With the release of StoreGrid v3.1 SP1, StoreGrid now supports Exchange Server 2010 database backup and restore. The v3.1 SP1 patch should be installed on both the backup server (and replication server) and in the client machines running StoreGrid v3.1. Remember this patch installs only on top of StoreGrid v3.1 installations.

Exchange 2010 Backup Restore

VSS based backup of Exchange 2010

Unlike Exchange Server 2000, 2003, 2007 where StoreGrid uses Exchange Server’s ESE API (Extensible Storage Engine) for backing up live Exchange databases, in Exchange 2010 StoreGrid uses VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Services) based APIs. StoreGrid invokes the “Microsoft Exchange Writer” (comes with the Exchange 2010 Server) which provides the backup of the live Exchange databases in a consistent state.

During the Exchange 2010 Server backup, the VSS is used to create a snapshot of the database and log files pertaining to the databases configured for backup and those files are then saved locally in a temporary location. Once all the relevant files are saved in the dump location, StoreGrid will report to the VSS that the backup is complete and the VSS will then purge the log files. StoreGrid will then backup the dumped files to the backup server and will delete these files from the temporary location.

Efficient as always..

Though the way Exchange provides its backup data may be different in Exchange 2010 server, but to StoreGrid users, Exchange 2010 Server backup and restore will work exactly the way Exchange 2000, 2003 and 2007 backup and restore work. The process continues to be slick and efficient as always:

1. Only incremental changed data is dumped during the incremental backup and not the entire Exchange database

2. Even within the incremental data that is dumped, StoreGrid backs up only the changed blocks by running StoreGrid’s Intelli-Delta on the incremental log files

3. Backup data files are deleted from the dump location once the backup is completed.

What is next in StoreGrid for Exchange Server Backups

We continue to make enhancements to Exchange Server Backups since we know that it is one of the most important service offerings for our MSP partners. Here are some the enhancements that is in near roadmap

1. Mail Level Restore – Specific emails from can be restored and attached into the Exchange Server.

2. Synthetic Exchange full backups – During additional full backups only the incremental backup data with respect to the previous full backup is sent to the backup server. Large Exchange Server data can be first seeded from the Exchange Server machine to backup server using StoreGrid’s seeding (export/import) feature and then later all additional full backups can be Synthethic Full Backups.

3. ‘Copy Only’ local backup – StoreGrid client can be configured to do regular weekly or monthly full ‘Copy Only’ backup of the entire Exchange Server, while it continues to run its incremental/differential backups to the offsite backup server. The ‘Copy Only’ backup will not set the archive bit on the Exchange Server, therefore letting the offsite backup to continue running its incrementals.

4. Incremental/Differential Exchange backups both locally and to remote backup server – We have also started working on providing the ability for the StoreGrid client to backup both locally and to a remote backup server in the same backup schedule.

Want to learn more about Exchange Server Backups and Restore using StoreGrid?

Please refer the following URLs:

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-backup-configuration.html

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-server-restore-configuration.html

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-recovery-database-restore.html

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-mailbox-rights.html

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-mailbox-backup-configuration.html

http://www.storegrid.com/online-backup/sp-help/PageHelp/exchange-mailbox-restore-configuration.html

The above post was written by Arul Prabhu of Vembu Technologies. Vembu Technologies is a backup software vendor whose product, StoreGrid, powers the online backup services of a large number of service providers across the globe. Besides remote backup, StoreGrid is also used for on premise backups of workstations and servers at various companies & universities.

Vembu Home is the only FREE consumer backup solution for free local backups and optional Amazon Cloud backups. Get your FREE COPY now.

Offsite backup storage solutions at commodity hardware prices

Folks in the UK are building storage boxes that could house up to petabytes of data using commodity hardware.  Managed Service Providers can benefit from this cost-effective storage solution for their StoreGrid Backup or Replication servers.

This initially started as an effort by an online backup service provider to build cheap cloud storage for its own storage needs (thanks to them for sharing the design for those who wish to build their storage cost-effectively!).   This has triggered a few hardware architects in the UK to explore building cheap storage options for service providers.  Interested?  They are taking orders for the storage cases.

Would be interesting to see how Managed Service Providers use these cost-effective storage solutions to cut down the cost of their off-site storage and replace it with their own.  StoreGrid has partnered with leading storage technologies like the Amazon Cloud, Parascale and Caringo for the backup storage component of their online backup service.

Using StoreGrid, MSPs have a variety of options in setting up the backend for their service depending upon their customer needs.

1) Own servers in their data center / colo along with RAID drives / NAS storage devices / innovative storage pods as the one above for storage.

2) Amazon Cloud for running the backup service with StoreGrid running on EC2 instances (there’s a ready AMI with StoreGrid’s latest version pre-installed!) and Amazon’s S3 service for the storage.  This option features unbeatable pricing for offsite storage.

3) Parascale or Caringo cluster software for setting up the storage backend for StoreGrid backup/replication servers

4) Hybrid options using a combination of the above.  (E.g. on-premise backup server with data replication to the Amazon S3 service)

5) Locally attached drives in client machines for backups where you would like to have a copy available locally while having another copy in the backup server.

With so many cost-effective options, what are you waiting for?

The above post was written by Gokul Sriram of Vembu Technologies. Vembu Technologies is a backup software vendor whose product, StoreGrid, powers the online backup services of a large number of service providers across the globe. Besides remote backup, StoreGrid is also used for on premise backups of workstations and servers at various companies & universities.

