setup exchange 2003 server with sbs 2003 exchange
I have a client that has a SBS 2003 Standard server running. It is experiencing some ESE 474 with error code 1018. Microsoft recommends 1. moving all emails to another Exchange Store and deleting the old one. 2 restore from backup. 3 run eseutil /p The last one should be the last resort, so I am asking about number 1. Can I setup a separate exchange 2003 server that will temporarily house the priv1.edb store from the SBS 2003 (copy all users emails and such from the SBS 2003 to the Exchange 2003 server, not just copy the priv1.edb file... that would be stupid)
Here is what I am thinking of. I would bring in a box that has server 2003 on it with exchange 2003. Join it to the domain and move all of the users from the SBS box to the new exchange 2003 box. Delete the Priv1.edb from the SBS 2003 server, recreate the store and then move all of the users back to the SBS 2003 server, remove the Exchange 2003 server from the domain and then turn off the new server.
Will that work or am I just about to open real bad can of worms?
Thanks!!
Here is what I am thinking of. I would bring in a box that has server 2003 on it with exchange 2003. Join it to the domain and move all of the users from the SBS box to the new exchange 2003 box. Delete the Priv1.edb from the SBS 2003 server, recreate the store and then move all of the users back to the SBS 2003 server, remove the Exchange 2003 server from the domain and then turn off the new server.
Will that work or am I just about to open real bad can of worms?
Thanks!!
connectex
You could use ExMerge: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=429163ec-dcdf-47dc-96da-1c12d67327d5&displaylang=en. It's two step migration will export the mailboxes to .pst files. Then you could start Exchange with n empty database: http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2008/04/25/starting-exchange-server-with-a-blank-information-store. Next complete the migration buy importing the .pst files into Exchange. With ExMerge you can do it all with one server and at the server console. Just now that your Exchange store will be bigger after the imports as it will duplicate messages that were single stored previously.
I would recommend to Export the PST of all the user mailbox to be on the safer side.(Use ExMerge)
-1018 means your database is beyond repair, you can't repair it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314917
I hope you have good backup with you...When was the first time you had this event id generated in application log?
-1018 means your database is beyond repair, you can't repair it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314917
I hope you have good backup with you...When was the first time you had this event id generated in application log?
ASKER
Well, both solutions would be fine if I did not have about 100 users and nearly 40 gigs of store. 1018 is repairable, its just that the data that was affected is discarded. The server is running fine with just a few hiccups but I am unable to defragment it so when people do get around to emptying or clearing out their deleted items and such the database doesnt shrink.
Oh, and yes, I know 40 gigs is WAY too much. I keep telling the manager that we need to upgrade or get a good mail backup device/software (like Barracuda).
Exporting to PST wont work mostly because about 1/2 of the users use OWA to read their email and not an Outlook client.
So, the question still stands. Can I bring in a box with Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 and join it to the domain and then move all users to the temporary box so I can delete the corrupted store?
Thanks!!
Oh, and yes, I know 40 gigs is WAY too much. I keep telling the manager that we need to upgrade or get a good mail backup device/software (like Barracuda).
Exporting to PST wont work mostly because about 1/2 of the users use OWA to read their email and not an Outlook client.
So, the question still stands. Can I bring in a box with Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 and join it to the domain and then move all users to the temporary box so I can delete the corrupted store?
Thanks!!
The .pst files created by ExMerge are temporary storage. It's a two step process. Step one is moving the content out of Exchange mailboxes to .pst files. Step two is importing the .pst files, from step 1, back into Exchange mailboxes after setting up a clean data store. After step 2 completes all your mailboxes are back in Exchange. So the .pst files are no longer needed and can be deleted. And as I mentioned this is done at the server console. This does not require an Outlook client at all. And with 40 GB it's going to take awhile regardless of how you move the data out of the Exchange data store.
Note, you do have need to have an additioanl 40GB of storage for writing the .pst files. But this could be done via an external USB hard drive.
Also you need to export public folders if you have any. For that yes, you need a Outlook client to export them to a .pst. I've not found a good way to move them without connecting another Exchange server. But that's definitely more work then using ExMerge.
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ASKER
Hello everyone,
Sorry for not replying till now. Lots of issues, but they are taken cared of now.
