Continuous Replication -> Exchange Log

mts

Hey guys,

I'm using Continuous Replication to backup all virtual-machines.
One of these machines is running Microsoft Exchange 2019.
If you use the native windows-backup or a third-party application it will delete the transaction-log after backup.

How can I achieve the same with xen-orchestra? I'm running low on disk-space right now...

CU
mts

olivierlambert

Hi,

I don't really understand (never used Exchange in my whole life). What do you need exactly?

Danp

@mts said in Continuous Replication -> Exchange Log:

How can I achieve the same with xen-orchestra? I'm running low on disk-space right now...

I don't believe this is possible with XO. You'll need to run an Exchange-aware backup (Windows Server Backup should work) in order for the logs to get purged / truncated.

olivierlambert

We have some plans to support custom scripts in guest on some operations. But it's not for tomorrow.

dwita

@Danp @mts

You could also enable circular logging on the mail databases. In Exchange 2016 it's under Servers -> Databases -> Maintenance

speedy01

Circular logging is probably your best bet.
You could also attempt to do a "fake" full backup using diskshadow..just be sure to cleanup the shadow copy afterwords.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/diskshadow

dwita

@olivierlambert

This wouldn’t be a custom script. Linked below is a write up of application-aware processing in Veeam.

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/application_aware_processing.html?ver=95u4

Guest tools for Windows may already have support for Microsoft VSS built in. If so, Backup NG would just need to take advantage.

olivierlambert

@dwita VSS support will be removed by Citrix very soon. Also, XO is always using quiesce snapshot by default (so if you have VSS, it will just work)

dwita

@olivierlambert then there must be either an issue with @mts environment or with XO. Per his post it isn't working. I'd be curious to see what the actual issue is.

olivierlambert

Check VSS logs. I don't know exactly what VSS tool of Citrix does, Windows is not my area of expertise.

mts

I think VSS and truncating of the exchange transport-log are two things.

Even if you use windows backup you have to explicitly select vssFull to remove all log files after a successful backup.

akurzawa

@mts said in Continuous Replication -> Exchange Log:

If you use the native windows-backup or a third-party application it will delete the transaction-log after backup.
How can I achieve the same with xen-orchestra? I'm running low on disk-space right now...

I think that you confusing physical (layer) backup with logical backup. XOA can backup/replicate/snapshot phisical medium which is a hard disk presented to your VM. It has nothing to do with the data in the VM (logical layer).