Exchange Server mailboxes contain some of the most crucial and sensitive information and data. Scenarios like logical and physical errors, hard disk failure, corruption in the database, virus/malware attacks, etc., can put the mailbox data at risk. To protect the Exchange Server mailbox data, it is integral to regularly take backups of mailboxes. Backups can help restore the mailboxes quickly and efficiently in a case of an issue, thus ensuring business continuity. In this article, we will discuss different methods to back up Exchange Server mailboxes.
Methods to Back Up Exchange Server Mailboxes
You can back up the entire Exchange Server data or individual mailboxes. Follow the methods given below to backup Exchange Server mailboxes depending on your requirements.
Method 1: Use Windows Server Backup
You can use Windows Sever Backup to back up the entire Exchange Server data. In Exchange Server, there is a plug-in for the Windows Server Backup. This utility allows you to take a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)–based backup of the entire Exchange Server or a selected volume. However, to utilize Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Administrators group or Backup Operators group. It does not support backup or backup storage on Clustered Shared Volumes. Let’s see how to use the Windows Server Backup:
Then, review the backup settings on the Confirmation page and then click on Backup.
- Launch Windows Server Backup and select Local Backup.
- In the right pane, under Actions, click on the Backup Once option.
- In the Backup Options wizard, select Different options, and then click on Next.
- Select Custom on the Select Backup Configuration page and then click on Next.
- On the Select Items for Backup window, click Add Items to select the volume(s) you want to back up and then click on OK.
- Select Advanced Settings. If you want to exclude any files or file types from the backup, click Add Exclusion.
- Select VSS full Backup under the VSS Settings tab and click on OK. Then, click Next.
- Select a location where you want to save the backup and then click on Next.
The will start the backup of selected volume(s). You can check the progress of the backup operation on the Backup Progress page.
Method 2: Export Mailboxes to PST Files
If you want to backup individual or selected mailboxes, then you can export the mailboxes to PST files. For this, you can use the New-MailboxExportRequest PowerShell cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS). However, to use this command, you need to fulfill the following prerequisites:
1. Assign Mailbox Import Export Role
You must be assigned the Mailbox Import Export role. You can use the following command to assign the Mailbox Import Export role to your user account.
New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role “Mailbox Import Export” -User DomainName/UserName or alias
2. Create Share Location and Folder
You need to create a share location to save the exported PST files. After creating a folder, share this folder with the user having the Import/Export role (assigned above). The Exchange Trusted Sub System needs to be added to the permissions. The user should have full permissions on the share and the folder.
After fulfilling the above prerequisites, run the New-MailboxExportRequest command as given below to export a single mailbox:
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox “MailboxName” -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\FileName.pst
You can modify or limit the scope of exported contents by utilizing various parameters with the New-MailboxExportRequest command. Here are a few parameters you can use while exporting Exchange mailbox to PST format.
-ContentFilter Parameter
By using this parameter with the command, you can export mailbox items based on subject and date. For instance, the following command lets you export items received before 01-01-2020 with a subject beginning with ‘RE’.
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox “MailBoxName” -ContentFilter {(Received -lt ’01/01/2020′) -and (Subject –like ‘Re*’)} -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\FileName.pst
Similarly, you can export the emails received after a particular date by using the –gt (greater than) option.
If you want to export the emails based on a date range, you can use the –lt and –gt parameters together. For instance:
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox “MailBoxName” -ContentFilter {(Received -lt ’01/01/2020’ –gt ‘01/01/2019′) -and (Subject –like ‘Re*’)} -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\FileName.pst
-ExcludeFolders and -IncludeFolders Parameters
You can include or exclude certain folders from the mailbox while exporting to PST format.
For instance, the following command will export only the Inbox and Sent Items folders to PST.
New-MailboxExportRequest -IncludeFolders “#Inbox#/*”,”#SentItems#” -Mailbox “MailBoxName” -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\FileName.pst
You can also use the –ExcludeFolders parameter to skip some folders during the export process.
