How to restore data using the Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange on M365 backup powered by Veeam

• Description
• Requirements
• Notes
• Procedure
  • Export mailbox to a PST file
  • Export store (all mailboxes) to a PST file
  • Export mailbox items or folder to a PST file
  • Restore mailbox items as MSG files.
  • Send mailbox items via email
  • Restore mailbox items to the original mailbox
  • Restore mailbox items to a different mailbox
• References 

Description

Using the Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, you can connect to your service provider to explore your backups and perform restores.

Requirements

• The account to be used to log in to Microsoft 365 must be assigned the “Global Administrator” or “Exchange Administrator” role in the Microsoft tenant.
   
• Additional permissions are required in some scenarios:
  • Restoring to a mailbox: Please review the following article to enable impersonation to add required permissions: Configure Impersonation for Microsoft Exchange Online for M365 backup powered by Veeam
    
    
  • To use the “Compare Data with Production” tool: the account must also have a valid Exchange mailbox and a license in the Microsoft 365 organization.
    
    
  • Restoring to a Public Folder:
    • The account being used must own a mailbox on the target Microsoft Exchange server
    • The account must be assigned the “Organization Management” role on the target Microsoft Exchange server
      
      
• To send restored items, SMTP settings must be configured in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange. For more information, please see this link: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/conf_smtp_settings.html?ver=110
  
  
• To allow export options, you will also need a 64-bit version of Microsoft Outlook (2010 to 2019) installed on the backup server.
  
  
• Please make sure to have enough free disk space on the backup server to store restored items. Especially for large size exports.

Notes

• To avoid conflicts during export, make sure to exclude PST files from the indexing scope. Conflicts may occur when files are being indexed and exported at the same time.
  
  
• For all considerations and limitations of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, please review the provider documentation: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/vex_considerations.html?ver=110
  
  
• Sending objects that exceed 3 MB in size may fail. To fix this issue, install this Microsoft update.
  
  
• The unattended export is also referred as the “1-Click Export” option.
  
  
• For large size PST files, please consider editing the Windows registry for older Outlook versions. See this article for details.
  
  
• The amount of data you can send at a time via email depends on your SMTP server configuration and limitations.
  
  
• The ability to send emails from the backup server may depend on your SMTP server configuration and/or your DNS configuration. If not already authorized, you may have to authorize the WAN IP address of the backup server to allow emails to be sent from it. You may also need to adjust your DNS records. See this article for details about Sender Policy Framework (SPF).

Procedure

First connect to the desired restore point in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange. Please follow this article for details: How to explore Microsoft Exchange backups on M365 backup powered by Veeam

Then, follow procedures below per your desired restore scenario.

If you choose to restore or export on the backup server, then, you can choose your preferred method to store or send files including, but not limited to: network shares, external devices, cloud storage upload, FTP/STFP/FTPS, file-sharing service.

Export mailbox to a PST file

1. Click on the mailbox to export and click on Export Mailbox.
   
   
    
2. Choose between the attended option or the unattended export (direct export of the whole mailbox to a PST file on the desktop).
   
   
    
3. Unattended export:
   
   

Wait for the mailbox to export.

Attended export:

Specify the target path and optional settings:
 

• Apply filter: Enter keywords to export only those items that match your specified criteria. Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will check for the specified keywords in all fields such as From, To, Subject and Body.
   
• Limit PST size to: Specify the size of which to export PST files. With this option, Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will create multiple PST files as of the specified size.

Then, click on Export.

Wait for the mailbox to export.

Export store (all mailboxes) to a PST file

1. Click on the mailbox store to export and click on Export Stores.
   
   
    
2. Choose between the attended option or the unattended export (direct export of all mailboxes into one (1) PST file on the desktop).
   
   
   
   
3. Unattended export:
    

Wait for mailboxes to export.

Attended export:

Specify the target path and optional settings:
 

• Apply filter: Enter keywords to export only those items that match your specified criteria. Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will check for the specified keywords in all fields such as From, To, Subject and Body.
  
  
• Limit PST size to:  Specify the size of which to export PST files. With this option, Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will create multiple PST files as of the specified size.

Then, click on Export.

Wait for mailboxes to export.

