Introducing the Exchange Server Disaster Recovery Analyzer Tool

Exchange Server 2003 makes it easier to recover a database than previous versions of Microsoft Exchange, but it can still be frustrating to mount a recently repaired database. Fortunately, Microsoft has introduced a new tool that addresses this problem.

The Exchange Server Disaster Recovery Analyzer Tool (DRAT) can examine your database headers, transaction logs, etc., and use the collected information to provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to mount the Exchange database.

DRAT can be run against Exchange 2000 Service Pack 3 or higher and Exchange 2003. The tool itself can be run under Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

Using the Exchange Server Disaster Recovery Analyzer Tool

Evaluating results

So how good is the tool? At the time I wrote this article, it had only been available for a short time, so I can't really say for sure. All my servers were functional, and I wasn't about to trash a database just to see if a new tool could tell me how to fix it! Instead, I dismounted the server's databases and ran DRAT to see what it would turn up.

If you look at Figure A below, you'll see that the tool informed me that my Exchange databases were in a clean shutdown state. It also pointed me to a Knowledge Base article I could use to revive the server if I was unable to mount the database -- even though it had been shut down cleanly.

I was actually glad to see this. I expected to see a message telling me that there was nothing wrong with my server. I'm glad that Microsoft acknowledges the fact that sometimes Exchange Server databases won't mount even if they are shut down properly.

Figure A: This is what the DRAT results screen looks like.
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About the author: Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Mi

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crosoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Exchange Server, and has previously received Microsoft's MVP award for Windows Server and Internet Information Server (IIS). Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once responsible for the Department of Information Management at Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer, Brien has written for Microsoft, TechTarget, CNET, ZDNet, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien's personal Web site at www.brienposey.com.

It would help if the link provided to the DRAT actually linked to DRAT.
—George M.

******************************************

George, thank you for bringing up this point. After this tip was written and published, Microsoft has since incorporated the Exchange Server Disaster Recovery Analyzer Tool (DRAT) into the Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant v1.0. Despite the name changes, the links provided in this article are correct.

For more information on this tool, please read Serdar Yegulalp's tip "Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant 1.0."
—Kimbers Sheppard, Associate Editor

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