Cisco Unity Maintenance Guide (With Microsoft Exchange), Release 4.0(5) - About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System [Cisco Unity]

Table Of Contents

About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System

Introduction

Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly

Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails

Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails

Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed

Considerations for Choosing Backup Software

Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System

Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server

Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation

Hard Disk Monitoring

Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers

Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity

Installation of a Tape Drive

SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs)

Backups of the Cisco Unity System

General Requirements

Installation of Backup Software

Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods

Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs

Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes

Backups of the Cisco Unity Server

Backups of Separate Message Store Servers

Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover

When to Schedule a Backup

Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server

Considerations for Testing Backups

About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System

Introduction

This chapter describes in general terms backing up a Cisco Unity system.

When you back up a Cisco Unity server (and one or more Exchange servers) you need to consider the same issues involved in backing up any other system. (Note that the service packs, Engineering Specials, and Service Releases that are installed on the Cisco Unity server are not significant to the backup process.)

Caution To back up SQL Server/MSDE data, you need to use the SQL Server agent for your backup software, which allows you to back up open SQL Server/MSDE database files. If you are backing up Exchange data as part of the Cisco Unity backup, you also need to use the Exchange agent for your backup software, which allows you to back up open Exchange database files.

Refer to the following for a list of backup software that is qualified for use with Cisco Unity, and for the Cisco Unity backup software support policy:

•For the Cisco Unity server—The "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/40_sysrq.htm.

•For the Cisco Unity Bridge server—The "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity Bridge System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/bridge30/sysreq/30bsysrq.htm.

See the following sections for information about backing up your Cisco Unity system:

•Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly

•Considerations for Choosing Backup Software

•Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System

•Backups of the Cisco Unity System

•Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server

•Considerations for Testing Backups

Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly

If a hard disk in the Cisco Unity server fails, or if the server itself fails or is lost in a disaster, you may still lose some data even with a well-designed and well-executed backup plan. This section describes the data that may be lost if a hard disk fails, or if a server fails or is lost. See the following sections:

•Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails

•Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails

•Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed

Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails

No data will be lost if only one disk in the RAID fails, as long as a supported fault-tolerant RAID configuration is implemented. (Cisco Unity does not support non-fault tolerant RAID configurations, in which data could be lost if a single disk failed.) However, the following limitations will exist:

•If the failure occurs in a RAID 1 array composed of only two disks, there will be no fault tolerance until the failed disk has been replaced and the data has been re-mirrored. A failure in the remaining disk before the failed disk is replaced will result in the loss of data described in the "Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails" section.

•If the failure occurs in a RAID 5 array, fault tolerance will be maintained, but the loss of a disk will cause performance to be severely affected until the failed disk is replaced.

Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails

If a non-RAID hard disk fails, you may lose some data when database files and logs are stored on the same hard disk, as follows:

•If the Exchange 5.5 directory or the Active Directory database is stored only on the failed hard disk, you will lose all changes to the directory that were made since the last backup (for example, new subscribers, changes to existing subscribers, and deletions of subscribers).

•If both the Cisco Unity SQL Server database and log files are stored on the failed hard disk, you will lose all changes to Cisco Unity configuration data that were made since the last backup (for example, call handlers and templates) and all logs that were written since the last backup.

•If Cisco Unity is installed on the failed hard disk, you will lose changes to greetings and recorded names that were made since the last backup.

•If Cisco Unity is installed on the failed hard disk and if any voice messages are in the Unity Message Repository (UMR) when the hard disk fails (because, for example, the network connection to the partner Exchange server was down), you will lose those messages.

•If Windows 2000 Server is installed on the failed hard disk, you will lose changes to the registry that were made since the last backup, including some Cisco Unity configuration settings.

•If the Exchange message store is installed on the failed hard disk on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the subscriber messages that were made since the last backup (for example, new messages, changes to existing messages, and deletions of messages). If the messages have not been backed up, you will lose all messages.

Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed

If the Cisco Unity server is stolen or destroyed and if it contains more than one hard disk, the data loss may be much greater than the data loss caused by failure of a hard disk.

•If the message store directory database is stored only on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the directory that were made since the last backup (for example, new subscribers, changes to existing subscribers, and deletions of subscribers).

•You will lose all changes to Cisco Unity configuration data that were made since the last backup (for example, call handlers, templates, and other data stored in the Cisco Unity SQL Server databases).

•You will lose changes to greetings and recorded names that were made since the last backup.

•If any voice messages are in the Unity Message Repository (UMR) (because, for example, the network connection to the partner Exchange server was down), you will lose those messages.

•You will lose changes to the registry that were made since the last backup, including some Cisco Unity configuration settings.

•If the Exchange message store is installed on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the subscriber messages that were made since the last backup (for example, new messages, changes to existing messages, and deletions of messages). If the messages have not been backed up, you will lose all messages.

