Cannot merge recovered mailbox on Exchange 2003

Is there a mailbox store mounted in the default group? I guess to merge you need to be able to see the ordinary mailboxes also.
How many mailboxes are we talking about? If you need to get it working, no matter how, then I would suggest to use exmerge to export the recovery mailboxes is possible.
More info here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998516(EXCHG.65).aspx

 

hi

Is the account your using a domain admin? this account will have an explicit deny permisson on access to all mailboxes. to be able to run exmerge and  restore the mailbox content you will need to either grant your domain admin account explicit permissions to each mailbox (or override the expliclit deny permission)

A simpler way is to create a new account that is a local administrator on the sbs server, and also grant the account exchange full administrator role at the top of the exchange organization

This account will have full access to all mailboxes on the server, and should allow you to run exmerge successfully

This article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322312 give you more information on the exmerge issue that you have encountered

There might be logocal cuppuption in the the orgional databse.as you already have sucessfully mounted the database in recovery storage group
you might want to empty mount the origional database.. then suggest users to access the mailnoxes. the will not see the old dta..
you can then merge from rsg

second option is to repair defrag and do isinteg the database...
then try merge

Dhruv

do you have outlook installed on the machine you're exmerging from?

pvlier - I can see both the recovered mailboxes in the recovery group and the default group mailboxes. We are only talking about 5 mailboxes, happy to do things any way that works, however I cannot get EXMERGE to export the recovered mailboxes.

Craig Lawrence - I have a user account that will exmerge the default group mailboxes, which I've done twice now. However, it will NOT access the recovery group. I have even removed inheritance on the recovery group permissions and removed ALL deny permissions and I still can't get it to work.

Byron - No Outlook, I'm doing all of this on the server itself. WOuld I be better off trying to run Exmerge from a workstation?

Here's the EXMERGE log when I try to run it on the recovery group;


****************************************************************
Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Program, v6.5.7529.0
Start Logging:August 22, 2010   10:36:02
****************************************************************
[10:36:02] Logging Level: None
[10:36:02] Reading settings from file 'C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\bin\EXMERGE.INI'.
[10:36:02] Reading list of subjects for messages to be selected from file ''
[10:36:02] Reading list of attachment names for messages to be selected from file ''
[10:36:02] List of folders to be ignored has been read. 0 folders in the list.
[10:36:02] Current machine locale ID is 0x409
[10:36:02] Operating System Version 5.2 (Build 3790)
[10:36:08] Accessing Domain Controller 'ADVANCESERVER'
[10:36:08] 'ADVANCESERVER' is running Exchange Server 2000 or later
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \E9\A2\8D\9D\20\C3\23I\92\29\B0U\10\B6\00\9D. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=RICHARD.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \B3O\EDs\AD0\BEB\B4K\9E\FD\B7\12\10\C6. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=HP.
[10:36:11] Mailbox '/O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=CONFIGURATION/CN=SERVERS/CN=ADVANCESERVER/CN=MICROSOFT SYSTEM ATTENDANT' will be ignored as its DN contains strings in the ignore list
[10:36:11] Mailbox '/O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=SYSTEMMAILBOX{9893321C-D326-4B82-9485-C5F067374140}' will be ignored as its DN contains strings in the ignore list
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \80\9F\C1\1E\A4\94\B9M\AA\1A\EA\10\FBZd\D5. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=JENNIFER.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \7Cr4\D0EP\D6N\AC\0B\26\D1\B9s\F9\24. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=SHANNON.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \3E\92\B6\BC\AB\88\D0A\99\26\82V\3C\85\5E\5C. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=MARIE.
[10:36:11] Mailbox '/O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=CONFIGURATION/CN=CONNECTIONS/CN=SMTP (ADVANCESERVER)/CN={9893321C-D326-4B82-9485-C5F067374140}' will be ignored as its DN contains strings in the ignore list
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \12\FA\D2\7C\91S\00H\BC\15eR\CE\3B\F6z. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=BARRY.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \11\8A\92\FB\E7\0B\90N\86\80\DB\5E\98\FCG\B4. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=ADMINISTRATOR.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \09Q\AF\9C\9DL\17J\86\91\0B\F3\D8\9E\09d. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=ANNETTE.
[10:36:11] Error! Cannot identify the user with the msExchMailboxGuid \08\40Y\E6m\13\C3O\87\2C\93\7E\8D\CE9\B8. The legacyExchangeDN is /O=ADVANCE/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=LORI.
[10:36:11] Found 0 mailbox(es) homed on database 'RECOVERY STORAGE GROUP/MAILBOX STORE (ADVANCESERVER)'.
[10:36:11] Skipped 9 mailbox(es) homed on database 'RECOVERY STORAGE GROUP/MAILBOX STORE (ADVANCESERVER)' because of errors.
[10:36:11] Ignored 3 mailbox(es) homed on database 'RECOVERY STORAGE GROUP/MAILBOX STORE (ADVANCESERVER)'.
[10:36:11] Found 0 mailbox(es) homed on the specified databases.
[10:36:11] Skipped 9 mailbox(es) homed on the specified databases because of errors.
[10:36:11] Ignored 3 mailbox(es) homed on the specified databases.