Vembu Home is the only FREE consumer backup solution for free local backups and optional Amazon Cloud backups. Get your FREE COPY now.

What the heck is this TLM? ‘Thought Leadership Marketing’ is a term that came on its own in the past few years.  Here is a definition of Thought Leadership from raintoday.com .

“Thought Leadership centers on earning trust and credibility. Thought leaders are noticed by offering something different – information, insights and ideas, for instance.”

For IT service Providers who are wondering what this TLM can do for them, here is the answer. According to the recent press release by Gartner , Thought Leadership Marketing can be a powerful tool for IT service Providers.

Also Gartner defines TLM as giving of information or advice for free or at nominal charge that a client will value so as to create awareness of the company’s product and stimulate demand for it in the market. Below are some of the key benefits of Thought Leadership Marketing.

1) TLM shortens the sales cycle
2) Change the pattern and terms of how people buy from you.
3) Diminish price resistance
4) Prospects experience your value before buying
5) Buyers invested in your service before purchasing
6) Growth in Social Media Placements
7) Assistance in SEO and SEM activities

TLM is one good piece of advice or information that can expressed via blogging, public speaking, writing articles and through various social media activities. According to Mark Peshoff, Senior director of Cisco, “Once Thought Leadership is established, the rest of the industry, the media, academia, government policy makers and the broader business community turn to that company for ideas and insights into where things are going”.  There are various programs employed for implementing TLM. However Gartner Analysts say that the company’s brand and positioning must form the basis for the development of TLM strategy.

Below are the Five Keys to successful TLM as per marketingsavant.com in the IT Service Provider Industry.

1) Be Generous with your knowledge – Share information beyond marketing
2) Be consistent in delivering information – Calendar your activities – daily, weekly etc.
3) Always deliver value to your clients – Listen, think, revise and teach
4) Take your strong positions in the market
5) Track your results in Months & Years.

The above post was written by Lenin Srinivasan of Vembu Technologies. Vembu Technologies is a backup software vendor whose product, StoreGrid, powers the online backup services of a large number of service providers across the globe. Besides remote backup, StoreGrid is also used for on premise backups of workstations and servers at various companies & universities.

Vembu Home is the only FREE consumer backup solution for free local backups and optional Amazon Cloud backups. Get your FREE COPY now.

I keep getting emails from VC firms at regular intervals. I have had initial phone calls with many of them. But invariably there is no progress as we just do not act on raising money on our own because I fundamentally cannot get myself to pitch my business to a VC just to raise money. The reason is that I am uncomfortable doing a business plan on how I will scale the company.  Because until we try something out we will never know whether it is going to work or not. It is always continuous experiments you run and figure out ways to grow and scale. I am kind of tired trying to be polite and diplomatic with VCs, i.e. responding to their emails and taking their first call and then not taking any initiative in raising money. Couple of days ago when someone was persistent about having a call after I turned down a request for a call, I sent the following response. I want to post that response publicly and I am going to point all VCs who contact me to this post from now on.

“I don’t want to sound arrogant. It is not lack of time. I am pretty jobless trying to figure out ways to scale our company trying various new things. The problem is the serious lack of interest in pitching my company to investors. I have spoken to so many VCs on the phone. It’s always the same. I refuse to do a business plan projecting how we can scale. It is like an experiment we are running and it is against my personal nature to pitch my plans to investors – just to raise money – as something that will work without fail. VCs don’t understand my perspective and I can’t blame them as they have to justify their investments to their LPs. I cannot change my nature and personality just to raise money.  If anyone is interested in my company I prefer a one on one meeting. But I insist that I will not give a business plan nor I will pitch my company to raise money. The investment has to come because they instinctively trust me and have a somewhat religious belief that I will at least give their money back if not grow it by 10 times. That is the understanding with which our angel investors have invested in us, by the way. One of them is a VC and he thinks personally he has no problem with my style but as a VC he cannot convince his other partners. My yard stick for success is different from the pure professional investors.”

The above post was written by Sekar Vembu of Vembu Technologies. Vembu Technologies is a backup software vendor whose product, StoreGrid, powers the online backup services of a large number of service providers across the globe. Besides remote backup, StoreGrid is also used for on premise backups of workstations and servers at various companies & universities.

More excitement rolls in as Microsoft BizSpark featured ‘Vembu’ as their ‘Startup of the Day’ on its website today.  As you might recall from my previous blog that Microsoft handpicked Vembu Technologies as one of the most promising 45 startup firms around 10 countries for the new ‘BizSpark One’ program and Vembu is the first and only firm from India to be selected for that Program.

As part of being the “Startup Of the Day” our CEO, Sekar Vembu was interviewed by the Microsoft BizSpark team. Here is a quote from the interview:

“It certainly feels good to be selected. Microsoft is especially relevant considering that over 90% of our deployments are on Windows Operating Systems. Additionally, our software, StoreGrid, is used to backup a lot of data created with Microsoft applications like Outlook, SQL Server & Exchange Server.”

Click here to read the full interview.

The above post was written by Lenin Srinivasan of Vembu Technologies. Vembu Technologies is a backup software vendor whose product, StoreGrid, powers the online backup services of a large number of service providers across the globe. Besides remote backup, StoreGrid is also used for on premise backups of workstations and servers at various companies & universities.

Vembu Home is the only FREE consumer backup solution for free local backups and optional Amazon Cloud backups. Get your FREE COPY now.