Considerations for Choosing Backup Software

There are many backup software packages—which are sometimes referred to as data protection software packages—available for backing up all of the data on the Cisco Unity server, including SQL Server/MSDE, and Exchange databases and transaction logs. You can also configure backup software packages to back up software that is installed on the server.

We recommend that you use a backup software package to back up a Cisco Unity server rather than using the Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) for the following reasons:

•DiRT is intended as a tool to be used only for upgrading Cisco Unity software and for migrating to another directory or configuration. Backup software is designed for use in a comprehensive backup strategy.

•DiRT requires that the Cisco Unity software be stopped in order to back up all Cisco Unity data reliably. Backup software can back up the Cisco Unity server while Cisco Unity continues to run.

•DiRT backs up only Cisco Unity data and, optionally, Exchange messages. (Refer to DiRT Help for limitations about backing up Exchange messages.) Backup software does not have this limitation.

•DiRT cannot back up software installed on the Cisco Unity server, so restoring the server from a DiRT backup may require additional time. Backup software can back up both software and data.

•DiRT is not supported for backing up the Cisco Unity Bridge. Backup software is supported for backing up the Cisco Unity Bridge.

Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System

To ensure that your backups will be usable in the recovery of all data in the event of a hardware failure or the catastrophic loss of the Cisco Unity server, consider all the issues described in the following sections:

•Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server

•Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation

•Hard Disk Monitoring

•Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers

•Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity

•Installation of a Tape Drive

•SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs)

Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server

To improve performance and to safeguard data if a hard disk fails, the Cisco Unity Installation Guide includes information on the hard disk or partition on which to install Windows 2000 Server, Cisco Unity, SQL Server, Exchange, and other required software on supported Cisco Unity servers. In addition, the Cisco Unity Installation Guide includes instructions for moving databases and transaction logs to different hard disks or partitions. Refer to the installation guide for your Cisco Unity 4.0(5) configuration at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation

It is important to make a list of the following information, and keep this information up to date when you upgrade Cisco Unity or install new service packs or hot fixes. We recommend that you also keep this information for the partner Exchange server. Put the lists where you can find them quickly in an emergency:

•Specifications on the servers, including:

–The amount of RAM

–The processor type and speed

–The voice card model, if applicable

–The tape drive brand and model, if applicable

–The sizes of the hard disks

•The computer (NetBIOS) name

•If you are not using DHCP, the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway of the server, and the IP addresses of the preferred and alternate DNS servers

•The domain that the server belongs to, if the server is not a domain controller

•The RAID configuration

•Details on hard disk partitions, including volume names and partition size

•A list of software installed on each partition, including exact version numbers (note that backups can only be used to recover data for the exact version of Cisco Unity that was backed up)

•A list of databases and log files stored on each partition

•Contact information for hardware and software vendors

Hard Disk Monitoring

We recommend that you monitor the hard disks in the Cisco Unity server to verify that they are functioning, and to be alerted as soon as possible if they fail. For each server that has been qualified for use as a Cisco Unity server, a monitoring application (for example, Compaq InsightManager, Dell OpenManage IT Assistant and Server Administrator, and IBM Director) is available that you can use to monitor the health of hard disks and other server components. These applications have been qualified for limited use on the Cisco Unity server—they are qualified only for remotely restarting the server. However, some sites have been using other features without encountering any problems.

For more information on monitoring Cisco Unity, see the "Performance Monitoring" chapter.

Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers

Not all RAID disks are compatible with one another, and only selected servers have been qualified for use as Cisco Unity servers. If you have spare servers that you can cannibalize for parts or that you can convert to a Cisco Unity server in an emergency, you need not maintain an inventory of spare hardware. Or you may want to keep spare parts and even a spare server on hand to speed recovery. Cisco also offers disk and memory field replacement units (FRUs) for its MCS servers.

For detailed information, refer to the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List, available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html.

Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity

We recommend that you store backup tapes at a location separate from your Cisco Unity installation, but preferably near by.

When selecting a fireproof safe or vault for archiving backup media, the most important factor is the internal temperature specification. We strongly recommend consulting with your archival or fire protection vendor for detailed recommendations and safety standards.

Caution Store all software in a safe place regardless of the backup software you are using. For example, you may not be aware that a backup failed, and you may need to reinstall all software even if you are making full backups.

Installation of a Tape Drive

If the Cisco Unity server is not connected to the network, install a tape drive in the server. If the server is connected to the network, you can install the tape drive or another backup device almost anywhere, though the server used for backup must have a Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet connection path to the Cisco Unity server.

SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs)

By default, a differential backup of the Cisco Unity SQL Server/MSDE database occurs daily, Monday through Saturday, at 2:00 a.m., and a full backup occurs every Sunday at 3:00 a.m. It is important to confirm that the SQL Server/MSDE database backup does not overlap the backup of the Cisco Unity server.

