See...if you do everything before the users even log in you avoid this whole mess :-)
Dave -----Original Message----- From: Angus Scott-Fleming [mailto:angu...@geoapps.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 11:36 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Can not open PST files On 25 Mar 2009 at 17:29, Kevan Dickinson wrote: > What can people suggest as the best way to now backup these PST files to the > > network. > > As a temporary measure I have installed the Microsoft PST backup tool that > copies the PST Files up to the Network when a user closes Outlook. > > Running a logoff script could also copy the files, but what are other people > > doing? Since my users rarely close OL and since we often have the need to shut down quickly during thunderstorm season, I have avoided a backup situation which happens only at logoff. A former client had a Very Bad Experience many years ago (1980s) with backups which were run at the end of the day -- they didn't get run for several weeks because every day they shut down as the thunderstorms came in. They lost several weeks of work. I use the network logon script to copy the PST to the network as the user logs in. Biggest problem is keeping users from opening OL until the copy finishes, so the way I "solved" that was to copy the PST to %TEMP% first (much faster than copying to the LAN), then copy from %TEMP%. I also put up a warning dialog "Don't open Outlook until this goes away" .... Your comment on the backup tool made me go and read up on it. How to automatically back up your personal folders file in Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2003 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238782 Using the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010875321033.aspx I found this "note" in the above article interesting and slightly amusing: If you are using an East Asian operating system with an English version of Microsoft Office, you cannot use this download. I found this disturbing comment googling PST BACKUP: ------- Included Stuff Follows ------- RE: PST backup "I have found SyncToy to be buggy and it is unsupported. Robocopy is more robust, even with its PITA switches. But IIRC, neither will sync an open PST, and even a closed PST stays untouchable for 30 minutes after closing. How are you going to make the users close their PSTs, and how are you going to make the sync program wait half an hour after the closing? " --------- Included Stuff Ends --------- Seen here: http://www.mail-archive.com/excha...@intm-dl.sparklist.com/msg18300.html No explanation of why a "closed" PST is still open for 30 minutes. WRT PSTs on the server, I came across this: Ask the Performance Team : Network Stored PST files ... don't do it! http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/01/21/network-stored-pst- files-don-t-do-it.aspx or here if the above wraps unusably: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2lfwa4 The problem is apparently in how OL "talks" to its PSTs; it can overload Windows servers pretty easily because it's not network-friendly. Comments in one of the two articles just above suggest that Netware servers and Linux servers don't have the file-handles problems that plague PSTs on Windows servers, so a possible solution would be to set up a Linux box for your PSTs. Interesting comment on the last page: "We tried PFBackup but when 5 o'clock comes and everyone starts backing up to the network share the LAN came to a crawl." It seems that BackupExec with the DLO (Desktop/Laptop Option) can back up local PSTs: How to configure Backup Exec Desktop and Laptop Option to perform incremental backups of Outlook .pst files http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/268078.htm Here's a VERY interesting page for those with OL and no Exchange server: Folder Redirection w/out Offline Files with outlook pst backup without Exchange - Spiceworks Community http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/42 I've put together a how-to for organizations with a windows server (2003+) who lack an Exchange Server. A problem I've found with this common setup is the ability to cleanly backup Outlook .pst (pop3) and other user files. The solution utilizes folder redirection, roaming profiles, an Administrative template within the GPO, active directory, and logon scripts. Users are then able to save items from desktop, documents, favorites, etc. upon logoff. This makes roaming a snap, and allows for a quick computer replacement in a pinch. HTH Angus ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