Thank you very much for the exmerge advice. I thought it had to be done from an Outlook client. Whew, that would have sucked :-)
And I was wrong about how many users. There are only about 60 users.
SBS 2003 says that the max storage is 48 gigs and then it will shut down on a regular basis, so 75 gigs for SBS 2003 is not correct, sorry :-(
I will try exmerge tonight. The public folders is fine though. It doesnt have any issues that I can tell.
oh durn, I just read that exmerge can only handle psts up to 2 gigs. Damn. about 5 users have 3 gigs and above
I wasnt planning on copying the store. I was going to move each user, one at a time to the new server. If I move one at at time, do you think that would move the bugs too?
Sorry for not replying till now. Lots of issues, but they are taken cared of now.
Thank you very much for the exmerge advice. I thought it had to be done from an Outlook client. Whew, that would have sucked :-)
And I was wrong about how many users. There are only about 60 users.
SBS 2003 says that the max storage is 48 gigs and then it will shut down on a regular basis, so 75 gigs for SBS 2003 is not correct, sorry :-(
I will try exmerge tonight. The public folders is fine though. It doesnt have any issues that I can tell.
oh durn, I just read that exmerge can only handle psts up to 2 gigs. Damn. about 5 users have 3 gigs and above
I wasnt planning on copying the store. I was going to move each user, one at a time to the new server. If I move one at at time, do you think that would move the bugs too?
ASKER
Ok, so the question still remains I guess
Can I bring in another server with Exchange 2003 on it and move the clients (one at a time) from the SBS 2003 Exchange to the Exchange 2003 server so that I can the delete the Priv1.edb file and recreate it and move the clients back to the SBS 2003 server?
Exmerge wont work because of the size of several of the clients (3gigs and up)
Any help or advice would be much appreciated
Can I bring in another server with Exchange 2003 on it and move the clients (one at a time) from the SBS 2003 Exchange to the Exchange 2003 server so that I can the delete the Priv1.edb file and recreate it and move the clients back to the SBS 2003 server?
Exmerge wont work because of the size of several of the clients (3gigs and up)
Any help or advice would be much appreciated
Exmerge won't work for mailbox over 3Gb but you can always setup a computer and login as those users and do a Outlook pst.
And you are wrong re Mailbox size it is 75Gb (I didn't make this up)
http://www.petri.co.il/change_store_size_limits_ex2003_sp2.htm
Anyway in answering your question - yes it is possible to bring in another exchange box but there is always an issue re licensing. Microsoft has changed the licensing in SBS2008/2011 so I myself is a bit confused as whether your SBS2003 CALs permit you to use another exchange server. My feeling is NOT (unlike 2008 that SBS CALs cover exchange server too).
And you are wrong re Mailbox size it is 75Gb (I didn't make this up)
http://www.petri.co.il/change_store_size_limits_ex2003_sp2.htm
Anyway in answering your question - yes it is possible to bring in another exchange box but there is always an issue re licensing. Microsoft has changed the licensing in SBS2008/2011 so I myself is a bit confused as whether your SBS2003 CALs permit you to use another exchange server. My feeling is NOT (unlike 2008 that SBS CALs cover exchange server too).
ASKER
Yes, I will be doing the PST thing tonight and then do the ExMerge on the rest of them.
I think what got me confused was that the previous administrator set the hard limit at 48 gig so I thought that was the max with SP2.
Thanks!!
I think what got me confused was that the previous administrator set the hard limit at 48 gig so I thought that was the max with SP2.
Thanks!!
ASKER
In response to your question about SBS 2003 licensing.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc719792(WS.10).aspx
Near the bottom of the article it says that the licensing now covers additional exchange 2003 servers.
Now I am wondering if it would be better to just stick another exchange 2003 server in there and split the users up over two different email servers. Put the hogs on one machine and put everyone else on another
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc719792(WS.10).aspx
Near the bottom of the article it says that the licensing now covers additional exchange 2003 servers.
Now I am wondering if it would be better to just stick another exchange 2003 server in there and split the users up over two different email servers. Put the hogs on one machine and put everyone else on another
ASKER
His solution was good, except for the users that had over 2 Gig mailboxes.