How to Create Recovery Database In Exchange 2016? Step By Step Guide
Summary: If you are looking for a solution to create a recovery database in Exchange 2016, then you are reading the right article. Here, we will guide users to create an Exchange 2016 recovery database, its features, and in what situations users can use to recover data from RDB.
An Exchange recovery database (RDB) is a special kind of database that allows users to mount the restored database and extract Exchange mailboxes and their data items from the restored mailbox database as a party of the recovery option.
Note: Users can also use the Exchange PowerShell command i.e. “New-MailboxRestoreRequest” to extract the Exchange data from the recovery database.
When the Exchange users and administrator extract the data from RDB, they can export it to the folder or merge it into an existing mailbox. Only the Exchange admin has the right to use the recovery database other than this no users can use the RDB. It also enables the users to recover the data from copy or backup of the database without interrupting the user access to recent data.
Note: If the users doesn’t have any RDB and its Exchange mailboxes and data items are permanently deleted or corrupted. In that case, they can use the SysTools Exchange Recovery Tool that provides dual scanning option which easily recovers & repair EDB file from major as well as minimal corruption and recover purged mailboxes and items from loaded offline/dismounted Exchange database file with no data loss. User can use the option to repair Exchange mailbox and recover deleted mailbox after retention period.
Quick Working Steps:
Step 1. Download, Install & Launch the Tool.
Step 2. Search & Import Exchange Database File (EDB).
Step 3. Run Advance Scan Mode and Preview Exchange Mailbox.
Step 4. Choose Export to Recover Mailboxes from Corrupted file.
Step 5. Save Exchange DB in Required File Format.
Know How Recovery Database is Different From Standard Mailbox Database
- The RDB only stores lost Exchange mailboxes and data items
- The recovery database cannot send and receive message
- In RDB users cannot connect their Exchange mailboxes
- It is created by using the Exchange Management Shell
- For the recovery database, online maintenance cannot be performed
- The user can’t create any of the mailbox database copies of an RDB
| Feature | Standard Database | Recovery Database |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Stores user mailboxes | Restores lost mailboxes/items |
| User Access | Users can access their mailboxes | Users cannot access mailboxes |
| Mail Operations | Can send and receive messages | Cannot send or receive messages |
| Creation Method | EAC or PowerShell | Exchange Management Shell (EMS) |
| Maintenance | Online maintenance supported | Online maintenance is not supported |
| Database Copies | Can be created | Cannot be created |
How You Can Use the Recovery Database?
Before proceeding further, users have to meet some specific requirements to use RDB.
- The recovery database can be used only when it is created by Exchange 2016 as well as later Exchange mailbox database only
- Exchange 2013/2010 & lower version mailbox databases are not supported
- The target Exchange mailbox used for merging and extracting the data must be in the same AD (Active Directory Forest)
Following are the several conditions in which a Recovery Database can be used to recover data:
1. Exchange Server Dial Tone Recovery
Users can use the recovery database to perform the recovery when the original database is restored from backup as a part of Exchange dial tone recovery. You can do this on the same or in the alternate server and after that recover data from the RDB.
2. Mailbox Recovery
When the retention period of deleted Exchange mailboxes expires, the user can also recover the individual mailbox from backup by using a recovery database. The user can copy the extracted data from the restored mailbox to the target folder or merge it into another mailbox.
3. Specific Item Recovery
Users can restore the data from the backup which is deleted or purged.
Note: Recovery database cannot be used restore multiple database and entire Exchange Server.
How to Create an Exchange 2016 Recovery Database?
The New-MailboxDatabase command in Exchange PowerShell can be used to create RDB. Follow the steps given below to for Exchange 2016 create a recovery database and restore the Exchange mailboxes.
Step 1. Restore Exchange Database From Windows Server Backup
The first and foremost thing to do is to use the Windows Server backup to restore Exchange database.
Step 2. Check the Exchange Database State
When the Microsoft EDB file and Logs are restored, check the state of the Exchange database by using the eseutil /mh cmdlet given below.
If EDB is clean shutdown then proceed to the next step, but if it is in the Exchange dirty shutdown state then the user has to perform the soft recovery and hard recovery in Exchange 2016 database.
For soft recovery use the eseutil /r command:
and for hard recovery use eseutil /p cmdlet:
Step 3. Create Recovery Database Exchange 2016
Use the New-MailboxDatabase PowerShell command to create RDB when the Exchange database is restored and in a clean shutdown state:
New-MailboxDatabase -Recovery -Name RDB11 -Server SysTools -EdbFilePath “C:\Recovery\RDB11\RDB11.edb” -LogFolderPath “C:\Recover\EDB11”
Step 4. Verify RDB is created successfully
Get-MailboxDatabase “name_of_recovery_database” | Format-List
Step 5. Mount the Recovery Database (RDB) on the Server
After creating RDB users can mount it by using the cmdlet given below:
Mount-Database “name_of_recovery_database”
Example:
Mount-Database RDB11
Use the PowerShell command to verify that the database is mounted successfully
Get-MailboxDatabase -Status| Format-List name, server, mounted -AutoSize
Step 6. Extract Data From RDB
When the recovery database is mounted the user can copy the extracted data from RDB to the folder or they can merge it in the existing mailbox.
