Before you run the VSS Exchange Snapshot Scheduler Wizard to schedule a snapshot set for an Exchange 2010 database, you must prepare snapshot mirrors attached to the volumes in the database.
See Preparing the snapshot mirrors.
You can then use the VSS Exchange Snapshot Scheduler Wizard to schedule the initial snapshot and to set up the schedule for keeping it refreshed.
When the scheduled snapshot occurs, the snapshot mirrors are detached from the original volumes, creating separate on-host snapshot volumes as well as an XML file to store the Exchange and snapshot volume metadata. The scheduled process integrates with VSS to quiesce the databases and then simultaneously snapshot the volumes. This snapshot is done while the databases are online and without disrupting the email flow.
Note that if an Exchange 2010 mailbox database is configured under VCS, then you can store the snapshot set file in a file share path by configuring a file share resource. This is to avoid configuring extra shared volumes to store the snapshot set file, which is available once the mailbox database fails over.
In the case of a scheduled snapshot, even though schedules are visible on all nodes, the snapshot will happen only on a node where the mailbox database is present. There can be a large number of mailbox databases in Exchange 2010 and each database may have independent schedules. Hence the number of different paths required for storing the snapshot metadata files is higher, which is achieved by configuring a file share resource. You can also specify the file share path in the redirect.txt
file, for example, \\MySystemName1\share1\QRDir
.
In the case of a VCS clustered setup with more than one node, configure the Veritas Scheduler Service with any user account with administrative privileges (other than the Local System account) which is valid on all the nodes of the cluster. This user account should have read-write permissions to the file share path.
For Exchange 2010, if replication is enabled in a DAG, you can choose to schedule a snapshot set for either the active or passive copy.
Note: |
Before adding or removing a node from a VCS cluster setup, delete the schedules and then recreate the schedules on the required node. |
To schedule a snapshot
Snapshot Volume Label |
Displays the read-only label for the snapshot volume. |
Drive Letter |
Optionally, click a drive letter and select a new choice from the drop-down menu. The drive letters specified may not be available when the snapshot is taken. When this occurs, the snapshot operation is performed, but no drive letters are assigned. |
Plex |
Optionally, click a plex and select a new choice from the drop-down menu. |
This panel is displayed only in an environment using Volume Replicator. Otherwise, you will be directly taken to the Schedule Information panel.
See Volume Replicator Administrator's Guide.
Name of this schedule |
Enter a unique name for the snapshot set schedule. This name identifies the snapshot schedule if you later want to view information about the snapshot status. A default name consists of the VSS writer name, the component name and a numbered suffix that increments with each schedule. |
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Description of this schedule |
Optionally, enter a description to help you identify the schedule when you view information about the snapshot status |
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Start Time |
The time of the day to begin taking snapshots. |
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End Time |
The time of day to end taking snapshots. If a snapshot is in progress it is completed but a new one is not started after the end time. |
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Schedule takes effect on |
The date on which the specified schedule takes effect. The default is the current date. |
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Restart task every |
The interval between snapshots, in minutes. For example, if the interval is 360 minutes and you schedule a snapshot start time of 12 P.M. and an end time of 7 P.M, the snapshot occurs twice. |
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Every |
Enable the Every option to have the snapshot schedule continue to occur. Otherwise the schedule applies only for one day. Specify the number of days before restarting the snapshot schedule. For example, 1 day would mean the schedule takes effect daily, 2 days would mean every other day. |
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Start On |
If you enable the Every option, specify the starting date. |
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Pre Command |
Optionally, specify the full path of a command script to run before the scheduled snapshot occurs.
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Post Command |
Optionally, specify the full path of a command script to run after the snapshot is complete.
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Days of Week |
Select one or more days on one or more weeks of the month. You can click a button at the top of the column to select the entire column or a button to the left of a row to select the entire row. For example, clicking First schedules the snapshots to occur on the first occurrence of all the week days for the month. |
Days of Month |
Select one or more days of the month. You can also check the Last Day checkbox to schedule the snapshot for the last day of each month. |
Specific Dates |
Select one or more specific dates to include in or to exclude from the schedule. Excluding a date takes precedence over days scheduled on the other tabs. For example, if you schedule every Monday on the Days of Week tab, and you exclude Monday October 9 on the Specific Dates tab, the snapshots are not taken on October 9. |
If two schedules overlap for the same snapshot set, only one snapshot is taken. For example, if you select every Thursday plus the last day of the month, and the last day of the month occurs on Thursday, only one snapshot is taken on Thursday,