Exchange 2003 mailbox restore

[Guest2]

Without reading hundreds/thousands of pages on installing Exchange 2003 could i get a bit of quick help here instead. Please correct me if im wrong with any of this as its all new to me

Ive got a test server, at the moment its just got 2003 server and backup exec 9.1 on it as we need a few mailboxes restoring from some old tapes that do not work in the new tape drive.

The server finds the tape drive and info on the tape but we can only restore data from the file server (no exchange data) SQL and the public folder store and mailbox store from the exchange server backup.

To restore the mailbox store it would need Exchange server either installing on the server or connecting to the domain and our current Exchange server. If we do that latter then it will almost certainly conflict with our current live working server which is not an option. If we leave the domain and unplug the network cable then install the services needed and Exchange then it would need linking up with active directory to restore the mailbox. (this bit im clueless about, but my boss said it needs linking to AD)

If it was connected our domain, we would need to use the account wizard and enter the account credentials from when the mailbox store was originally backed up. If not connected and it was a standalone server then could a new user be created without using the older account info?

Is there a way around this problem, either by somehow extracting info from the mailbox store using another program? We do not have the raw priv1.edb and priv1.stm files to hand

 

[Guest2]

bump. still trying to figure out a way to do this

 

[Guest2]

Thanks. It can't be configured as our current production domain is setup. We currently use backup exec 12 where we were using 9 on the old server with the old tape drive.
Wouldnt we also need the username and password of the account used in backup exec originally? (which we dont have) So, these steps

Install Server 2003
Set it up as domain controller (thought it does this anyway doesnt it?)
Install Exchange 2003
Install backup exec 9 (needs username and password when originally setup?)
Restore from tape
Exmerge to PST

Im unsure on this part -Exmerge back in on production server.
We couldnt want to have 2 domain controllers online at the same time with 2 versions of exchange. So could the PSTs be saved to memory stick, cd or something then copied to the new server without connecting the 2 servers.

Could you setup a test server with exchange on without it being connected to a network?

 

[Guest2]

Thanks for the info. Sounds a bit risky for me to carry out, being that ive only been in my role at this company for 3 months and never even installed Server 2003 (before last week)
Ill pass info onto my boss and have a go at doing it next week probably


Cheers

 

[Guest2]

You can set up a recovery info store on 2003, on 2000 you had to build a server that was 100% the same as the server you were trying to restore the info store from.

You can create the recovery storage group.

Put your tape in, restore the databases then copy them to the original server, mount them in the recovery group and do what you need to do.

Does it allow you so save PST then transfer via removeable media?

'To use a Recovery Storage Group, the Active Directory topology of the Exchange Server 2003 computer must be intact and must be in the same state as when the copy of the database was made.'

I dont think it will be unfortunately

 

[Guest2]

We dont have the EDB file or we would try a converter. paradigm - Even if i get everything setup on the standalone test server, wouldnt i still need the account credentials for backup exec?