Database restore errors

Essendon

Getting 3 errors:

1. End restore to server05\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group Failed. Verify: Off
2. Information store (704) Callback function call ErrESECBRestoreGetDestination ended with error 0xC7FE1F42 Database not found
3. Failed to find a database to restore from AD. Storage Group specified on the backup media is ...... Database specified on the backup media is Mailbox Store (server05), error is 0xc7fe1f42.

This is driving me crazy. I have followed the articles on TechNet for backing up and restoring databases to the word. I have ensured that the database I want to restore has been dismounted after the backup and that "This database can be overwritten by a restore" is checked.

The filename on the restore job and the backup media do match. BTW, notice the 3rd error says the database specified is Mailbox Store (server05). I am not even trying to restore this database. I am trying to restore a different database, Melbourne Mailbox store.

Does this seem to point at some AD problems? DNS is working ok, unqualified domain names can be resolved from the exchange server. I have another exchange server, server07. If I try to restore to this server, it gives me an error saying "Unable to create a log path. Check to make sure that this is a valid path."

A warning message after the restore fails that raises a brow is "Unable to update Mailbox SD in the DS. Mailbox Guid:..... error code 0x8004010f. Now MS says this error is related to Offline Address Lists. When I click Send/Receive in Outlook 2003 on a client machine, any emails do come through but I get this sync error, code 0x8004010f.

Edit: I am running Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise. Checked this from the exadmin.dll file. VSS is running, and I backed up the SystemState (to same folder as the database backup) and IIS.

Essendon

On further reading, found this bit of info on TechNet:

It is best not to mount the store at this point. Mounting the store can create log files that conflict with the log files on your backup media and therefore interfere with log file replay when you restore the database from backup.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998126(EXCHG.65).aspx

I think I did mount the databases right away, but cant be sure since I created them couple of weeks ago. Could this be why I am getting the errors?

Essendon

Well, I just created a new mailbox store and did not mount it when prompted. Gave it 10 minutes and then mounted it. Created a mailbox in the store. Backed up and attempted a restore, exact same errors as before.

It seems to me that there is something with AD that's unable to relate the GUID of the mailbox store to the actual name (error number 3 indicates this).

Although I am going nuts trying to fix this, but this is interesting stuff. Finding this better than studying for the 291. Perhaps I now have a better understanding of server stuff in general.

HeroPsycho

Are you restoring to the same location for the DB and logs?
Are you restoring the db to the same db name as before?
Did you delete the DB before restoring it? (Don't do this if you haven't...)
Are you restoring to the same server?

Claymoore

HeroPsycho wrote: »

Are you restoring to the same location for the DB and logs?

That was my first thought on reading this - damn you HP for stealing all the answers!

The drive letter and folder path are part of the database and it won't mount if it is in a different location. You can change the path by editing AD with ADSI Edit (unless HP has a magic powershell script already). The setting is buried deep in the path, but it is easy to change if you need to mount the database somewhere else on the server.

royal

Any chance you have a Recovery Storage Group and are trying an streaming restore operating to the live database instead of the RSG? VSS backup solutions can restore to the live database instead of an RSG, but not streaming. If you wanted to do so, you'd have to set: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem to 1. This allows streaming restore to ignore the RSG.

I wanted to add that when you do utilize a Recovery Storage Group, it should automatically redirect there. I should have worded the above better in that it's not finding the mailbox database and maybe re-creating the Recovery Storage Group (if there is one) may fix it. Or deleting the RSG. Or using the reg key above.

Let us know if you actually have a RSG.

Essendon

HeroPsycho wrote: »

Are you restoring to the same location for the DB and logs?
Are you restoring the db to the same db name as before?
Did you delete the DB before restoring it? (Don't do this if you haven't...)
Are you restoring to the same server?

1. For clarification, did you mean choosing "Original location" in the Restore files to option? If yeah, then yes I am.
2. Same name as before.
3. No I didnt.
4. Yes.

Essendon

royal wrote: »

Any chance you have a Recovery Storage Group and are trying an streaming restore operating to the live database instead of the RSG? VSS backup solutions can restore to the live database instead of an RSG, but not streaming. If you wanted to do so, you'd have to set: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem to 1. This allows streaming restore to ignore the RSG.