Backups of the Cisco Unity System

The following sections provide information about using backup software to back up the Cisco Unity system:

•General Requirements

•Installation of Backup Software

•Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods

•Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs

•Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes

•Backups of the Cisco Unity Server

•Backups of Separate Message Store Servers

•Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover

•When to Schedule a Backup

General Requirements

•A supported version of the backup software. Refer to the "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/40_sysrq.htm. Use of backup software not specifically listed as supported is addressed in the "Support Policy for Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software document.

•Backup software agent for Exchange Server (if Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server or if you want to back up the Exchange and Cisco Unity servers together).

•Backup software Agent for SQL Server (also required for MSDE).

•A backup device (for example, a tape drive) and backup media (for example, tapes) compatible with the backup device.

In addition, note the following:

•If the backup device is not installed on the Cisco Unity server, the backup software remote access agent is required.

•Do not use any Open File feature that the backup software has, as it is suitable only for simple file system open file operations. The Open File feature cannot reliably back up all database data.

•Do not attempt to back up a corrupted Cisco Unity database. A backup of a corrupted database cannot be used to restore a Cisco Unity server.

Installation of Backup Software

You install backup software and the backup software agents for Microsoft SQL Server (also required for MSDE) and for Exchange on the server on which the tape drive or other backup device is installed. If the backup device is not installed on the Cisco Unity server, you must install the backup software remote access agent for Windows NT/2000 on the Cisco Unity server. You may need to restart the server after you install the software. For more information, refer to the manufacturer documentation.

Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods

Backup software offers a number of backup methods, including backing up all files (full or normal backups), and various methods of backing up files that have changed since the last backup (differential and incremental backups). Full or normal backups include all specified files, regardless of when they were last modified or backed up. Differential backups include all files that changed since the last full backup. Incremental backups include only the files that changed since the last backup of any kind. As you choose a backup method, keep in mind how your choice affects the restore process:

•If you always do full backups, you will need to restore only the most recent full backup to completely restore the system.

•If you do both full backups and differential backups, you need to restore only the most recent full backup plus the most recent differential backup.

•If you do both full backups and incremental backups, you need to restore the most recent full backup plus all subsequent incremental backups. The more incremental backups you have done since the last full backup, the longer it will take you to get Cisco Unity working again.

Note The incremental backup is the only partial backup method that resets the archive bit (an NTFS file attribute). Differential backups do not reset the archive bit, so all files that have changed since the last full backup are backed up, not just those that have changed since the last incremental backup. Differential backups may take longer than incremental backups. However, having a differential backup will save time in the event of a restore, because you will need to restore only the last full and the last differential backups.

Backup software documentation typically includes a definition of backup methods offered and information on how to choose among them according to your circumstances. We recommend that you read the documentation before choosing a backup method.

Closely tied with the backup method is the media rotation method. When you choose a media rotation method, you must do the following:

•Choose the backup method to use each day (for example, differential backups Monday through Thursday and full backups on Friday).

•Determine how much backup media (for example, number of tapes) are required each day for the selected backup method (for example, one tape each day for the differential backups, three tapes on Friday for the full backup).

•Choose how often the backup media are rotated out of the backup device and taken to an offsite storage location.

Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs

When a new message arrives, it is saved in a transaction log and then is copied from the log to the message store when system resources are available. If the message store is corrupted or destroyed, you can restore the last backup of the message store and then apply the contents of the transaction log to the restored message store (if the transaction log was stored in a different location than the message store and therefore was not destroyed along with the message store).

After you back up the message store by using Exchange-aware backup software, the backup software clears the transaction logs. At this point, the backup reflects the current state of the message store, so the transaction logs are no longer required to restore the message store.

You can configure logging in one of two ways: either the existing logs are regularly overwritten, or the existing logs are never overwritten. Overwriting the existing logs is known as circular logging.

Caution If you turn circular logging on, the newest transaction log entries (which contain the newest messages) overwrite the oldest log entries (which contain the oldest messages). When log entries are overwritten, you cannot use the transaction logs to restore messages that were received after the last backup. If disk space is very low and if the system is very busy, the overwriting of older messages can begin in less than a day of logging.

We strongly recommend that you do the following:

•Turn circular logging off.

Note that circular logging is turned off by default in Exchange 2000 and 2003, but is turned on by default in Exchange 5.5.

•Use Exchange-aware backup software to back up the message store.

•Carefully watch the amount of available space on the hard disk or in the partition where logs are stored, and increase the amount of available disk space when it is too low.

Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes

When you select the message store and the directory store databases for backup, mailboxes and messages are included in the backup. You can also select one or more messages, mailboxes, or folders for backup without selecting the databases.

However, we recommend that you do not back up mailboxes separately from the databases without running a test backup to determine the performance impact. Mailbox backups will generally take longer than database backups, and mailbox backups will be as large as or larger than the database backups.

Backing up individual mailboxes should not be used as a substitute for backups of the entire message store database. For a full recovery of an Exchange server, you will need a backup of the message store database.

Note that the Exchange .edb and .log files are backed up only when the Exchange databases are backed up.

