Use the Exchange Backup API to Protect Your Databases

It isn't hard to complete either one of these backups, especially if you are using an Exchange backup API. When you complete an online backup of all your databases, it can easily be done when using the NTBackup. However, if you are using a third-party backup program, you will have to get the Exchange agent to backup the Exchange. Simply stated, the agent will hook the utility up to the API and start copying files.
Restoring files is just as easy. The main difference between backing up and restoring is the database will have to be offline. It won't take very long, especially if you know what you want restored. Then you push restore and the files or database will start appearing. The time it takes will depend on how big of files you are trying to recover.
An offline backup takes a little more work, as you have to dismount the database and copy the files to a different location. If you don't have to dismount the database, you won't need the saved log files. However, if something has crashed, then you will need to get into your storage group and find the files.
Using the Exchange backup API will help protect your database, and if you need items restored, it is easy to pull them up.