Microsoft Exchange: Enabling Circular Logging

For LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service to back up Microsoft Exchange, Exchange's circular logging option must be enabled. We strongly recommend that you verify whether this option is enabled on your Exchange Server. If it is disabled, enable it at that time.

Unlike traditional backup products, the LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service backup technology does not rely upon the Exchange standard logging to ensure complete and accurate backups or restores. As such, LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service does not truncate or remove the Exchange logs. Failure to enable circular logging may result in the computer running out of disk space.

Exchange 5.5

For LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service to back up Exchange, Exchange's circular logging option must be enabled for the Directory Service and Information Store database files. We strongly recommend that you verify whether this option is enabled on your Exchange Server. If it is disabled, enable it at that time.

To review circular logging via MyLiveVault

You can review your current Exchange circular logging settings in MyLiveVault beginning in LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service Agent version 4.0. If you are running an earlier Agent version, you must review and set these options through the Exchange Administrator.

You can check the status of the circular logging option in MyLiveVault in the Options tab on the Computer Backup form.

To enable circular logging via Exchange Administrator

1. In the Exchange Administrator, navigate to the server (expand the Site, expand the Configuration container, and then expand the Servers container).

2. Click the server's name to select the server.

3. Click File then Properties. The Properties dialog box for the selected server opens.

4. Click the Advanced tab.

5. In the Database Circular Logging group, look at the Directory and Information Store checkboxes.

   • Select both of these checkboxes to enable circular logging.

   • If these checkboxes are already both checked, then circular logging is already enabled.

6. Click OK.

7. Restart the Exchange Information Store and Directory.

Exchange 2000/2003

For LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service to back up Exchange 2000/2003 Server, circular logging must be enabled for each Information Storage group. Since each individual message store within an Information Storage group shares the same set of transaction logs, each individual message store is affected by enabling circular logging for that storage group.

Circular logging is disabled by default in Exchange 2000/2003. You must manually enable circular logging.

To enable circular logging via MyLiveVault

You can review and edit your current Exchange retention settings in MyLiveVault beginning in LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service Agent version 4.0. If you are running an earlier Agent version, you must set these options through the Exchange System Manager.

Note: Optionally, you can contact Customer Service and have them turn off the capability to set these options through MyLiveVault; however, the option settings remain visible.

1. Click the Options tab on the Computer Backup form.

2. Next to Storage Groups, click Prev or Next to move through the available information storage group until the Name field specifies the desired group.

3. The Enable circular logging checkbox indicates whether circular logging is enabled. Select or clear the checkbox to enable or disable circular logging for the storage group.

To enable circular logging via Exchange System Manager

1. In Exchange System Manager, navigate to the Exchange 2000/2003 Server and select the Information Storage group for which you want to enable circular logging.

2. Right-click on the selected storage group and click Properties on the shortcut menu.

3. On the Properties dialog box's General tab, select the Enable circular logging checkbox.

4. Repeat steps 2-3 for each Information Storage group.

Related Information

Understanding Microsoft Exchange Backup
Viewing and Setting Microsoft Exchange Application Options