Previous Topic: Performing Document Level Backups and RestoresNext Topic: Document Level Backup and Restore Benefits


How Document Level Backup Works

Document level backup is the most powerful and flexible backup type. It offers advanced configuration options, performs folder level backups and message level restores, and supports advanced filtering during backup. It also maximizes performance and flexibility by supporting complete messaging single instance storage (SIS), multi-threading, and by offering the most granular level of restore.

You should use document level backup and restore when you want the flexibility to restore individual objects, such as a mailbox, folder, or a single message. Document level backup and restore can also be used to simplify many administrative tasks, such as auditing, migration, pruning, and aging. With document level backup and restore, you can back up many messaging objects including posts, tasks, notes, journal entries, mail messages, events, appointments, meeting requests, and contacts.

Note: The agent does not support backing up Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving data and Microsoft Personal Archives at document level granularity. Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving is a process of archiving Exchange Server 2010 SP1 and later mailbox data to cloud-based storage locations. Personal Archives is Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and later functionality that lets Exchange users create personal archives of their Exchange Server data. For more information about Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving and Personal Archiving, see the Microsoft website.

In addition to document level backups, you should perform database level backups. Database level backup is the fundamental backup for your Exchange Server, and you should always use it regardless of whether you use one of the other granular backup types. You can use database level backups to restore Exchange Server in the event of a system failure, database corruption, or disaster recovery situation.