Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2006-09-18

This topic outlines critical data specific to the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Hub Transport server role that needs to be considered for a disaster recovery plan. The Hub Transport server is designed to store all configuration data in Active Directory.

Where Hub Transport Server Stores Configuration Data

The Hub Transport server role is designed to store all configuration data in the Active Directory directory configuration container. In addition to configuration data, the Hub Transport server stores queues in Microsoft Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) databases, message tracking and protocol logs in files, and limited configuration information in the registry. The queues and logs are not essential to restoring the Hub Transport server functionality.

The queue database is used to store messages while they are being processed by agents and relayed to their final destination on the server. After the message is delivered to an internal or external host, the message is removed from the queue database. Because the data in the database is transient, this database uses circular logging and is not backed up.

The message tracking and protocol log files are used to store records of transactions that took place on the server. The message tracking logs are used as historical forensic data to view the path that a message took. The protocol logs are used to track all of the conversations that take place on all of the connectors on the Exchange server.

Table 1 outlines where the Hub Transport server role stores data.

Note:
In Table 1, the file paths all start in the root of the Exchange installation folder. The default Exchange installation folder path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\.

Table 1 Data locations in the Hub Transport server

Critical data	Location	Backup method	Restore method
Message queues are not backed up. Message queues can be mounted on a new server if they are recovered from a failed server.	File System\TransportRoles\data\Queue	None	Message queues can be mounted on a new server if they are recovered from a failed server.
Message tracking and protocol logs are not backed up. The logs are filled with historical data that might be needed for forensic analysis.	File System\TransportRoles\Logs	File level backup	File-level restore
There is limited information stored in the registry by Setup that is not essential to server restore.	Windows registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange HKLM\SYSTEM\currentcontrolset\Services	System State backup or registry export	System State restore or registry import

Critical data

Location

Backup method

Restore method

Message queues are not backed up. Message queues can be mounted on a new server if they are recovered from a failed server.

File System\TransportRoles\data\Queue

None

Message queues can be mounted on a new server if they are recovered from a failed server.

Message tracking and protocol logs are not backed up. The logs are filled with historical data that might be needed for forensic analysis.

File System\TransportRoles\Logs

File level backup

File-level restore

There is limited information stored in the registry by Setup that is not essential to server restore.

Windows registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange
HKLM\SYSTEM\currentcontrolset\Services

System State backup or registry export

System State restore or registry import

For More Information

You can restore the Hub Transport server role and made it fully functional by running the Setup /m:RecoverServer command. For more information about how to use the m:RecoverServer command, see Understanding Setup /M:RecoverServer.

For more information about how to move a message queue database to a different server, see Working with the Queue Database on Transport Servers.