Exchange log files

open exchange system manager, browse down to your server, rightclick it, on the general tab look under log file maintenance, do you have it set to remove the log files after x amount of days?

all of these 5 MB files are there b/c you have cicrular logging turned off.  If circurlar logging was enabled, it would overwrite the 5 MB file when the 5MB limit is reached rather than creating a new one like it is doing.  you enable/disable it by rightclicking on your storage group and choosing properties, the option to enable/disable it is on the general tab. But, note that if you enable it, the log files won't be there anymore, and you can't recover changes to the storage group after the last backup b/c the required log files would no longer be there.  It is best to leave circular logging disabled and let your exchange backup software manage these files.  

note:  these log files are created automatically, you can't stop them from being created, but you can controll what happens to them once they are created.

The answer from Exchange Admin is correct. Just to add: if you enable circular logging, then in a Disaster Recovery situation you will be hurting. However, it sounds like you're not doing backups anyway, so maybe you don't need to be able to recover your mail? If this is the case, then enable circular logging, and you're all set. If, however, you might need to get your mail back in the event of a disaster, then start doing backups, and DON'T enable ciruclar logging.

mikeleebrla's instructions on log file maintenance applies to Message Tracking logs, not transaction logs. You would have figured that out pretty quickly if you reviewed the KB's that Exchange Admin pointed you to.

We perform a full complete backup each night of our exchange database using the Veritas Exchange Agent to backup each mailbox.  I am guessing that these log files would not be necessary since a restore using veritas would move the messages back into the database.

Am I correct?

Scott

Ah.... Here is the problem.
When you do a mailbox level backup, also known as Brick Level Backups, the log files are not purged.

The log files only get purged when you make a full online backup of the Information Store.

The problem you are going to have in the case of a restore is that you will only be able to get back to the point you were at when the backup was made. Anything that happend since that time will be lost.

beat me to it.

Hi All,
Thanks for all the advice.  I have turned on the backup for the Information store.  My understanding is that this will automatically flush the exchange logs?

Scott

Yes it should.