I have Backup Exec 11D with the Exchange option license installed.
However, I have now realised that I have been backing up my Clustered
(2 nodes - active/passive) Exchange 2003 (SP3) server Info stores with
the AOFO option enabled, therefore all my FULL backups (database fully
backed up and logs flushed etc) have been backed up using Microsoft
Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). For some reason the AOFO was enabled
for all jobs by default.

I have a very important Manager who managed to stupidly deleted all
his mailbox items using SHIFT + DELETE, therefore permanently deleting
these items, so the retention period will not help. How he did this, I
do not know.

I really need to get these emails back. My question is, what should I
do to recover this info. I know that you cannot restore this VSS info
to a Recovery Storage Group. Will I need to build a new Exchange
server and AD Domain Controller in an isolated network to be able to
restore this info or am I screwed? I am willing to do a lot of work to
recover this info even if it is a very crude method.

Shirt-Del doesn't mean that Deleted Item Retention is not relevant - the
items are still there you just need to tweak the registry to make Recover
Dleeted Items available for folders other than Deleted Items - check out
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/178630 or google for DumpsterAlwaysOn.

"rugbynutta" wrote:

Thanks RobM.
That's one thing I did forget that you could do. Unfortunately my item
retention was set for 10 days and the damage was already done (10 days
had passed) when I returned from my holiday last week. It tried it
anyway but the items are long gone now except for the last 10 days.

On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:25:51 -0700 (PDT), rugbynutta
googlemail.com> wrote:

Yep. It is.

Thanks Andy, the items are not within the deleted item retention time.
It was set to 10 days. He deleted whilst I was on holiday and I came
back after the 10 day retention time. I don't suppose if I change it
to 30 days? That would just be wishful thinking, but I'm sure the
mailbox management processes probably delete the items permanently
over the retention time.

If you have any ideas on the original question regarding restoring
from a VSS backup of Exchange it would be most appreciated. I don't
even know if I can restore that VSS backup to a new server with the
same name etc in an unconnected network.

Setting it to 30 days won't make any 10 or later mail suddenly appear
available - it's been purged.

You can restore a VSS Backup to a Recovery Storage Group:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124515(EXCHG.80).aspx

Oliver

Here's a decent VSS Backup to RSG common error issue when using BackupExec
too.

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/304636.htm

Oliver

.

On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:53:11 -0700 (PDT), rugbynutta
googlemail.com> wrote:

They will be gone unless you checked the option not to delete until a
backup was run and well, you havent dont a backup. Not a likely
scenario right? :(

Yea, IIRC, you cant restore an Exchange 2003 VSS snap to a RSG if that
option is set.