Backups of the Cisco Unity Server

Note the following stipulations for backing up the Cisco Unity server. For more information, refer to the backup software Help.

•Back up all data and software on all drives on the Cisco Unity server. Having backups of all data and software will reduce the amount of time required to get Cisco Unity running again if a non-RAID hard disk fails or if the Cisco Unity server is stolen or destroyed. Refer to the backup software documentation for detailed instructions on backing up data and software for your configuration.

•Do online backups only. This requirement means that you must purchase and use the third-party backup software agents for Exchange and for SQL Server, which allow you to back up open database files. Do not use the backup software open file feature for backing up open files. (Note that offline backups are supported for the Cisco Unity Bridge. See the "Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server" section.)

•Configure the backup software to verify the backup, which ensures that the backup tape or other media can be read after the backup is finished.

•Back up all data and software on the Cisco Unity server both before and after you install or upgrade any software on the server.

Note that backing up Cisco Unity does not require custom settings in backup software. For information on any special backup requirements associated with other third-party software that is installed on the Cisco Unity server (for example, virus-scanning software), refer to the manufacturer documentation.

Backups of Separate Message Store Servers

If Cisco Unity is configured for Voice Messaging Only and if Exchange is installed on a separate server, back up the separate Exchange server by using the recommendations in the backup software documentation.

If Cisco Unity is configured for Unified Messaging, back up the Exchange servers on which Cisco Unity subscribers are homed by using the recommendations in the backup software documentation.

Backing up an Exchange server that includes Cisco Unity voice messages (and, for Exchange 5.5, directory information) does not require any custom settings in the backup software.

Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover

The procedure for backing up a secondary Cisco Unity server is the same procedure used to back up the primary server. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for detailed instructions for doing backups. In a failover configuration, neither the primary nor the secondary server backup includes messages, which are held on a separate message store server. Consequently, backing up data on the secondary server does not replace a comprehensive strategy for backing up and restoring messages on other servers that are part of the Cisco Unity system.

Note that a backup of the database on the primary server has SQL replication links that will be broken if this database is restored to a new server, thus requiring extra steps to clean up the broken SQL links. For these steps, refer to Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) Help.

When backup software is configured for system state backups, the backups include information concerning the specific server that the data was backed up from, unless a virtual server name is used.

We recommend that you set up regularly scheduled backups of both primary and secondary servers. Do not make changes in the Cisco Unity Administrator, or record greetings or subscriber names, while backups are being created.

When to Schedule a Backup

Backup software generally includes options for scheduling backups to occur automatically at a specified time. Select a time when the Cisco Unity server is processing a low volume of calls (for example, after the end of the regular business day), and when there are no other processes running (for example, do not schedule a backup concurrently with running a virus scan or generating reports). If you are using the Cisco Unity Bridge, VPIM, or AMIS, schedule backups for a time that will not overlap with message delivery.

Depending on how much data needs to be backed up, and in a failover configuration, whether you are backing up all data on the primary and secondary servers, the backup could take several hours. When scheduling backups, allow enough time for the backup to finish before the beginning of the next business day, at which time Cisco Unity again becomes busy answering calls.

Caution If the Cisco Unity server is scheduled to reboot periodically, ensure that the reboot does not occur during the time when the server is being backed up. If the server reboots during a backup, the backup will not be complete.

Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server

You can use backup software to back up data on the Cisco Unity Bridge server, or you can back up files manually. The Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) are not supported for use with the Bridge.

Both offline and online backups are supported for the Cisco Unity Bridge server. When backing up the Bridge server, you need to back up only the configuration and data files; you do not need to back up the Bridge software because it is easy to reinstall the Bridge software on another server. The files that you back up on the Bridge server include:

•WAV files of voice names for Octel and Unity node directory entries

•A database that contains configuration data and information about Octel and Unity node directory entries

•Configuration files

Considerations for Testing Backups

We recommend that you thoroughly test backing up and restoring your Cisco Unity servers in a test environment before using the backup software on a production system, and then run similar tests in the production environment so that you can refine your backup strategy as necessary. Consider the following suggestions:

•Verify that the schedule you set in the backup software allows sufficient time for the backup to complete before the next business day, and that the backup medium has sufficient storage space.

•Keep in mind that if this is a new installation with little data in the SQL Server and in the Exchange databases, your test backups will probably be much smaller and take significantly less time than when the server has been in service for a while.

•After running the backup software, check the event log for backup-related errors.

