Before you attempt to recover from the complete failure of a
server, you should make sure that you have the necessary backups
and software. Just as in previous versions of Exchange, it is
possible to recover all mailbox data even if all system data has
been permanently destroyed. As long as a backup of the appropriate
database exists, you can recover the mailbox data, but you must
manually re-link mailboxes to users, re-create connectors, and
define other configuration data. To simplify recovery, it's
strongly recommended that you keep current backups of all four
types listed in this requirements section.
To fully recover from a disaster, you will need:
Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000 Installation CDs. This
includes any applicable service packs or hotfixes as outlined in
the Windows and Exchange release notes.
Full backups of the system drive. This includes any
other logical drives where critical applications or data was
installed.
A recent system state backup. System state backups are a
new type of backup that you can select in a component that is
available with Windows 2000, called Backup. This new type of backup
captures Active Directory, the Windows registry, and other data
that is not usually backed up by file and drive backups.
Backups of Exchange databases. This includes the
Information Store, Key Management Server if installed, and Site
Replication Service databases.