Exchange 2010 GRT restore error cannot connect to CAS Array

If you have the Microsoft Exchange 2010 DAG and CAS Array, and you want to recover the granular backup with Symantec NetBackup. You can meet this error:

2013-02-08 09:54:11 - Error bpbrm(pid=7200) bpcd on casarray.domain.local exited with status 48: client hostname could not be found
2013-02-08 09:54:11 - Info tar32(pid=0) done. status: 48: client hostname could not be found    
2013-02-08 09:54:11 - Error bpbrm(pid=7200) client restore EXIT STATUS 48: -Your data has been truncated.

lub

Error bpbrm (pid=4046) from client <cas array name>: ERR - unable to create object for restore: \\dagname\Microsoft Information Store\Mail Store\Database\User, name [nuser], rai error = 6
Error bpbrm (pid=4046) client restore EXIT STATUS 5: the restore failed to recover the requested files
From the detailed status of the job in the Activity Monitor:
Error bpbrm (pid=4046) cannot connect to <cas array name>, Operation now in progress (150)
Error bpbrm (pid=4046) client restore EXIT STATUS 58: can't connect to client

This problem occurs because the NetBackup attempts to communicate with Netbackup Client service to the address that is specified for the CAS Array.

This is normal behavior for restore to connect to CAS Array first and then to Mailbox role server.

As you know CAS Array is the “virtual” creation, so there is no Netbackup service available on this IP address. In theory, CAS Array should forward the request to the Exchange CAS servers that belong to the CAS Array but it doesn’t.

Therefore, restore job finish with error.

In order to verify the error, you need to open CMD on Netbackup server and use command:

bptestbpcd -client CAS_Array_Name

You will get error.

To solve this problem open the hosts file on the NetBackup server and type in the address to the CAS Array and IP address of one of our servers with the CAS role.

10.150.1.60 MXCASARRAY

Where IP 10.150.1.60 is IP of physical Exchange CAS server.

This hosts file updates, allows to NetBackup server when trying to connect with MXCASARRAY will actually connect to the server directly to CAS server, and now it’s able to find Netbackup Client service

Re-open the CMD and check:

bptestbpcd -client CAS_Array_Name

This time the Netbackup server without problems should find NetBackup service for CAS_Array_Name, and restore should complete without errors.

The problem is described on the Symantec Support:

Exchange 2010 GRT restore fails with rai error = 6