1. Use the Exchange Management Shell command to check the mailboxes in a recovery database
Get-MailboxRestoreRequest -Database “name_of_RDB”
2. Find and note down the GUID mailbox name to restore the Exchange mailbox and data items from the recovery database
Get-MailboxStatistics -Database “name_of_RDB” | Format-List DisplayName, mailboxGUID
3. The user can restore the mailbox or items from the recovery database with the help of the GUID name of Exchange mailboxes on the source server & the mailbox alias name of the target server.
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -Name “SysTools01” -SourceDatabase “name_of_RDB” -SourceStoreMailbox MailboxGUID -TargetMailbox “SysTools02”TargetMailboxAlias -AllowLegacyDNSMismatch
Now user can restore the Exchange mailbox and its data from the recovery database to the original mailboxes
4. If the user wants to restore the Exchange mailbox to the archive mailbox, then use the command given below:
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase “Recovery_database_name” -SourceStoreMailbox "SysTools01" -TargetMailbox "SysTools02" -TargetIsArchive
5. Use the -IncludeFolder in the cmdlet to extract the specific folder and save the mailbox data in it
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase “Recovery_database_name” -SourceStoreMailbox "SysTools01" -TargetMailbox "SysTools02” -IncludeFolders "Inbox"
6. Also use can use the /* in the command to include all subfolders by using a subfolder
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase “Recovery_database_name” -SourceStoreMailbox "SysTools01" -TargetMailbox "SysTools02” -IncludeFolders "Inbox/*"
7. To ExcludeFolders use the PowerShell command:
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase “Recovery_database_name” -SourceStoreMailbox "SysTools01" -TargetMailbox "SysTools02" -ExcludeFolders "#Inbox#","#Contacts#"
Step 7. Check the MailboxRestoreRequest Status
You should check the status of your mailbox restore request because if any Exchange mailbox request stops or fails, the user will know about it.
Get-MailboxRestoreRequest
When all Exchange mailbox and data items are restored successfully, remove the restore request by using the Remove-MailboxRestoreRequest cmdlet.
Now what if you need to restore the mailbox from the recovery database Exchange 2016, in this case, you have two options, either you can use the above-mentioned software or you can use the below PowerShell scripts. However there are a few prerequisites, let’s discuss them accordingly.
Requirements to Restore Exchange 2016 Mailbox from the Recovery Database:
- Users have to create a recovery database in Exchange 2016
- Then you have to select the location & copy the recovered database along with their log files
- After that, the user has to check that the database should be in a clean shutdown state. In case, if it is in Exchange dirty shutdown state, then you can perform the soft recovery and hard recovery of the Exchange 2016 database by running the eseutil /r cmdlet and eseutil /p command to bring back the mailbox database in the clean state.
How to Restore Mailbox from Recovery Database Exchange 2016 Using PowerShell
Insert the cmdlet given below to restore the Exchange database mailbox given below:
Command:
New-MailboxDatabase -Recovery -Name “enter_recovery_database_name” -Server “servername” -EdbFilePath “ExchangeDatabaseFilePath” -LogFolderPath “EnterLogFilePath”
Example:
New-MailboxDatabase -Recovery -Name “RecoveryDatabase01” -Server MBX1 -EdbFilePath “D:\Restore\Databases01.edb” -LogFolderPath “D:\Restore”
Then users have to again start MS Exchage Information Store service and mount the database
Restart-Service MSExchangeIS
Now check the mounted Exchange database that comprises the mailbox that you want to restore or not:
Get-MailboxStatistics -Database | Format-Table—auto
Use the cmdlet given below to restore the mailbox from the recovery database to the product mailbox
New-MailboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase -SourceStoreMailbox -TargetMailbox
After that, check the status of the mailbox restore request
Get-MailboxRestoreRequest -Status
When the status is displayed as “Completed” then remove the Exchange restore command given below:
Remove-MailboxRestoreRequest
Now verify that the Exchange database mailboxes are restored or not. When the process is completed go to the destination path where you restored the Exchange mailboxes via Outlook or OWA and check whether the recovered mailbox is there or not. If the mailbox is there then you have successfully restored the mailboxes from the recovery database Exchange 2016.
The Drawback of RDB (Recovery Database)
-
- At times, the RDB fails to mount the database that you specified
- This solution can be used as a restore option but not as a backup one
- The Administrator must insert the path of the mailbox correctly
- Exchange Mailbox Restore Request fail frequently and then users or admin are unable to restore the mailbox
Note: It requires users to have technical knowledge, skills and hands-on experience to use the manual solution. The to avoid all this complexity and headache then you can use the alternative solution mentioned above which easily restore the permanently deleted Exchange mailboxes and items from offline/dismounted EDB file in a simplified way with no data loss.
Bringing It All Together
This write-up provides detailed information on how to create an Exchange 2016 recovery database, extract data from RDB, its usage, and mailbox recovery. The recovery database is also a part of the Exchange Server disaster recovery plan that helps users restore the mailboxes and data items when their retention period expires. Therefore, this method requires Exchange database backup and many steps to complete it. Additionally, users can’t use it to recover the failed MS Exchange Server and recover the corrupted/damaged Exchange database.
In that case, you can use the above-mentioned software which easily recovers damaged or corrupt offline/dismounted Exchange database, recovers hard deleted EDB mailboxes and data items without any loss of data, and exports it to the Live Exchange Server, Office 365, and multiple file formats.