Export mailbox items or folder to a PST file

1. Browse (or use the Search) and select the mailbox items to export. Then, click on Export Items.
   
     
   
   Same thing for a folder export. Browse and select the folder to export. Then, click on Export Folder.
   
    
    
2. Choose between the attended option or the unattended export (direct export of selected items or folder to a PST file on the desktop).
   
   Folder:
   
   
   
   Items:
   
   
   
   
3. Unattended export:
    

Wait for items or folder to export.

Attended export:
 

Specify the target path and optional settings:
 

• Apply filter (folder export): Enter keywords to export only those items that match your specified criteria. Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will check for the specified keywords in all fields such as From, To, Subject and Body.
  
  The “Apply filter” option is not displayed for selected items to export.
  
  
• Limit PST size to: Specify the size of which to export PST files. With this option, Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will create multiple PST files as of the specified size.

Then, click on Export.

Folder:

Items:

Wait for items or folder to export.

Restore mailbox items as MSG files.

1. Browse (or use the Search) and select the mailbox items to save. Then, click on Save Items.
   
     
    
2. Choose between the attended option or the unattended restore (direct save of selected items into individual MSG files to the previously used location).
   
   
    
3. Unattended restore:
    

Wait for items to be saved.

 

Attended restore:
 

Selected the destination folder and click on OK.

Send mailbox items via email

1. Browse (or use the Search) and select the mailbox items to send. Then, click on Send Items.
    
   
   
   
2. Choose between the attended option or the unattended restore (directly send selected items as attachments to the mailbox owner).
   
   
   
   
3. Unattended restore:
   
   

Attended restore: 

Customize the recipient, the sender, the email subject, and the email body as desired. Then, click on Send.

Notes:

If the Veeam Explorer reports the message as successfully sent, it only means that the message is out for delivery. If the email is not received, the email may be blocked somewhere else due to possible causes like email size, bad configuration or bad/blocked sender or recipient.  

Restore mailbox items to the original mailbox

1. Browse (or use the Search) and select the mailbox items to restore. Then, click on Restore Items.
   
     
    
2. Select to restore to the same mailbox.
   
    
3. At the Microsoft 365 connection settings screen, click on Next.
   
     
    
4. Copy the code and open https://microsoft.com/devicelogin
   
    
   
   
5. Enter the code and click on Next.
   
    
    
6. Follow steps to sign into the Microsoft tenant using an account with sufficient permissions. (See the Requirements section).
   
    

   
   

    
    
7. Once authenticated, click on Restore.
   
     
   
   Notes:
   
   You must authenticate within fifteen (15) minutes. Over fifteen (15) minutes, you will have to generate a new code and proceed with the authentication process again.
   
   If selected items exist in the mailbox, those items will be skipped.
   
   
    

Restore mailbox items to a different mailbox

1. Browse (or use the Search) and select the mailbox items to restore. Then, click on Restore Items.
   
     
    
2. Click on “Restore to”.
   
   
   
   
3. Specify the target mailbox.
   User2 in this example.
   
   
   
   
4. At the Microsoft 365 connection settings screen, click on Next.
   
     
    
5. Copy the code and open https://microsoft.com/devicelogin
   
    
    
6. Enter the code and click on Next.
   
    
    
7. Follow the steps to sign in to the Microsoft tenant using an account with sufficient permissions. (See the Requirements section.)
   
    

   
   

    
    
8. Once authenticated, click on Next.
   
     
   
   Notes:
   
   You must authenticate within fifteen (15) minutes. Over fifteen (15) minutes, you will have to generate a new code and proceed with the authentication process again.
    
9. Select the target folder in the target mailbox. Then, click on Next.
   If the specified folder does not exist, it will be automatically created in the target mailbox.
   
   
    
10. Change restore options if desired and click on Restore.
    
    
    
    

References

For all considerations and limitations of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, please review the provider documentation: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/vex_considerations.html?ver=110

For more information on required permissions to restore Microsoft Exchange data, please review the provider documentation: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/vee_required_permissions.html?ver=110

For more information about Data Export using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, please review the provider documentation: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/vex_data_export.html?ver=110

For more information about Data Restore using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, please review the provider documentation: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/explorers/vex_data_restore.html?ver=110