	Cisco Unity Maintenance Guide (With Microsoft Exchange), Release 4.0(5)
	About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System
Cisco Unity Maintenance Guide (With Microsoft Exchange), Release 4.0(5) Index Preface Introduction Configuring Cisco Unity for Maintenance Tasks Configuring Exchange for Maintenance Tasks About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System Routine and Scheduled Maintenance on the Cisco Unity Server Cisco Unity Data and Log Files Performance Monitoring Installing Recommended Service Packs and Updates Remote Access Reports	Download this chapter About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System Download the complete book PDF Version of the Entire Book (PDF - 3 MB) Feedback Table Of Contents About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System Introduction Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed Considerations for Choosing Backup Software Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation Hard Disk Monitoring Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity Installation of a Tape Drive SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs) Backups of the Cisco Unity System General Requirements Installation of Backup Software Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes Backups of the Cisco Unity Server Backups of Separate Message Store Servers Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover When to Schedule a Backup Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server Considerations for Testing Backups About Backing Up a Cisco Unity System Introduction This chapter describes in general terms backing up a Cisco Unity system. When you back up a Cisco Unity server (and one or more Exchange servers) you need to consider the same issues involved in backing up any other system. (Note that the service packs, Engineering Specials, and Service Releases that are installed on the Cisco Unity server are not significant to the backup process.) Caution To back up SQL Server/MSDE data, you need to use the SQL Server agent for your backup software, which allows you to back up open SQL Server/MSDE database files. If you are backing up Exchange data as part of the Cisco Unity backup, you also need to use the Exchange agent for your backup software, which allows you to back up open Exchange database files. Refer to the following for a list of backup software that is qualified for use with Cisco Unity, and for the Cisco Unity backup software support policy: •For the Cisco Unity server—The "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/40_sysrq.htm. •For the Cisco Unity Bridge server—The "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity Bridge System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/bridge30/sysreq/30bsysrq.htm. See the following sections for information about backing up your Cisco Unity system: •Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly •Considerations for Choosing Backup Software •Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System •Backups of the Cisco Unity System •Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server •Considerations for Testing Backups Data That May Be Lost Even If Backups Are Done Properly If a hard disk in the Cisco Unity server fails, or if the server itself fails or is lost in a disaster, you may still lose some data even with a well-designed and well-executed backup plan. This section describes the data that may be lost if a hard disk fails, or if a server fails or is lost. See the following sections: •Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails •Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails •Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed Risks of Lost Data If a Hard Disk in a RAID Fails No data will be lost if only one disk in the RAID fails, as long as a supported fault-tolerant RAID configuration is implemented. (Cisco Unity does not support non-fault tolerant RAID configurations, in which data could be lost if a single disk failed.) However, the following limitations will exist: •If the failure occurs in a RAID 1 array composed of only two disks, there will be no fault tolerance until the failed disk has been replaced and the data has been re-mirrored. A failure in the remaining disk before the failed disk is replaced will result in the loss of data described in the "Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails" section. •If the failure occurs in a RAID 5 array, fault tolerance will be maintained, but the loss of a disk will cause performance to be severely affected until the failed disk is replaced. Risks of Lost Data If a Non-RAID Hard Disk Fails If a non-RAID hard disk fails, you may lose some data when database files and logs are stored on the same hard disk, as follows: •If the Exchange 5.5 directory or the Active Directory database is stored only on the failed hard disk, you will lose all changes to the directory that were made since the last backup (for example, new subscribers, changes to existing subscribers, and deletions of subscribers). •If both the Cisco Unity SQL Server database and log files are stored on the failed hard disk, you will lose all changes to Cisco Unity configuration data that were made since the last backup (for example, call handlers and templates) and all logs that were written since the last backup. •If Cisco Unity is installed on the failed hard disk, you will lose changes to greetings and recorded names that were made since the last backup. •If Cisco Unity is installed on the failed hard disk and if any voice messages are in the Unity Message Repository (UMR) when the hard disk fails (because, for example, the network connection to the partner Exchange server was down), you will lose those messages. •If Windows 2000 Server is installed on the failed hard disk, you will lose changes to the registry that were made since the last backup, including some Cisco Unity configuration settings. •If the Exchange message store is installed on the failed hard disk on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the subscriber messages that were made since the last backup (for example, new messages, changes to existing messages, and deletions of messages). If the messages have not been backed up, you will lose all messages. Risks of Lost Data If a Server Is Stolen or Destroyed If the Cisco Unity server is stolen or destroyed and if it contains more than one hard disk, the data loss may be much greater than the data loss caused by failure of a hard disk. •If the message store directory database is stored only on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the directory that were made since the last backup (for example, new subscribers, changes to existing subscribers, and deletions of subscribers). •You will lose all changes to Cisco Unity configuration data that were made since the last backup (for example, call handlers, templates, and other data stored in the Cisco Unity SQL Server databases). •You will lose changes to greetings and recorded names that were made since the last backup. •If any voice messages are in the Unity Message Repository (UMR) (because, for