Restoring Exchange Mailbox Data

Using the Recovery Storage Group in Exchange 2007

Creating a Recovery Storage Group
Before creating Recovery Storage Group, please make sure the existing mailbox
should not overwrite while restoring.
Exchange Management consoleServer configuration Mailbox Mailbox Storage
GroupMailbox Database right click properties.

Cross check the checkbox should not check.

Create Recovery Storage Group

Step1: From Exchange Management Console Toolbox Database Recovery
Management

Step2: Exchange will launch the Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant. Enter
a
name
for
the
activity
[activity
name
should
be
in
ServerName_StoreName_DDMMMYY format] that we are performing. We can call the
activity anything that you want. Verify the name of the
Exchange Server that the activity is being performed on, and provide the name of a domain
controller.

Restriction that you need to be aware of is that you can only use recovery storage
groups to recover mailbox data. You can not use a recovery storage group to recover
public folder data.
Create a folder eg. ServerName_StoreName_DDMMMYY format in free space drive.
Under ServerName_StoreName_DDMMMYY folder create Logs and Data folder.
Step3: Click Next, and will be taken to a screen that asks to select the task that you
want to perform. Choose the option to create a recovery storage group. The

RSG folder should be created in relevant drive. (Drives are already labeled as
RSG in CMS10 server)

Step4: Select the Mailbox Storage Group and click Next

Step5: Type the name of Recovery Storage Group name eg:

SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY
a. Transaction log file folder and browse the path to newly created folder
SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY \Logs
b. System folder and check points file folder select the path to newly created
folder SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY \Data

c. Database folder and filenames SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY \Data

folder

Now, click the Create the Recovery Storage Group link, and the recovery storage
group will be created.

Step6: Set up the overwritten by restore flag

Step7: Restore a database into the recovery storage group that we have just created
[SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY]
Open NTBACKUP, and then select the Restore and Manage Media tab. Now,
expand of the media containing the backup [Full] that you want to restore, choose
your target storage group, and click the Start Restore button.

The restore operation is set to restore the database to its original location, and that
there is no way to change this option. However, this does not mean that the current
production database will be overwritten by the restored database. There are two
reasons for this. First, we have not configured Exchange to allow the database
to be overwritten. Second, the production database is still mounted. Because
of these factors, the backup will be restored to the recovery storage group

Create Temp folder in driver eg: E:\Temp and give the path in Temporary location for
log and path files:

This screen prompts you to verify the name of the server to which the database will
be restored, and to specify a temporary location for log files and patch files. After
doing so, verify that the Last Restore Set check box is not selected, and that the
Mail Database after Restore check box is not selected. Click OK and the
restoration process will begin.
Step8: Restore the backup from Differential backup [It will restore only transaction
logs not mailbox]
Open NTBACKUP, and then select the Restore and Manage Media tab. Now,
expand of the media containing the backup [Differential] that want to restore,
choose your target storage group, and click the Start Restore button

Give the E:\Temp path in Temporary location for log and path files:
This screen prompts you to verify the name of the server to which the database will
be restored, and to specify a temporary location for log files and patch files. Verify
that the Last Restore Set check box is not selected. Click OK and the restoration
process will begin.
Step9:
1. Determine whether the Restore.env file for this database exists, and where it is
located eg: SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY \Logs. If Restore.env cannot be
found,
this
database
must
be
restored
again
from
backup.
2. Determine which transaction log files you want to replay with this database. A
copy of this set of log files should be put in both the Restore.env location and in the
normal transaction log file folder. eg: SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY \Logs
In Command prompt, type the command ESEUTIL /CM
Eg: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Bin\ ESEUTIL /CM run the command
in E:\Temp folder It will display the transaction log files.
3. Run the following command
ESEUTIL /ML
Eg: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Bin\ ESEUTIL /ML E00 run the
command in E:\Temp folder it will check all transaction log files.
E00 Refers to the first three characters of the transaction log file name.
4. From the Restore.env location, run this command:
Eseutil /CC

This command will trigger a hard recovery and replay the transaction log files it will
merge the transaction logs to Mailbox in Recovery Storage Group
[SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY] folder.
Step10: Mounting the Recovery Storage Group
Open the Exchange Management Console, and go to the Toolbox folder. Now,
double click on the Database Management Recovery icon. When you do, the
console will launch the Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant
Choose the option to Mount or Dismount Databases in the Recovery Storage
Group. Click the check box next to the dismounted database, and then click the
Mount Selected Database link.

You must select the database that you want to mount. When the operation
completes, you should see a screen informing you that the database has been
mounted successfully.
Step11: Extracting data from the recovery storage group
Once the SERVERNAME_STORENAME_DDMMMYY is brought online, execute the below
command to recover only the data from folder name & its subfolders for eg. Inbox,
SentItems. Recovered data will be restored to a folder new folder name in test
users mailbox.
Run the below command in Exchange Management Console
Restore-Mailbox -RSGMailbox 'test user' -RSGDatabase 'SG2RSG\BusinessMailstore1'
IncludeFolders
< '\existing folder names'> TargetFolder <new folder name>
Now exchange will ask for identity where to restore the recovered data., need the
mention the right identy to restore.