Outlook Hosted Exchange OST File Backup - CBT
  • Jim Richardson
    0
    We are running a version 7.3.2.6 version of MSP360 Server backup on Windows 10 workstations. Most computers have ost files being created by Microsoft Outlook version 2016 or 2019. We are running New Format image backups. We run Monthly full and daily incremental backups. Do the Outlook ost files benefit from Changed Block Tracking (CBT)? In other words, do only the changes of these files get backed up daily. In some cases the ost files are well over 10 GB each in size. The size of the daily backup seems high (sometimes 20 GB). The time it takes to complete an incremental backup also seems high (sometimes 24 hrs. or more). I'm wondering if the ost files are being backed up daily in their entirety.
    Jim Richardson Options
  • David Gugick
    118
    ↪Jim Richardson
    Generally, you do not have to back up OST files. They are simply cached data from the Exchange servers. You can research this yourself, but that is the general recommendation. If the OST file is deleted / lost, the next time Outlook connects to the Exchange Server, all email will cache again locally. Having said that, there's no harm in backing them up. This applies to file backups.

    It's not clear if you are running Image or File backups and if you're using the new backup format. For image backups, we only ever back up changed blocks, not files. For file backups, the legacy format could leverage Block-Level Backups to only back up the changes within the OST file. For the new backup format, we automatically use client-side deduplication - again, only backing up changes within the file.
    David Gugick Options
  • Jim Richardson
    0
    Thanks David. That is helpful information. Yes, image backups. Yes, new format.

    Thanks again! I appreciate your good advise and excellent product knowledge.
    Jim Richardson Options
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