mvitdept
asked on
Exchange 2010 mailbox databases growiing
We are running Exchange 2010 SP 2. We have 4 mailbox databases on a single drive that is 709 GB. We only have 60 GB of freespace. Mailboxes do not have any limitations and some are 10 GB. Users have been asked to clean up the mailboxes to reduce the size and many have. Cleanup includes empty the trash and delete recoverable items. But I don't see the free space increasing. Is there something else that needs to be done?
Neil Russell
Free space does not just Apear. Deleting Items is not deleting data. Data retention policies within your exchange server will dictate when items are removed from storage. Even then the actual database will not shrink, just release space internally for reuse.
The best way to reduce database size if you have "Freed up" a lot of space is to create a new database and then to move mailboxes to the new database and delete the old one when no more databases exist in it. Your problem is you dont have much room to start with.
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Since you have such little space left, you cannot create another mail database. Therefore, if you want to reclaim your space, you'll have to perform offline defragmentation of the database in question.
You say your users have performed a house cleaning. Therefore, you'll have lots of "white space", i.e. free space inside your database. The size of the database does not shrink accordingly, however, it just stays the same size.
Offline defrag means offline time so this is not preferred. But you can do it.
Refer to Demazter's blog on how to do it and a more detailed explanation. His blog entry is here: http://demazter.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/exchange-offline-defrag/
You say your users have performed a house cleaning. Therefore, you'll have lots of "white space", i.e. free space inside your database. The size of the database does not shrink accordingly, however, it just stays the same size.
Offline defrag means offline time so this is not preferred. But you can do it.
Refer to Demazter's blog on how to do it and a more detailed explanation. His blog entry is here: http://demazter.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/exchange-offline-defrag/
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Personaly ANYONE who suguests doing an OFFLINE defrag like sighar has, even after saying you have very little space available, obviously does NOT KNOW what they are saying.
An offline defrag requires AT THE VERY LEAST 110% of the size of your database in FREE disk space. So if you want to do an offline defrag of a 200GB database then you will require AT LEAST another 220GB of free disk space.
IF you had this free disk space then you should create the new datbase and migrate users as stated in the first place.
An offline defrag requires AT THE VERY LEAST 110% of the size of your database in FREE disk space. So if you want to do an offline defrag of a 200GB database then you will require AT LEAST another 220GB of free disk space.
IF you had this free disk space then you should create the new datbase and migrate users as stated in the first place.
mvitdept, what Neilsr says is correct.
Neilsr, thanks for correcting my in such a nice and polite manner.
Neilsr, thanks for correcting my in such a nice and polite manner.
Your welcome. I just don't like to see people offered bad advice, it can lead to them being in more trouble than they already are, sorry If i sounded harsh.
ASKER
thank you for all the replies.
If deleting items does not shrink the database, but gives more space internally. Is that internal space used by existing mailboxes. So that the database will stop increasing?
Can I move the mailboxes out of DB1 into the other 3 DBs then delete DB1? or do I have to create a new DB and move mailboxes from DB1 to the new DB?
running this command: C:\>Get-MailboxDatabase -Status | ft name,databasesize,availabl
results:
Name DatabaseSize AvailableNewMailboxSpace
---- ------------ ------------------------
DB1 156.7 GB (168,260,337,664 bytes) 705.3 MB (739,606,528 bytes)
DB2 130.8 GB (140,468,879,360 bytes) 1.767 GB (1,897,299,968 bytes)
DB3 160.7 GB (172,555,304,960 bytes) 52.75 MB (55,312,384 bytes)
DB4 169.5 GB (182,000,353,280 bytes) 1.165 GB (1,251,016,704 bytes)
Does this show that moving DB1 mailboxes and then deleting DB1 I will only gain 705 MB of space?
If deleting items does not shrink the database, but gives more space internally. Is that internal space used by existing mailboxes. So that the database will stop increasing?
Can I move the mailboxes out of DB1 into the other 3 DBs then delete DB1? or do I have to create a new DB and move mailboxes from DB1 to the new DB?
running this command: C:\>Get-MailboxDatabase -Status | ft name,databasesize,availabl
results:
Name DatabaseSize AvailableNewMailboxSpace
---- ------------ ------------------------
DB1 156.7 GB (168,260,337,664 bytes) 705.3 MB (739,606,528 bytes)
DB2 130.8 GB (140,468,879,360 bytes) 1.767 GB (1,897,299,968 bytes)
DB3 160.7 GB (172,555,304,960 bytes) 52.75 MB (55,312,384 bytes)
DB4 169.5 GB (182,000,353,280 bytes) 1.165 GB (1,251,016,704 bytes)
Does this show that moving DB1 mailboxes and then deleting DB1 I will only gain 705 MB of space?
ASKER
Can the catalogData folder content be shrunk in anyway? Exploring the folder shows some very old CI and DIR files.
Do these old files need to re retained? some are from 2010 and 2011?
thank you
Do these old files need to re retained? some are from 2010 and 2011?
thank you
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ASKER
I agree about adding additional space.
The $$$ is the issue.
thanks for all the input
The $$$ is the issue.
thanks for all the input