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Q152313: XADM: Using the AT Backup Command with Microsoft Exchange

Article: Q152313
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage
Last Modified: 28-MAR-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5 
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SUMMARY
=======

You can use the AT command to automate your Online backup procedures. The AT
command requires that the Schedule service is running on the NT Server.

The AT command to run an online backup of the Microsoft Exchange Directory Store
and Information Store is:

  AT NTBACKUP BACKUP DS \\servername IS \\servername /B /T NORMAL

-or-

  AT <time> Batchfile

MORE INFORMATION
================

The AT command ships with Windows NT and is located by default in the
Winnt\system32 directory. The account that the schedule process is started by
should have the proper access rights to the resources that you are trying to
backup up (see NT System guide, Chapter 15, page 479 for more information). The
AT scheduler requires the administrator logon. The default startup is System
account which will restrict permissions to access network resources such as
printers and shares.

To fully utilize the AT command, modify the Schedule Startup in Control panel,
Services to use "This Account" and use an Administrator equivalent account and
password.

Sample Batch File For On-line Backup:

  rem ** 3/7/96  Backup Written by Joseph Pagano
  rem ** This will backup the IS and DS on both WNTEXS1 and WNTEXD1.
  ntbackup backup DS \\WNTEXS1 IS \\WNTEXS1 /v /d "WNTEXS1 IS-DS" /b /t
  Normal /l c:\winnt35\backup.log /e
  ntbackup backup DS \\WNTEXD1 IS \\WNTEXD1 /a /v /d "WNTEXS1 IS-DS" /b /t
  Normal /l c:\winnt35\backup.log /e
  exit

Information on command line parameters is in the Microsoft Exchange
Administration Guide, Chapter 15, page 462 and in the Books Online.

Ntbackup.exe Switch Notes

Note: In a batch file, limit the command line to 256 characters. Exceeding this
limit might result in files not being backed up and might stop the process
without any warning.

The syntax for this command is as follows:

  ntbackup operation path [/a][/v][/r][/d"text"][/b][/hc:{on | off}]
  [/t{option}][/l"filename"][/e][/tape:{n}]

Parameters:

operation     - Specifies the operation, backup.
Path          - If you are backing up a drive, specifies one or more paths
               of the directories to be backed up. If you are backing up
               Microsoft Exchange Server components, specifies the
               component and the server using the following format:

                   {DS server /IS server}

               where Server is the name of the server you are backing up
               preceded by two backslashes (for example, \\berkeley). DS
               indicates that you are backing up the directory, and IS
               indicates that you are backing up the information store.
/a            - Causes backup sets to be added after the last backup set on
               the tape. When /a is not specified, the program reuses the
               tape and replaces previous data. When more than one drive
               is specified but /a is not, the  program overwrites the
               contents of the tape with the information from the first
               drive selected and then appends the backup sets for the
               remaining drives.
/v            - Verifies the operation.
/r            - Restricts access.
/d "text"     - Specifies a description of the backup contents.
/b            - Specifies that the local registry be backed up.
/hc:on or     - Specifies that hardware compression is on or off.
/hc:off
/t {option}   - Specifies the backup type. Option can be one of the
               following:

                  Normal       - All selected files or Microsoft Exchange
                                 Server components are backed up and
                                 marked as such on the disk.
                  Copy         - All selected files or Microsoft Exchange
                                 Server components are backed up, but they
                                 are not marked as such on the disk.
                  Incremental  - Among the selected files or Microsoft
                                 Exchange Server components, only those
                                 that have been modified are backed up and
                                 marked as such on the disk.
                  Differential - The selected files or Microsoft Exchange
                                 Server components that have been modified
                                 are backed up, but they are not marked as
                                 such on the disk.
                  Daily        - Among the selected files, only those that
                                 have been modified that same day are
                                 backed up, but they are not marked as
                                 such on the disk. This can be useful if
                                 you want to take work home and need a
                                 quick way to select the files that you
                                 worked on that day. This option is not
                                 available when backing up Microsoft
                                 Exchange Server components.
/l "filename" - Specifies the filename for the backup log.
/e            - Specifies that the backup log include exceptions only.
/tape:{n}     - Specifies the tape drive to which the files should be
               backed up. N is a number from 0 to 9 that corresponds to
               the tape drive number listed in the registry.


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbusage 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange550 kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5

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