Exchange mailbox database of leaver

Guest2 · 4 Oct 2013 at 11:09

Is there way to find the Exchange Mailbox database location of someone who no longer has a mailbox? (and the mailbox has been purged)

I still have the user alias and disabled AD account.

Searching through log files I cannot find the info. If needed I have access to SQL tables, ADSI, Exchange, basically everything

This is needed for a restore of a mailbox from NetApp

Thanks

AStaley · 4 Oct 2013 at 11:36

Do you not have a backup you can restore from? Presumably what is stored on the NetApp is some sort of snapshot of the full Exchange mailstore?

Guest2 · 4 Oct 2013 at 11:39

AStaley said:
Do you not have a backup you can restore from? Presumably what is stored on the NetApp is some sort of snapshot of the full Exchange mailstore?

Yes, but I need the database info so can do the restore. (we have over 15 DBs)

AStaley · 4 Oct 2013 at 11:48

Sorry not sure I understand.

Yes you have a backup? Then the restore process should as simple as selecting restore, the user and allow the backup software to do the rest.

Yes, the NetApp has a snapshot of the mailstore? Not so sure what your options are here, perhaps load the mailstore up in to a test environment off you main network and then backup to the required mailbox to PST and then import back to mailserver?

paradigm · 4 Oct 2013 at 11:49

I'm assuming here that you haven't soft-deleted the mailbox / archived the mailbox?

Might have to recover some of the transaction logs from a time you know the mailbox to have existed, and find the info from there.

Guest2 · 4 Oct 2013 at 12:11

Yes, we have backups. Its not as simple as 'selecting restore, the user and allow the backup software to do the rest'

You need to know which database they were one then use NetApp to find the snapshot and date they left (then recover from snapdrive & Single mailbox recovert and export to PST/restore to dummy mailbox)

Either way, i have recovered the database info from transaction logs

Thanks

paradigm · 4 Oct 2013 at 13:15

Glad to be of service

AStaley · 4 Oct 2013 at 15:02

Glad you got it sorted. Does remind me that I need to review my companies restore procedures for Exchange from backups. Although we do have the Symantec Cloud Archive service to full back on.