example, the network connection to the partner Exchange server was down), you will lose those messages. •You will lose changes to the registry that were made since the last backup, including some Cisco Unity configuration settings. •If the Exchange message store is installed on the Cisco Unity server, you will lose all changes to the subscriber messages that were made since the last backup (for example, new messages, changes to existing messages, and deletions of messages). If the messages have not been backed up, you will lose all messages. Considerations for Choosing Backup Software There are many backup software packages—which are sometimes referred to as data protection software packages—available for backing up all of the data on the Cisco Unity server, including SQL Server/MSDE, and Exchange databases and transaction logs. You can also configure backup software packages to back up software that is installed on the server. We recommend that you use a backup software package to back up a Cisco Unity server rather than using the Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) for the following reasons: •DiRT is intended as a tool to be used only for upgrading Cisco Unity software and for migrating to another directory or configuration. Backup software is designed for use in a comprehensive backup strategy. •DiRT requires that the Cisco Unity software be stopped in order to back up all Cisco Unity data reliably. Backup software can back up the Cisco Unity server while Cisco Unity continues to run. •DiRT backs up only Cisco Unity data and, optionally, Exchange messages. (Refer to DiRT Help for limitations about backing up Exchange messages.) Backup software does not have this limitation. •DiRT cannot back up software installed on the Cisco Unity server, so restoring the server from a DiRT backup may require additional time. Backup software can back up both software and data. •DiRT is not supported for backing up the Cisco Unity Bridge. Backup software is supported for backing up the Cisco Unity Bridge. Preparations for Backing Up a Cisco Unity System To ensure that your backups will be usable in the recovery of all data in the event of a hardware failure or the catastrophic loss of the Cisco Unity server, consider all the issues described in the following sections: •Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server •Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation •Hard Disk Monitoring •Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers •Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity •Installation of a Tape Drive •SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs) Optimization of the Location of Database and Log Files on a Multi-Array Cisco Unity Server To improve performance and to safeguard data if a hard disk fails, the Cisco Unity Installation Guide includes information on the hard disk or partition on which to install Windows 2000 Server, Cisco Unity, SQL Server, Exchange, and other required software on supported Cisco Unity servers. In addition, the Cisco Unity Installation Guide includes instructions for moving databases and transaction logs to different hard disks or partitions. Refer to the installation guide for your Cisco Unity 4.0(5) configuration at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. Documentation of the Cisco Unity Installation It is important to make a list of the following information, and keep this information up to date when you upgrade Cisco Unity or install new service packs or hot fixes. We recommend that you also keep this information for the partner Exchange server. Put the lists where you can find them quickly in an emergency: •Specifications on the servers, including: –The amount of RAM –The processor type and speed –The voice card model, if applicable –The tape drive brand and model, if applicable –The sizes of the hard disks •The computer (NetBIOS) name •If you are not using DHCP, the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway of the server, and the IP addresses of the preferred and alternate DNS servers •The domain that the server belongs to, if the server is not a domain controller •The RAID configuration •Details on hard disk partitions, including volume names and partition size •A list of software installed on each partition, including exact version numbers (note that backups can only be used to recover data for the exact version of Cisco Unity that was backed up) •A list of databases and log files stored on each partition •Contact information for hardware and software vendors Hard Disk Monitoring We recommend that you monitor the hard disks in the Cisco Unity server to verify that they are functioning, and to be alerted as soon as possible if they fail. For each server that has been qualified for use as a Cisco Unity server, a monitoring application (for example, Compaq InsightManager, Dell OpenManage IT Assistant and Server Administrator, and IBM Director) is available that you can use to monitor the health of hard disks and other server components. These applications have been qualified for limited use on the Cisco Unity server—they are qualified only for remotely restarting the server. However, some sites have been using other features without encountering any problems. For more information on monitoring Cisco Unity, see the "Performance Monitoring" chapter. Inventory of Spare Hard Disks and Servers Not all RAID disks are compatible with one another, and only selected servers have been qualified for use as Cisco Unity servers. If you have spare servers that you can cannibalize for parts or that you can convert to a Cisco Unity server in an emergency, you need not maintain an inventory of spare hardware. Or you may want to keep spare parts and even a spare server on hand to speed recovery. Cisco also offers disk and memory field replacement units (FRUs) for its MCS servers. For detailed information, refer to the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List, available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html. Storage of Backup Tapes and Software Necessary to Reinstall Cisco Unity We recommend that you store backup tapes at a location separate from your Cisco Unity installation, but preferably near by. When selecting a fireproof safe or vault for archiving backup media, the most important factor is the internal temperature specification. We strongly recommend consulting with your archival or fire protection vendor for detailed recommendations and safety standards. Caution Store all software in a safe place regardless of the backup software you are using. For example, you may not be aware that a backup failed, and you may need to reinstall all software even if you are making full backups. Installation of a Tape Drive If the Cisco Unity server is not connected to the network, install a tape drive in the server. If the server is connected to the network, you can install the tape drive or another backup device almost anywhere, though the server used for backup must have a Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet connection path to the Cisco Unity server. SQL Server/MSDE Database Backups Schedules (SQL Server