How do I store/backup email boxes of former employees on Exchange 2003? Also log file issue
We run Exchange 2003 with just one storage group for all employees. I have several former employees where we have keept their inboxes in the store because I don't know how to archive them or move them out of the store. Now that my store is eating up so much space, I thought I could remove the old mailboxes and archive them to another drive, but I have absolutely no idea how I could do this or if it's possible.
Also, along the same lines, my shadowprotect backups don't seem to be purging my log files, and my drive is bloated with them. Can someone get me directions on how to manually move log files? I did it a while back but I don't recall how I did it.
Thanks,
Also, along the same lines, my shadowprotect backups don't seem to be purging my log files, and my drive is bloated with them. Can someone get me directions on how to manually move log files? I did it a while back but I don't recall how I did it.
Thanks,
ASKER
Since our backup system has been unreliable, I've been reluctant to go to circular logging. Everytime I schedule shadowprotect to do a full backup, it errors on me and I end up doing it manually.
What is exmerge?
What is exmerge?
you have a few options but the easy and cheap ones try first.
exmerge would be the easiest and cheapest method. the only issue is if the mailbox is huge like 4gb then exmerge may not work.
other option would be to activate the old user accounts and sign on to outlook as them. then create multiple psts and create them by year and move emails into a few psts. then store those on a dvd, file server whatever, usb drive etc.
if user account is gone then create a dumby account in AD, without a mailbox. then in teh ESM locate the old mailbox in the database, right click, reconnect and choose the account without a mailbox. then you can exmerge or log on as new account to a pc, setup outlook and start pst moving.
exmerge would be the easiest and cheapest method. the only issue is if the mailbox is huge like 4gb then exmerge may not work.
other option would be to activate the old user accounts and sign on to outlook as them. then create multiple psts and create them by year and move emails into a few psts. then store those on a dvd, file server whatever, usb drive etc.
if user account is gone then create a dumby account in AD, without a mailbox. then in teh ESM locate the old mailbox in the database, right click, reconnect and choose the account without a mailbox. then you can exmerge or log on as new account to a pc, setup outlook and start pst moving.
Use exmerge to create PST.
For logs use the eseutil /mk and check the last commited logs and remove all the logs before it.
Check the checkpoint file
http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Exchange-log-disk-full.html
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182961
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24912158/ESEUTIL-MK-question.html
For logs use the eseutil /mk and check the last commited logs and remove all the logs before it.
Check the checkpoint file
http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Exchange-log-disk-full.html
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182961
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24912158/ESEUTIL-MK-question.html
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ASKER
Wow. You all are so much smarter than I am. I can barely follow. I tried exmerge and it wanted me to move the box to another exchange server, which I don't have, so I just did it the hard way by opening them in Outlook and manually archiving them to a PST.
As for storage craft, no, I haven't contacted them. I have verified multiple times that I am creating functional backups, but it never clears my log files. I don't know why this is, so I'm just going to remove them manually. I've done this before, but I was hoping to find a solution so I didn't have to keep doing it automatically.
As for storage craft, no, I haven't contacted them. I have verified multiple times that I am creating functional backups, but it never clears my log files. I don't know why this is, so I'm just going to remove them manually. I've done this before, but I was hoping to find a solution so I didn't have to keep doing it automatically.
ASKER
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You can certainly remove the log files manually, however that can be a dangerous move as well, i.e. the logs are not guaranteed to be committed instantly so be really careful about deleting them otherwise you could cause yourself more harm then good.
Lucid8
- I would still suggest that you talk to Storeagecraft because they should be handling the log deletion if the backup is Exchange aware and happening properly.
- If you are still determined to do a manual deletion I would
-
- first dismount the associated stores which will force the all uncommitted logs to be committed
- then move the log files to an alternate location
- start up the stores again
- if all is good then you can delete the log files
Lucid8
ASKER
Lucid8: I save the files on an external drive, leaving at least the current week's worth in the original location. I have dismounted and remounted successfully. Question, though: "if the backup is exchange aware" --- how would I determine this?
The product you are using should tell you if its Exchange aware or not, i.e. you can get applications that just snapshot the drives so that you have a copy of the data, but an Exchange aware application will get the data, mark the db as being backed up and then remove the logs that were backed up as part of the process.
I know that SC has Exchange Aware applications but I don't know enough about them to know if they have an option to NOT clear the logs. So really is could be that you have a version of SC that works but you may not have the Exchange Aware portion OR it could be that there is an option in SC to turn on/off the log removal
Troy Werelius
Lucid8
I know that SC has Exchange Aware applications but I don't know enough about them to know if they have an option to NOT clear the logs. So really is could be that you have a version of SC that works but you may not have the Exchange Aware portion OR it could be that there is an option in SC to turn on/off the log removal
Troy Werelius
Lucid8
that way you can store them anyway you'd like and their off the system?
or just use your normal backup procedure.. and back them up to tape.
to answer your 2nd question..
check to see if shadowprotect has a setting to do a full backup with remove of logfiles?
read this: http://forum.storagecraft.com/Community/forums/p/241/879.aspx
circular logfiles seem to be a good solution.. but you'd have to make sure that the backups are working and that you have a good plan to do full backups.