[Box Backup] Does windows client handle exchange server files

[Chris Wilson]

Hi Pete,

On Tue, 31 Oct 2006, E.W. Peter Jalajas wrote:

> Maybe this is obvious, but please also be careful of the converse:
> that is, not only can box backup not backup a file that is locked in
> use, but also, your customers cannot open a file that is being backed
> up by box backup if box backup gets to that file first.

This should not happen unless the application tries to open the file 
exclusively (and fails, because Box Backup is still reading it). I haven't 
checked, but perhaps Microsoft Office does this.

> This lock-out problem is particularly problematic because, it seems, the 
> more important business files are frequently quite large and thus the 
> customer is locked out of them for very long and frustrating periods of 
> time, usually at the worst possible moment.  Exchange would fall into 
> that, and that is on my list to work on, when time permits.

Doesn't Exchange keep its data files open the whole time that it's 
running? If so, then unless you stop or restart Exchange, Box Backup would 
never have a chance to open the files in the first place.

> Maybe shadow copy is really the generic solution to this problem; I
> have to look into that more.

I think that VSS is the answer to both problems.

Cheers, Chris.
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