Acronis T.I.E.S Current version does not correctly backup Exchange 2007

I have read through previous posts on backing up MS Exchange with Acronis
and can confirm that the Acronis True Image Echo Server Product ver 8,163
does not correctly backup "Image" exchange databases using VSS.

When I run Acronis it does create a image of the exchange server but vss
fails at the end of the imaging processes and the transation logs are not
removed. "Part of backing up exchange" if circular logging is not enabled
is when the backup process completes, exchange writes to the databases
to indicate they are backed up. When this process completes the transaction
logs are removed.

The specific error as reported by ESE is

Information Store (4740) Shadow copy instance 1 aborted.

I am in need of a fix to resolve this issue. My exchange server is running
on win serv 2008.

Acronis T.I.E.S is not sending the signal to exchange to tell it the databases are backed up. This
means that exchange does not know to remove the transaction logs for the databases.
This is "Useless" and is not how a product should be backing up exchange. If exchange never
removes the Transaction Logs then the disc fills up and the databases Dismount. A dismount
means no e-mail and users cant get their e-mail.

I am highly "Ticked Off" with this issue. I do not want to have to spend $900 on the new
Exchange product when the product I have claims it can backup exchange.

If your using Acronis to back up Exchange "Any version that supports VSS" I suggest you
verify that you really have a valid Backup of those databases. You might be surprised in a bad
way if you need to restore exchange or one of the exchange databases from the Acronis Image.

Thanks ExchangeUser

 

I have the same issue. I have Acronis 9.1 on Exchange 2003 and Acronis TrueImageServerEcho build 8163 on Exchange 2007. Is there any way to fix this issue

 

I think the lack of response from Acronis is a good indication that this
product is not really suitable for backing up Exchange.

 

Yeah, I think that too. It is still stupid to backup the entire server with TrueImage and after that backup only exchange with some other software.

 

Hello exchangeuser and matarvai,

Please accept our apologies for the delay with the response.

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please be informed that Acronis True Image Echo Server for Windows and Acronis True Image Echo Enterprise Server can backup MS Exchange only with entire partition\hard drive, separate backups of database itself are not supported in these products.

Please note that you should use Pre\Post commands to create a correct backup of MS Exchange database (to stop and start it for snapshot capture).

Separate backup of MS Exchange is supported by Acronis Recovery for Microsoft Exchange SBS Server Edition

Please also notice that you can find detailed information on Acronis True Image Echo Enterprise Server in the respective [http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/download/docs/]User's Guide[/url].

To get immediately support we recommend you to use our Live Chat service. We will do our best to investigate the problem and provide you with a solution.

Thank you.
--
Alexander Nikolsky

 

Check here for the VSS discussion and the answers

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=212801

 

Hello Alexander thanks for getting back.

I looked at the user manual and found that you can use pre and post commands as indicated. There is a problem with this. T.I.E.S claims to
be able to Image a Exchange server using VSS. The problem is that
when a image completes T.I.E.S Does not tell exchange that a backup
has completed which means that Exchange does not know to purge
the transaction logs.

This means that "T.I.E.S Product" is not a Exchange Aware product it also
means that it fails to completly back up / Image an exchange server.
There should be no need to use pre and post commands on a exchange server
with this product as the product uses VSS to suspend the databases before
imaging begins.

If you got to the product page. http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATISWin/

You will notice that it says "Enhanced database support — Online backup of servers with the mission critical databases, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and more"

This is a blatent mis-representation of the facts !!!!!!!

T.I.E.S Images a Exchange Server but at the end of the imaging process it
does not tell exchange to "Purge" the transaction logs

Is there a patch available to resolve this issue ?

Everything works Ok right until imaging is complete "The missing part" is that
VSS is not telling exchange that it has a valid backup of the exchange databases so go ahead and purge the transaction logs.

Put another way the process is this.

1 Vss takes a snapshot of the exchange server.
2 T.I.E.S Images the server.
3 When image is complete VSS tells Exchange to purge the transaction logs
4 Process Ends.

Part 3 is where the issue is. Right at the end VSS should notify Exchange
to "Purge" the transaction logs for the databases.

By way of an example here is the process that a competing product uses.
Microsoft DPM. DPM uses VSS as you can see THe MS VSS works

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start

Information Store 488 Shadow copy instance 211 freeze started.

MSExchangeIS 488 Main Users Storage Group: Shadow copy instance 211 freeze started.

Information Store 488 Shadow copy instance 211 freeze ended.

MSExchangeIS 488 Main Users Storage Group: Deleting log files D:\Main Users Storage Group \E0700001E74.log to D:\Main Users Storage Group \E0700001E74.log.

Information Store 488 Shadow copy instance 211 completed successfully.

The VSS service is shutting down due to idle timeout.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
So from these log files you can clearly see that

VSS freezes the databases
Backups The databases
VSS Un-Freezes the databases
Removes the transaction logs for the database
Stops VSS when process is complete.

This is what T.I.E.S should be doing. I await a fix to resolve your VSS issues
with the product.

Thanks ExchangeUser

 

Hello exchangeuser,

Thank you for using Acronis Corporate Products

It appears that the most suitable product for you is Acronis Recovery for Microsoft Exchange

This software will satisfy all your demands.

Thank you.

--

Oleg Lee