I wanted to add that when you do utilize a Recovery Storage Group, it should automatically redirect there. I should have worded the above better in that it's not finding the mailbox database and maybe re-creating the Recovery Storage Group (if there is one) may fix it. Or deleting the RSG. Or using the reg key above.

Let us know if you actually have a RSG.

I have an RSG. I didnt fully understand what you wrote, royal. I deleted the RSG from the Exchange System Manager anyway, but it's left behind traces in the exchgsvr folder. I removed those too. Attempted a restore, it still fails.

Feel like a n00b

royal

Have you checked this out?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;a41143

And is this the same environment you were previously having AD replication issues?

Essendon

That link doesnt bring up anything, royal. It's the same environment that I had AD replication issues with. I do have a replication failed error every now and then but it seems to correct itself (there's an event log after the error that says "replication is finally succeeding")

royal

Ntbackup is not successful and event 904 error 0xC7FE1F42 is logged
Event IDs 904, 9635, 8003, and 8019 are logged when you try to restore data to a computer that is running Exchange 2003 Server

Essendon

wrote:

Open ADSI Edit.
Click to expand Configuration, expand Services, expand Microsoft Exchange, expand Organization Name, expand Administrative Groups, expand Admin Group Name, expand Servers, expand ServerName, and then expand Information Store.
Right click the Store which is incorrectly named and enter the value from the 8012 event.

I dont get any 8012 errors. I still compared the names of the databases in ADSI to the System Manager, they were the same. At the bottom of the 296841 KB article, it says get an LDP ****, how do I get that? Googling this didnt yield much.

I followed the other link too, royal, still no go. Same dumb errors. This is getting a little frustrating for me to the point. BTW, I am feeling that I am doing something fundamentally incorrect. If any of youse had a real look at my Exchange server, you'd probably instantly find the mistake. I'll probably study securing exchange server over the weekend and have someone at work look at this on Monday. I am slated to take the test on the 28th, but by the looks of it, I should knock it back by a week or so.

Any other suggestions, royal, HP, claymoore?

Claymoore

I wrote all this out and then wondered if you are restoring the .stm file along with the .edb file when you are restoring the database?
How to recover the information store on Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 in a single site

Disclaimer - the only time I have had to use the RSG to recover mailboxes was when we had corrupted message stores. We didn't care about the logs because I only needed to filter out the corrupted messages by mounting a copy of the DB in the RSG and then moving the mailboxes to a new store. We did not replay logs because they were useless in our scenario. I'll give you a link on how to replay logs, but HP or Royal might have some more advice for you.

You really need to make sure your backup is viable and mountable. Create a Recovery Storage Group and database - here are some links with instructions:
Setting Up a Recovery Storage Group
How to Create the Recovery Storage Group
Dismount the empty database you juct created.
Restore your database to a location accessible by the RSG, but don't overwrite the empty database if you used the same name.
Edit the path of the database in the RSG (using the ADSI path above) by changing the msExchEDBFile attributes's value to the restored database file name and path.
You can either force an AD replication or just wait a few seconds for your DCs to synchronize the new value.
Try to mount the database in the RSG. If it mounts, the DB is good.

You can now dismount the DB, delete it, restore it again and replay the logs against it if you want. When all that is done you can then move the mailboxes back to a new empty db as a permanent home.
Transaction Log File Replay: Soft Recovery and Hard Recovery in Exchange Server 2003

Essendon

Gents, thought I'd give you an update to this thread. The restores are working now, no errors in the application logs. This was a bit weird since the only thing I did different from last time is I unticked "This database can be overwritten by a restore" and unticked "Mount this database after restore completes". And the restore went through. The restore.env file is gone as it should after a successful restore.

Also, another thing I did different from the first time is that I gave it some time between the backup and the restore (about 10 minutes), but this shouldnt matter, should it? There isnt any replication involved with restores. Well, I am happy this is working now.

Thanks HP, royal and Claymoore (also for the RSG info).