I have 3 servers that have information that requires backing up. One email server (exchange 2003), one file server, and 2 domain controllers (one requiring a backup).

It is being backed up onto a removable 5 bay hard drive backup device that is connected to the file server (so would require network transfer from exchange and the AD server).

Is there any free, or really cheap, software that will allow me to do this? Only respond with ntbackup if you can actually help me find a useful link for the exchange plugin feature.

Holy Wow.

there are no "plugins" for ntbackup. 3rd party yes but ntbackup no.

This is how you backup exhange using ntbackup

http://www.petri.co.il/backup_excha...

Imagine the power of knowing how to internet search
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Teachin...

That's what I mean't. Thats the previous article I read and couldn't get it working properly. I will attempt it again, due to the fact that it's on a different server now.

Holy Wow.

Here's a tip for you.

With the use of a simple batchfile you can map a network drive to the server with the backup media on it (your "backup server"). Run the backup, then copy the backup file to the backup server and finally disconnect the mapped drive.

Just setup the backup on each remote server and use the command line from the backup in the batchfile for that machine. Schedule the backup using the batchfile (stagger them so they're not all copying to the backup server at the same time) and then run the final backup, including all other server's backups, to your backup media.

NTBackup cannot do individual mailbox backups of Exchange - it will only backup the FULL information store. This is not a bad thing though.

If you have problems with the backups, then I would recommend you post your problems here instead of a request for an alternate -- unless you're willing to pay several hundred dollars.

If you require a "brick level" backup to give you a granular restore of emails and email data you can use Exmerge which is a microsoft tool for exporting and importing mailboxes. It can be run from a batch file on automation.

SBS Specialist extraordinaire!!

The problem with using ExMerge for a brick level backup is that it does not support Mailboxes over 2GB. I would recommend using the Recovery Storage group properly to handle restores and bother with the slow Brick Level style backups.

The recovery srotage group is not a replacment for a good backup procedure. Its certainly a massive addition to exchange in comparison to its predeccsors and saves a ton of work and possible downtime. Exmerge is a free MS utility. Granular level backup utilities like Backup Exec are not.

SBS Specialist extraordinaire!!

Using exmerge requires altering permissions on the information store which some places might consider unacceptable. I don't see what your problem with using the recovery storage group is. ExMerge is a free MS utility, yes, but it's also limited - as I said, it does not support mailboxes over 2GB.