-IsArchive Parameter
By using this parameter, you can export only the archive folders to PST. For example,
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox “MailBoxName” -IsArchive -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\FileName.pst
You can also use the New-MailboxExportRequest command to export multiple or all the mailboxes from the database at once. For this,
- Create a variable to store all the mailboxes in your organization by using the following syntax:
$ExchangeMailboxes = Get-Mailbox
The Get-Mailbox cmdlet displays all the mailboxes on the server.
2. Then, use the ForEach loop with the cmdlet (see below) to export these mailboxes to PST.
ForEach $ExchangeMailbox|%{$_|New-MailboxExportRequest -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\$($_.Alias).pst}
Alternatively, you can create a script with the name “ExchangeMailboxes” containing usernames of mailboxes that you want to export or backup to PST format. Here’s the syntax:
$ExchangeMailboxes = “username1”,”username2”,…….,”usernameN”
($User in ($ExchangeMailboxes)) { New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox $User -FilePath \\Servername\SharedFolderPathName\$($User).pst" }
Although PowerShell commands help you to export Exchange mailboxes to PST, there are a few limitations, such as:
- The process is lengthy and time-consuming.
- The Mailbox Import/Export permission must be assigned to the user account.
- A large amount of space on the server storage media is required.
- There is no option to see the status of mailboxes that are being exported.
- Exporting multiple mailboxes to PST may impact the server performance.
- This command is available in Exchange Server 2013 and later versions.
Method 3: Backup Exchange Mailboxes to PST Online
If you need to back up Exchange mailbox data from an offline EDB file without installing or running Exchange Server, you can use Online EDB to PST Converter by Stellar. It is a browser-based EDB to PST converter that allows you to upload a supported EDB file, extract mailbox data, preview the converted folders, and download the mailboxes as individual PST files in a ZIP archive. No Outlook or Exchange Server installation is required.
The free online service supports EDB files up to 500 MB. For EDB files up to 5 GB, you can upgrade to the Premium plan. The converted data is available for download for a limited period and is then automatically removed from the service.
Benefits of Using an Online EDB to PST Converter
- No Exchange Server installation or running Exchange environment is required.
- No Outlook installation is required.
- Works directly through a web browser.
- Supports offline EDB files and supported legacy Exchange databases.
- Allows you to preview mailbox folders and data before downloading.
- Converts extracted mailboxes into individual PST files.
- Does not modify the original EDB file.
- Supports EDB files up to 500 MB with the free service and up to 5 GB with the Premium plan.
For larger EDB files, multiple EDB databases, or organizations that prefer to keep the conversion process offline, the desktop Stellar Converter for EDB can be used. It supports EDB files of any size, allows multiple EDB files to be processed, and can export mailbox data to PST, Live Exchange, and Microsoft 365.
Method 4: Use an EDB to PST Converter Software
A simpler way to backup Exchange mailboxes is by using a third-party EDB to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for EDB. This software can extract mailboxes from EDB file and export them directly to PST. After scanning the EDB files, the software displays the extracted mailboxes and other EDB items. It also offers an option to filter only specific emails or folders of the mailboxes. While the mailboxes are being exported, you can see the progress bar to indicate the status of the mailboxes that are being exported. In addition to PST format, this EDB to PST conversion tool can save the EDB file items to EML, MSG, HTML, RTF, and PDF formats. It can also export EDB file items directly to Microsoft 365 or a live Exchange Server. The software supports all the versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, including 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000, and 5.5.
Conclusion
You can back up Exchange Server mailboxes using Windows Server Backup or export individual and multiple mailboxes to PST using the New-MailboxExportRequest PowerShell cmdlet. However, these methods require access to the Exchange environment and may involve additional configuration or administrative permissions.
If you only have an offline EDB file and want to back up the mailbox data without Exchange Server, Free Online EDB to PST Converter provides a browser-based option. It allows you to upload a supported EDB file, extract and preview mailbox data, and download the converted mailboxes as PST files. The free service supports EDB files up to 500 MB, while files up to 5 GB can be processed with the Premium plan.
For larger EDB files, multiple databases, or when you want to process the EDB files locally without uploading them, Stellar Converter for EDB is a suitable desktop alternative. It supports EDB files without a size limit and can export mailbox data to PST, Live Exchange, and Microsoft 365.
