Tech Tip: CommVault Install Procedure for Exchange 2007 and 2010
by Casey Knudson, Systems Engineer, EAGLE Software, Inc.

Because Exchange 2007/2010 installs only on a 64-bit machine, users can choose to put the Exchange Mailbox agent and/or Public Folder agent on the 64-bit machine or on another 32-bit machine on the network and let it do a proxy backup. The software is designed this way because these agents use the MAPI protocol, and there is only a 32bit version of the MAPI and not a 64bit version. If you put these agents onto the 64-bit machine, you will also have to have the 32-bit Windows File System agent on that machine. This would waste a 32-bit Windows File System license that you would not use (a clustered environment will burn even more).

The 64bit machine would have these agents installed:
64bit Windows File System iDataAgent (required by Exchange Database agent even if you are not going to backup file system)
64bit Exchange Database iDataAgent (has to be installed on Exchange machine)
32bit Windows File System iDataAgent (required if you are doing Exchange Mailbox iDataAgent or Exchange Public Folders iDataAgent on the 64bit machine)
32bit Exchange Mailbox iDataAgent and/or Exchange Public Folders

The benefit of installing the Exchange Mailbox iDataAgent or Exchange Public Folders agents on another 32bit machine is because it allows users to save the extra 32bit Windows File System license.

NOTE: Even though the links below are CommVault 7.0 links they still work with CommVault 8.0 since nothing has changed.

Here are the steps for installing the Exchange agents:
http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/release_7_0_0/books_online_1/english_us/
deployment/install/exchange_2000_2003.htm (the link says 2000 or 2003 but it also refers to 2007 on this page)

Installing 32-bit Components on a Microsoft Windows x64 Platform:
http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/release_7_0_0/books_online_1/english_us/
deployment/install/quick_start_guide_others/install_32bit_on_64bit.htm

Proxy install:
Since the Windows operating system does not provide 64-bit support for the MAPI protocol, the following MAPI-based agents for Exchange Server 2007/2010 can be installed on a 32-bit off-host proxy computer that can communicate with the Exchange Server 2007/2010 host computer:
  • Exchange Mailbox iDataAgent
  • Exchange Public/Web Folder iDataAgent
  • DataArchiver for Exchange Agent
  • DataMigrator for Exchange Mailbox Agent
  • DataMigrator for Exchange Public Folder Agent

Follow the steps provided below to install the Exchange Server 2007/2010 Agents on a 32-bit off-host proxy computer. These steps apply to all Exchange-based agents for Exchange Server 2007/2010 except the Exchange Database iDataAgent.

  1. Add the remote computer to the same Domain in which the Exchange Server 2007/2010 resides.
  2. Install the exchangeMapiCdo.exe software on the remote computer. It is available for download from Microsoft Corporation.

  NOTE: According to Microsoft, the Messaging API (MAPI) client libraries and CDO 1.2.1 are not provided as a part of the Exchange Server 2007/2010 product installation, but may be needed to provide functionality support for applications that depend on Microsoft Exchange MAPI and CDO 1.2.1. Agents for Exchange Server 2007/2010 require this software to be present on the remote computer.

  3. Export the following registry keys on the Exchange Server 2007/2010 computer and import them on the remote computer so that all the Exchange information is carried over to the remote computer:
      o HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange
      o HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS

  4. Continue on to the appropriate installation procedure for Exchange Mailbox iDataAgent and/or Exchange Public Folders

  5. Post install finishing touches:
http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/release_7_0_0/books_online_1/ english_us/
features/client/client.htm#Configuring_the_Proxy_for_Exchange
Point the proxy machine at the actual machine that has Exchange on it so it knows what to backup.

One other thing that CommVault does offer as of version 8.0 is the ability to use a backup of the Exchange database and then use an offline data mining tool to extract messages out of it. Additional information can be found here:

http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/release_8_0_0/books_online_1/ english_us/
features/mining_tool/ex_mining_tool/ex_mining_tool.htm
This feature is designed for people with minimal needs of message restores. If you do a lot of message restores then you should still use the mailbox agent.

For more information on this, contact Casey Knudson, Systems Engineer at EAGLE Software.

About EAGLE
EAGLE distributes a full line of storage and backup products including SAN and NAS storage solutions, virtualization, tape library backup solutions, backup and recovery software packages, and and WAN optimization tools. EAGLE also provides pre-sales evaluation and design, integration and support services.

For more information on EAGLE's products and services, contact: EAGLE Software, 123 Indiana Ave., Salina, KS 67401; Phone (800) 477-5432; Fax: (785) 823-6185; email: contact@eaglesoft.com; website: http://www.storagebyeagle.com.

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