[Box Backup] Exchange Server and shadow copy stuff using box backup

[Chris Wilson]

Hi Dave,

> I have a client who has a need for MS Exchange to be backed up via box 
> backup.
>
> He is rather insistent that we use box backup as it "has saved his bacon 
> a few times" and doesn't want to move to anything else!
>
> I've told his this is not a current feature and he has now responded and 
> said what would it cost to make it happen.

It is possible to back up Exchange right now, but it is a bit convoluted. 
Basically you have to use MS Backup to create a Volume Shadow Service 
backup of Exchange, which is saved in a file, which Box Backup will back 
up.

Restore will then be a two-stage process: restore the backed-up Exchange 
backup file with Box, and then restore it over the Exchange installation 
with MS Backup.

There has been a discussion of implementing Volume Shadow Services backups 
within Box Backup itself, removing the need for the MS Backup step, but so 
far nobody has had time to do that.

> Any suggestions as to potential costs of writing this assuming any new 
> code remains under the existing "open source" licence for all to use?

I'm afraid I won't really have time to implement that this year. However, 
Charles Lecklider has expressed an interest and has the skills to do this. 
I believe that lack of time has prevented him from doing it so far, and a 
financial offer might well help to persuade him. Might I suggest that you 
contact him directly for a quote?

> I'm assuming it would be able to run in the background.

I guess that by "in the background" you mean "without shutting down 
Exchange", which is what I assumed above.

If you don't mind shutting down Exchange regularly then you can use Box 
Backup to back up its files without any problems while it's shut down.

Cheers, Chris.
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