Nightly and Weekly Jobs) By default, a differential backup of the Cisco Unity SQL Server/MSDE database occurs daily, Monday through Saturday, at 2:00 a.m., and a full backup occurs every Sunday at 3:00 a.m. It is important to confirm that the SQL Server/MSDE database backup does not overlap the backup of the Cisco Unity server. Backups of the Cisco Unity System The following sections provide information about using backup software to back up the Cisco Unity system: •General Requirements •Installation of Backup Software •Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods •Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs •Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes •Backups of the Cisco Unity Server •Backups of Separate Message Store Servers •Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover •When to Schedule a Backup General Requirements •A supported version of the backup software. Refer to the "Supported Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/40_sysrq.htm. Use of backup software not specifically listed as supported is addressed in the "Support Policy for Backup Software" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software document. •Backup software agent for Exchange Server (if Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server or if you want to back up the Exchange and Cisco Unity servers together). •Backup software Agent for SQL Server (also required for MSDE). •A backup device (for example, a tape drive) and backup media (for example, tapes) compatible with the backup device. In addition, note the following: •If the backup device is not installed on the Cisco Unity server, the backup software remote access agent is required. •Do not use any Open File feature that the backup software has, as it is suitable only for simple file system open file operations. The Open File feature cannot reliably back up all database data. •Do not attempt to back up a corrupted Cisco Unity database. A backup of a corrupted database cannot be used to restore a Cisco Unity server. Installation of Backup Software You install backup software and the backup software agents for Microsoft SQL Server (also required for MSDE) and for Exchange on the server on which the tape drive or other backup device is installed. If the backup device is not installed on the Cisco Unity server, you must install the backup software remote access agent for Windows NT/2000 on the Cisco Unity server. You may need to restart the server after you install the software. For more information, refer to the manufacturer documentation. Options for Backup and Media Rotation Methods Backup software offers a number of backup methods, including backing up all files (full or normal backups), and various methods of backing up files that have changed since the last backup (differential and incremental backups). Full or normal backups include all specified files, regardless of when they were last modified or backed up. Differential backups include all files that changed since the last full backup. Incremental backups include only the files that changed since the last backup of any kind. As you choose a backup method, keep in mind how your choice affects the restore process: •If you always do full backups, you will need to restore only the most recent full backup to completely restore the system. •If you do both full backups and differential backups, you need to restore only the most recent full backup plus the most recent differential backup. •If you do both full backups and incremental backups, you need to restore the most recent full backup plus all subsequent incremental backups. The more incremental backups you have done since the last full backup, the longer it will take you to get Cisco Unity working again. Note The incremental backup is the only partial backup method that resets the archive bit (an NTFS file attribute). Differential backups do not reset the archive bit, so all files that have changed since the last full backup are backed up, not just those that have changed since the last incremental backup. Differential backups may take longer than incremental backups. However, having a differential backup will save time in the event of a restore, because you will need to restore only the last full and the last differential backups. Backup software documentation typically includes a definition of backup methods offered and information on how to choose among them according to your circumstances. We recommend that you read the documentation before choosing a backup method. Closely tied with the backup method is the media rotation method. When you choose a media rotation method, you must do the following: •Choose the backup method to use each day (for example, differential backups Monday through Thursday and full backups on Friday). •Determine how much backup media (for example, number of tapes) are required each day for the selected backup method (for example, one tape each day for the differential backups, three tapes on Friday for the full backup). •Choose how often the backup media are rotated out of the backup device and taken to an offsite storage location. Protection of the Exchange Transaction Logs When a new message arrives, it is saved in a transaction log and then is copied from the log to the message store when system resources are available. If the message store is corrupted or destroyed, you can restore the last backup of the message store and then apply the contents of the transaction log to the restored message store (if the transaction log was stored in a different location than the message store and therefore was not destroyed along with the message store). After you back up the message store by using Exchange-aware backup software, the backup software clears the transaction logs. At this point, the backup reflects the current state of the message store, so the transaction logs are no longer required to restore the message store. You can configure logging in one of two ways: either the existing logs are regularly overwritten, or the existing logs are never overwritten. Overwriting the existing logs is known as circular logging. Caution If you turn circular logging on, the newest transaction log entries (which contain the newest messages) overwrite the oldest log entries (which contain the oldest messages). When log entries are overwritten, you cannot use the transaction logs to restore messages that were received after the last backup. If disk space is very low and if the system is very busy, the overwriting of older messages can begin in less than a day of logging. We strongly recommend that you do the following: •Turn circular logging off. Note that circular logging is turned off by default in Exchange 2000 and 2003, but is turned on by default in Exchange 5.5. •Use Exchange-aware backup software to back up the message store. •Carefully watch the amount of available space on the hard disk or in the partition where logs are stored, and increase the amount of available disk space when it is too low. Additional Information About Backing Up the Exchange Databases and Mailboxes When you select the message store and the directory store