Should I be concerned? Exchange 2010 config

nutcase

nutcase

nutcase

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I think this is a rhetorical question... Am now overseeing the company IT instead of just being on the fringe. I've spent a few hours seeing what I have. I've fixed a large number of DNS and DHCP issues that date back to when the main servers were 2003 and were upgraded to 2008.

Had a bit of a look at exchange (of which I have zero experience):

173GB Mailbox database (See query below).
Circular logging enabled
Logs and database are on the same R5 array (in the same directory a well...)
Backup Exec only runs on the above directory monthly. Windows server backup is not configured and I can't see any other backup software.

We do have mailmarshall which copies all email except internal to internal mailbox and that is backed up daily.

Am I right in saying that with about 20 log files, none older than about 15 minutes on a quiet Saturday - we are in a VERY dangerous position?

The server exchange is running on has 8 bays, all filled, with a single R5 array, and about 250GB free. We have had issues a few years back with running very low on disk space which may be why circular logging has been enabled?

Could I have missed something - is there a built in backup for exchange that may be doing it's bit somewhere? Any suggestions where to look?

Assuming I've not missed something, what's the best plan of attack? I'm thinking:

Backup the database and logs (?) nightly as a separate job.
Switch off circular logging - how does exchange know that a backup has been taken to clear the logs or is that a manual task?
How much disk space should I allow for for the 173GB database?
Shout very loudly at the consultants who haven't mentioned this issue...

Thanks :)
 
We don't appear to have the exchange addition to Backup Exec so not sure what we have currently would work? Minor issue though, it's easy enough to set a reminder to manually delete logs over a certain age...

I'd love to use exchange online of some sort, but they won't pay the cost. There's also over 200GB of PST file archives (yes I know...!).
 
They're not going to spring over £10k a year (allowing for some of the mailboxes to be option 2) for something they already own the CALS and exchange licence for. That will come when Exchange 2010 is no longer usable.
 
No offence taken, you're absolutely right - but I am only first line, any sign of a meltdown and I'd be on the phone to the external 2nd/3rd line support. I have it in writing that I'm not expected to deal with anything major (define major?). I've just been nosing about to get familiar with it all.

We have 315 mailboxes at present, managers and directors have quite large mailboxes and archives, the rest "need" them but that's really because they can't be bothered to delete stuff they don't need. A whole culture change is needed to sort that. Giving them all 50GB mailboxes wouldn't' help :D

I already have a long term plan to virtualise everything which includes having a second exchange server in a DAG at a different site but I think the above issue needs sorting first ASAP. I need to retire a couple of old server first to free up some licences to make a start on that project. I've been involved in future planning for a while now, it's the day to day I've taken over.
 
The monthly backup goes onto an iSCSI drive that is connected by fibre to a different building (still not on a removable media though - another thing I need to sort...). I'm using windows server backup to take a copy of the database at the minute. So as to avoid breaking anything I've told it to NOT clear the logs (what little there is). If that works I think I'll make that a daily job until it gets fixed properly.
 
There's no way we will end up with ENP - we're just not big enough. I want a second exchange server for availbility, but that's it. I'm not even going to call it high availability...

Think I'm going to have an interesting discussion with my manager today.
 
I can breathe again (a little) - I had a chat with the consultants who pointed out hiding down the bottom of the backup job config is the microsoft store which is backed up every night. So it looks like the most we would lose is a day. Still not good enough in my opinion, but better than a month. Not sure how I missed that, but I'm not familiar with Backup Exec.

The server is a DL380 G7 that is still under 4hr maintenance (think there's just over a year left on the current agreement). The array is 8x300GB in R5 so 2.1 total capacity, split into an OS and Data logical drives. The same server also hosts pretty much everything including file shares etc...

There is a second DC/DNS on an old G5 as well.

Realistically we can afford some down time, it wouldn't kill us to have things down for a day - would cost quite bit of money mind.
 
The rough plan is:

Use the existing main server in a regional office as a hyper-v host running core services eg. 2nd exchange server, duplicate of file server, DC etc.

Use the DL380p Gen8 we have as a RD server as a host (upgraded to 2 CPUs, additional RAM etc.)
Use the new DL380p Gen9 we have just bought to replace a G5 RD server as a host - the Gen8/Gen9 being the main hosts for the primary VMs.
 
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