Does eseutil make the original uncompacted database unusable?
When I run eseutil on an Exchange database, Is the original databse unusable? I am using eseutil /d /p and the /t to specify the compacted database. If the eseutil were to fail, could I stop the process and mount the original store up again? Can you point me to an article that shows this? I have been unable to find one.
Thnaks
Thnaks
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>>and the practice was to defrag quarterly
That is a practice invented by someone who has no idea on how to manage an exchange server. Offline defrags are not regular maintenance, they are for a specific purpose. Fix that now by going to your managers and request the practice be changed to be in line with Exchange Best Practices.
>>Some people say do it regurally as part of upkeep
Show me what you are talking about - I doubt anyone that says you should do it regularly to have any idea what they are talking about.
There are only 3 reasons to do an offline defrag - ONLY THREE! (thanks Sembee)
1. When you are using Exchange 2000 and have hit the 16GB limit
2. When you have lost more than 50% of your users and will NOT be getting them back in the next 12 months
3. When Microsoft PSS tell you to do so.
Other than that, there is NO reason to do this at all. It is slow as a wet weekend, and totally pointless except to reclaim space - which is now doubly pointless with Exchange 2003 SP2, as it uses the REAL space, not the physical file space.
-red
That is a practice invented by someone who has no idea on how to manage an exchange server. Offline defrags are not regular maintenance, they are for a specific purpose. Fix that now by going to your managers and request the practice be changed to be in line with Exchange Best Practices.
>>Some people say do it regurally as part of upkeep
Show me what you are talking about - I doubt anyone that says you should do it regularly to have any idea what they are talking about.
There are only 3 reasons to do an offline defrag - ONLY THREE! (thanks Sembee)
1. When you are using Exchange 2000 and have hit the 16GB limit
2. When you have lost more than 50% of your users and will NOT be getting them back in the next 12 months
3. When Microsoft PSS tell you to do so.
Other than that, there is NO reason to do this at all. It is slow as a wet weekend, and totally pointless except to reclaim space - which is now doubly pointless with Exchange 2003 SP2, as it uses the REAL space, not the physical file space.
-red
ASKER
Well, that is what I get for listening to others. If you and Sembee say it ain't so, I believe that it is not. Thanks for info. I have exchange knowledge but and not an expert yet. I will have to read up on the REAL space and not physical space. I am not sure that changes. No need to explain as I will look it up. I know that we have gotten off the posted question topic. Maybe I know less than what I thought I did.
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks,
Mark
>>I know that we have gotten off the posted question topic.
That isn't a problem. I want to help you as best as I can, and the real question here is should I be doing offline defrags regularly, to which the answer is NO :)
If you want to know the REAL space, search for Event ID 1221 in your event logs (early in the morning). That will tell you the real space. Alternatively, check the logs after a reboot, they will also tell you the real size.
-red
That isn't a problem. I want to help you as best as I can, and the real question here is should I be doing offline defrags regularly, to which the answer is NO :)
If you want to know the REAL space, search for Event ID 1221 in your event logs (early in the morning). That will tell you the real space. Alternatively, check the logs after a reboot, they will also tell you the real size.
-red
ASKER
I have already canceled the mailstore degrags planned for tomorrow night. I do not see the gain and I am reading that the eseutil is mainly a tool for restores and repairs. The Isinteg is meant to clean up errors found in the database. Thanks for this information, it is very helpful. I have a lot to learn to get up to speed on messaging and maintenance. I do understand the real size now that I found an article. Starting Monday, I will be looking for a good best practices book\manual too.
>>The Isinteg is meant to clean up errors found in the database.
Not entirely. ISINTEG is designed to return the database to a state of integrity when it has changed. There are no maintenance things you should be running on the server.
The only things you should be doing as an exchange administrator are; keeping an eye on windows (updates, disk space, etc), keeping exchange service packs up to date, keeping your backups up to date, and running the Exchange BPA to keep an eye on things -> http://www.expba.com
Exchange will look after itself - it does an online defrag every night, and that is all she needs.
You should not need a huge manual for Best Practices if you follow the best practices analyzer, it will tell you what is going on.
-red
Not entirely. ISINTEG is designed to return the database to a state of integrity when it has changed. There are no maintenance things you should be running on the server.
The only things you should be doing as an exchange administrator are; keeping an eye on windows (updates, disk space, etc), keeping exchange service packs up to date, keeping your backups up to date, and running the Exchange BPA to keep an eye on things -> http://www.expba.com
Exchange will look after itself - it does an online defrag every night, and that is all she needs.
You should not need a huge manual for Best Practices if you follow the best practices analyzer, it will tell you what is going on.
-red
ASKER
Thank you again for all of the information. I do run the EXBPA and it is very helpful. You definitely went above and beyond with this post for me and helped out a lot. Have a great wekend.
Mark
Mark
You are most welcome,
Good luck, and have a good weekend yourself!
-red
Good luck, and have a good weekend yourself!
-red
ASKER
I have just taken over the messaging where I work and the practice was to defrag quarterly but i only lost 2GB and it hasn't been done in over 6 months. I do not see a huge benifit this time. It depends on where you read too. Some people say do it regurally as part of upkeep and then I read other articles that say it is unneccessary unless you had a huge reduction in mailboxes. I will not be doing this quarterly. It takes too long with little space benifit from what I see. Especially when the mailstores are 30 - 40 Gig each.