How to Take Exchange Server Backup using Windows Backup Utility?

We all know that email is an integral part of every business and corporate bodies. Even individual and homes users use email service excessively in their day-to-day life. Most of the organizations and businesses use Microsoft Exchange Server to store, manage and distribute their crucial emails and other mailbox content significantly. Additionally, Microsoft Exchange Server enables multiple users (company’s staff) to store contacts, schedules, tasks, etc. and share them with one another. If you’re working as an administrator, you must protect your crucial Exchange information since Microsoft Exchange Server is prone to crash and other severe issues like corruption. The best way to secure Exchange Server information is to take Exchange Server backup. For that, you can simply use Windows backup utility, commonly known as NTBackup. Through this very post, you’ll learn how to take Exchange Server backup.

Microsoft Exchange Server

Microsoft Exchange Server is an email cum calendaring server provided by Microsoft to run exclusively on Windows Server operating systems. It primarily supports emails, contacts, tasks, calendars, etc. Also, it provides data storage and other features like web-based and mobile information access. The current version of Microsoft Exchange Server is 2016.

It uses one or more central databases to store emails and other crucial Exchange information. Since multiple users are connected to Microsoft Exchange Server, each single user has its own “mailbox” containing contacts, calendar, task items and other email folders.

How to take Exchange Server backup?

Taking Exchange Server backup is very essential task for every organization. There are various methods you can use to take Exchange Server backup.

Method #1 – Take Exchange Server Backup using NTBackup

The best way to take Exchange Server backup is Windows Backup utility, NTBackup tool. But before you can use it, make sure the Exchange System Manager is installed on your system. Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: First of all, click Win + R buttons to go the command prompt. Now type ntbackup and hit enter. Or, you can simply go to the location where NTBackup is located.

Step 2: You need to follow the commands given there (one by one). Type a name for this backup file and also define a path where you want to save it. You can choose whether to verify data after the backup process or not.

Note: If you choose to verify data after the backup process, it’ll take more time.

Step 3: Once you start the backup process, you can see its progress bar. Don’t cancel it. Within a few minutes, the backup process will be 100% completed. Please check the event log to see if there was any error during the backup operation.

Method #2 – Take Exchange Server Backup using Windows Backup tool

Step 1: Click Win button to go to Start. Point to Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup.

Step 2: Now click the Backup tab.

Step 3: In the left pane, you need to expand the Microsoft Exchange Server branch. Now expand the branch of which you want to take backup. You can simply double-click the branch or click the + sign to expand a branch.

Step 4: Now you need to define the objects of which you want to take backup.

Note: Microsoft neither recommends nor supports taking backup of M drive with file-level backup software.

Step 5: Type a name for this backup file and also define a path where you want to save it. Now click Start Backup. Also, you can specify the settings for this backup operation before click Start Backup.

Method #3 – Take Exchange Server Backup using Windows Server Backup

If you’re using the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server like 2010 or any later version, Windows Server Backup feature should be installed on your local computer. Also, make sure the Exchange Replication Service VSS writer is disabled. To take Exchange Server backup using Windows Server Backup, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: First of all, login into Microsoft Exchange Server. Make sure you have permission to take backup and restore mailboxes.

Step 2: Open Windows Server Backup from the Programs folder. Now go to the Actions menu > select Backup Once.

Step 3: Click Different Options, and then click Next.

Step 4: Now you need to choose the type of backup you want to use here: either Full Server or Custom. I would recommend you to choose full server backup type if you want to take backup of all the volumes. Or you should choose custom backup type for taking backup of specific volumes. Once you select the backup type, click Next.

Step 5: Now define a path where you want to save the backup file. You can either choose a local or remote folder. If you’re choosing remote folder, you can choose inherit to give rights to all the users to access the folder. Click Next.

Step 6: Specify the VSS full backup on Advanced Options page. Click Next to continue the process. Now confirm the backup options and run the backup.

Step 7: The backup progress or status is shown on the Backup Progress screen. Within a couple of minutes, the backup process will be completed. Finally, click Close.

You can also use a commercialware tool like Symantec Backup Exec to take Exchange Server backup. Interested users might also be interested in how to take a backup of local computer system.

 

Download Now

Related Post