Make sure the account you are using is having "receive as" permissions on the target database.

Check the following snippet from Microsoft:

Extract or Merge Mailbox Data from the Recovery Storage Group to the Regular Storage Group
Use the Exchange Server 2003 version of Microsoft Exchange Merge Wizard (Exmerge.exe) to extract data from a database in a Recovery Storage Group to the mailbox of the user in the regular storage group. For more information about how to obtain the Exmerge.exe tool, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/bb288482.aspx (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/bb288482.aspx)
The same Exmerge.exe functionality that is available for databases that are in regular storage groups is available for databases that are in a Recovery Storage Group. However, note the following differences that apply when you use the Exmerge.exe tool with a Recovery Storage Group:

    * You do not have to override the Deny setting that is configured for the Receive As permission for members of the administrative group when you extract data from the Recovery Storage Group. However, when you merge data back to the regular storage group, you have to add the appropriate user account to the mailbox store, and you have to assign the account the Receive As permission.
    * The original mailbox must still be present in the original database and must still be connected to an Active Directory user account. The following considerations apply:
          o If the mailbox is disconnected, the Exmerge.exe tool does not display the mailbox in the list of available mailboxes.
          o If the mailbox is moved to a different database, the mailbox appears in the list of available mailboxes, but the Exmerge.exe tool cannot extract data from it.
          o If the mailbox is disconnected from a user in Active Directory and then is reconnected to a different user in Active Directory, and the mailbox remains in its original database, the Exmerge.exe tool can extract the mailbox data from the Recovery Storage Group. However, the Exmerge.exe tool uses the mailNickname attribute of the current mailbox owner as the display name of the mailbox, and it uses the attribute of the previous owner of the mailbox as the directory name. The resulting .pst file uses a name that is based on the mailNickname attribute of the previous owner. You must rename the .pst file to match the mailNickname attribute of the current owner of the mailbox before you can import the mailbox data back to the original mailbox. This means that you must perform a two-step merge operation. You must rename the .pst file between each step of the merge operation.

But how do I fix it?

The server that is currently running has been rebuilt after it failed; Most of the users that were there before have been created on the rebuilt server, but possibly not *exactly* the same, so chances are the mailboxes in the recovery group do not match exactly with mailboxes in the main storage group.

So how do I get the users mail back?

Like I said before, the account I am using has FULL AND TOTAL PERMISSIONS for everything, and it works FINE on the main storage group, just NOT the recovery group.

A Recovery Storage Group uses the following two Active Directory attributes to link a copy of the database with its original database:
The msExchMailboxGUID attribute:
The msExchOrigMDB attribute:
In case if the attributes do not match, these is no way you can merge the two databases (Recovery databse with the original mailboxes)

Are the users now connected to teh newly created database?
How many users we are there?

All I'm hearing is that all is lost.

Surely someone knows how to recover this data; I have a valid backup, I even have a copy of the physical files from the failed server.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

In that case: why can' t you copy the edb, stm and log files to the new server and mount it?
Before you do that move the new edb,stm and log files to a different folder.

I don't know, that's why I am asking this question! :-)

Can you do that? I'll give it a go.

yes.
Before you do that dismount the recovered database from RSG and run eseutil /mh "database path".
Make sure that the shutdown is clean shutdown. This means that you don't need log files.
Now dimount the original database and move the edb, stm and log files to a different folder.
Just copy the recovered edb and stm to the same location as the existing database and mount the database.
The log files will be created as per the location specified in the storage group properties

RR1968 - Your cunning plan appears to be bearing fruit. Looks like there are a couple of mailboxes for users that aren't there anymore (old staff, we didn't create user accounts for them). I'm guessing if I create user accounts that match those mailboxes, I can exmerge them too?

Ahhh, spoke too soon. So now we have empty mailboxes for all the users, and the mailboxes from the failed server are listed additionally. I still can't access that data.

Come on, there MUST be a way to get access to this data. How does anyone do it when their server crashes? Are they just supposed to forget about it?

EE Mobile? I must look into that. :-)

I had found some info about doing what you just described Craig, and have, after a bit of messing around, managed to get one of the users mail back. Looking good. Fingers Crossed.

Well done - post back if you need further advice, just out of interest, how many mailboxes do you have?

just a quick other question: where did you get the recovered mailboxes from? If you have backup exec or such you might be able to restore the mailboxes directly into the mailbox of the new users instead of into the rsg.

Hi OzoneFriendly,
 Please let me know the status.
I will be around for the next two hours.

Craig's comment turned out to be the solution for my particular problems. I was restoring about 6 mailboxes,so I ended up replacing the new servers mailbox files with the old ones, deleting the new mailboxes that Exchange then created, reconnnecting the recovered mailboxes to each user and then importing the PST's I had exported of the "new" mail that had come in during the week of all this messing around.

Thus, it's fixed.

Clearly you need more than NTBackup if your server completely fails and needs to be reinstalled. :-)

thank you for the points although craig deserved them all I think :-) happy to hear it worked out