databases for backup, mailboxes and messages are included in the backup. You can also select one or more messages, mailboxes, or folders for backup without selecting the databases. However, we recommend that you do not back up mailboxes separately from the databases without running a test backup to determine the performance impact. Mailbox backups will generally take longer than database backups, and mailbox backups will be as large as or larger than the database backups. Backing up individual mailboxes should not be used as a substitute for backups of the entire message store database. For a full recovery of an Exchange server, you will need a backup of the message store database. Note that the Exchange .edb and .log files are backed up only when the Exchange databases are backed up. Backups of the Cisco Unity Server Note the following stipulations for backing up the Cisco Unity server. For more information, refer to the backup software Help. •Back up all data and software on all drives on the Cisco Unity server. Having backups of all data and software will reduce the amount of time required to get Cisco Unity running again if a non-RAID hard disk fails or if the Cisco Unity server is stolen or destroyed. Refer to the backup software documentation for detailed instructions on backing up data and software for your configuration. •Do online backups only. This requirement means that you must purchase and use the third-party backup software agents for Exchange and for SQL Server, which allow you to back up open database files. Do not use the backup software open file feature for backing up open files. (Note that offline backups are supported for the Cisco Unity Bridge. See the "Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server" section.) •Configure the backup software to verify the backup, which ensures that the backup tape or other media can be read after the backup is finished. •Back up all data and software on the Cisco Unity server both before and after you install or upgrade any software on the server. Note that backing up Cisco Unity does not require custom settings in backup software. For information on any special backup requirements associated with other third-party software that is installed on the Cisco Unity server (for example, virus-scanning software), refer to the manufacturer documentation. Backups of Separate Message Store Servers If Cisco Unity is configured for Voice Messaging Only and if Exchange is installed on a separate server, back up the separate Exchange server by using the recommendations in the backup software documentation. If Cisco Unity is configured for Unified Messaging, back up the Exchange servers on which Cisco Unity subscribers are homed by using the recommendations in the backup software documentation. Backing up an Exchange server that includes Cisco Unity voice messages (and, for Exchange 5.5, directory information) does not require any custom settings in the backup software. Backups of Cisco Unity Servers That Are Configured for Failover The procedure for backing up a secondary Cisco Unity server is the same procedure used to back up the primary server. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for detailed instructions for doing backups. In a failover configuration, neither the primary nor the secondary server backup includes messages, which are held on a separate message store server. Consequently, backing up data on the secondary server does not replace a comprehensive strategy for backing up and restoring messages on other servers that are part of the Cisco Unity system. Note that a backup of the database on the primary server has SQL replication links that will be broken if this database is restored to a new server, thus requiring extra steps to clean up the broken SQL links. For these steps, refer to Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) Help. When backup software is configured for system state backups, the backups include information concerning the specific server that the data was backed up from, unless a virtual server name is used. We recommend that you set up regularly scheduled backups of both primary and secondary servers. Do not make changes in the Cisco Unity Administrator, or record greetings or subscriber names, while backups are being created. When to Schedule a Backup Backup software generally includes options for scheduling backups to occur automatically at a specified time. Select a time when the Cisco Unity server is processing a low volume of calls (for example, after the end of the regular business day), and when there are no other processes running (for example, do not schedule a backup concurrently with running a virus scan or generating reports). If you are using the Cisco Unity Bridge, VPIM, or AMIS, schedule backups for a time that will not overlap with message delivery. Depending on how much data needs to be backed up, and in a failover configuration, whether you are backing up all data on the primary and secondary servers, the backup could take several hours. When scheduling backups, allow enough time for the backup to finish before the beginning of the next business day, at which time Cisco Unity again becomes busy answering calls. Caution If the Cisco Unity server is scheduled to reboot periodically, ensure that the reboot does not occur during the time when the server is being backed up. If the server reboots during a backup, the backup will not be complete. Backing Up a Cisco Unity Bridge Server You can use backup software to back up data on the Cisco Unity Bridge server, or you can back up files manually. The Cisco Unity Disaster Recovery tools (DiRT) are not supported for use with the Bridge. Both offline and online backups are supported for the Cisco Unity Bridge server. When backing up the Bridge server, you need to back up only the configuration and data files; you do not need to back up the Bridge software because it is easy to reinstall the Bridge software on another server. The files that you back up on the Bridge server include: •WAV files of voice names for Octel and Unity node directory entries •A database that contains configuration data and information about Octel and Unity node directory entries •Configuration files Considerations for Testing Backups We recommend that you thoroughly test backing up and restoring your Cisco Unity servers in a test environment before using the backup software on a production system, and then run similar tests in the production environment so that you can refine your backup strategy as necessary. Consider the following suggestions: •Verify that the schedule you set in the backup software allows sufficient time for the backup to complete before the next business day, and that the backup medium has sufficient storage space. •Keep in mind that if this is a new installation with little data in the SQL Server and in the Exchange databases, your test backups will probably be much smaller and take significantly less time than when the server has been in service for a while. •After running the backup software, check the event log for backup-related errors.
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