This server if your backup file is saved on the local drive. Otherwise, select “A backup stored on another location” if the file is stored somewhere else. If you are choosing the second option then, the administrator needs to specify the UNC Location where the backup files are located.
Note: Make sure that the backup file is Exchange-aware, which means this file should be the result of a backup operation that runs locally on the Exchange Server via WSB with the WSBExchange plugin. In case, if it is not an Exchange-aware backup then, Exchange will not display it on the list of applications to recover in further steps.
Next, on the Select Backup Date Wizard, the oldest, as well as the newest available date of backup, will be displayed. Set a Backup Date and Time on the Calendar to restore the data of a particular time period from Exchange backup.
In the “Select Recovery Type” wizard, select the Applications option.
ANNOTATION: If you cannot select the Applications option or it is greyed out then, it implies that the backup was taken at the folder level instead of the volume level. Hence, keep in mind that, to restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup with WSB, the backup process must be performed at the volume level.
The “Select Application” window will pop up >> select Exchange. The administrator can also select the “Do not perform a roll-forward recovery of the application database” option if the transaction logs from the last backup are not present anymore on the server. In such a case, WSB will pull all uncommitted transaction logs.
In Specify Recovery Options, choose “Recover to the Original Location” or “Recover to another location” to restore mailbox from backup Exchange 2010 environment.
A verification page will come out to review the actions, hit the Recover Button to begin the recovery process.
If the recovery process gets completed successfully then, it will restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup and it will be saved in the Target directory. Apart from this, it will also create a backup log and restore the completion event in the Application event log of Windows Event Viewer.
Limitations of Using Windows Server Backup
- By default, the WSB backups are unencrypted. For creating the encrypted backups with the help of Windows Backup, one needs to install Bitlocker (a separate application) first. Source and destination locations are a must after that, they can be enabled and prepared for the BitLocker.
- While restoring a single mailbox from Exchange backup in Windows Server 2012. It is a serious limitation as most of the Exchange Server comprise multiple databases. Users either need to run a one-time backup or utilize the Task Scheduler to take a recurring backup.
- Exchange Server offers an option to back up a passive copy of the user database. However, this feature is not available in Windows Server 2012 to take the backup.
Restore Exchange 2010 Mailbox from Backup via EDB File
Although the aforementioned procedure is free to use, it can only help you in cases when you have a backup file using Windows Server Backup. In scenarios when you have an EDB file and want to restore your mailbox from it, then SysTools Exchange Mailbox Recovery must be your first choice. It is one of the best solutions when you need to restore mailboxes from dismounted / offline EDB files.
The software is integrated with two scan options that help users in case of damaged EDB files. So, no matter if you have healthy or damaged EDB files, the software can work on both of them seamlessly. Users can easily repair corrupt EDB files no matter the level of corruption in those database files.
Another major reason for using this utility over others is that users can export even large-sized EDB files. Additionally, users get the option to import EDB files into Exchange 2016, 2013, 2010, or older versions.
Steps to Restore Mailbox from Backup of Exchange 2010 Environment
Firstly, launch the software and click Add File button to browse EDB files.
Preview Mailbox Data: Once added, you will get a preview of mailbox data.
Restore Exchange 2010 Mailbox: Select the desired mailboxes and hit the Export button to move all the selected emails into the Exchange environment again.
Select Exchange Environment: Software support various File formats. To restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup, select the Live Exchange Export option > Click on the Advance settings button.
Provide Exchange Credentials: Now provide Exchange Details to access the environment. The export process will begin now and then, the tool will display the exporting folders along with the number of data items and destination location > Select enter destination mailbox radio button > Click Next button.
Validate Mailbox: Now provide the Desired Mailbox Details to restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from the backup EDB File.
In Summation
Keeping a backup copy of your crucial mailbox data is always a wise decision by Exchange administrators. These copies come as a savior whenever there is a need to restore Exchange 2010 mailbox from backup. Users can use Windows Server Backup Solution that can help them get the job done. However, if you have an EDB file as a backup copy, then you can use the professional utility as discussed in the article.
