# 2003 SBS disaster restore



## Afterdark (Jun 22, 2002)

If our 5 year old server was to be stolen, say, then replacing it like for like would be pointless and we would look to get the latest hardware and operating system. We use the SBS backup utility, which is just an interface for the standard Veritas Backup utility.

I am concerned about Active Directory and the Exchange mailboxes. Migrating settings during an upgrade is one thing, but where the original server is lost, we only have the tape backup.

What is the best way restore AD and mailboxes in this case, assuming we now had 2008 server, say?

Thank you.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Active Directory can be backed up and restored with the plain jane ntbackup utility, that is what backing up the system state does. 
If it is a domain controller it may not work to restore a 2003 AD schema to a Server 2008 schema. I would install 2003 on the server first, restore AD and then do an in place upgrade to Server 2008.

As long as you are backing up theInformation Store you can restore all mailboxes. I would never reccomend backing up individual mailboxes.

http://www.petri.co.il/backup_exchange_2000_2003_with_ntbackup.htm


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## Afterdark (Jun 22, 2002)

Thanks Rockn. However, if the path is 2003 SBS to 2008 SBS or 2011 SBS then I am not sure an in place upgrade works.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Not sure what you are asking now. You said "assuming we now had 2008 server" I thought you were trying to recover your current SBS 2003 environment not throw everything onto something you already have. Getting something back up and running and recovering the data to your current environment is the goal.


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