Exchange 2003 SErver out of disk space
Have an emergency. We have an old Exchange 2003 server running on Windows Server 2003. It has mirrored 32GB hard drives. Currently the MDBDATA folder is roughly 26GB
The priv1.edb file is 13.1GB the priv1.stm is 11gb and the pub1.stm is 2.2GB
Something has eaten space. Have had users cleanup their Outlook but we haven't run a "compress" or essutil on the database. So size still huge. have only 50MB of disk space showing on drive. Barely boots. The compress will take hours (maybe 24 hours). Is there anything anyone can think of to fix this fast ? Like in a few hours. We have ordered new servers and Exchange 2010 but that is not coming for a while.
we have moved the log files to external drive and tried to clean up other stuff on internal drive. I assume moving the mailbox store to external USB drive even temporarily is not a good idea ???
The priv1.edb file is 13.1GB the priv1.stm is 11gb and the pub1.stm is 2.2GB
Something has eaten space. Have had users cleanup their Outlook but we haven't run a "compress" or essutil on the database. So size still huge. have only 50MB of disk space showing on drive. Barely boots. The compress will take hours (maybe 24 hours). Is there anything anyone can think of to fix this fast ? Like in a few hours. We have ordered new servers and Exchange 2010 but that is not coming for a while.
we have moved the log files to external drive and tried to clean up other stuff on internal drive. I assume moving the mailbox store to external USB drive even temporarily is not a good idea ???
Kash
http://foldersize.sourceforge.net/ <<< install this on the server and it will tell you which folders are the biggest on the drive and report back here to see if we can help
See if the "Archive" flag is set on those files or not. Sometimes, particular with things like Backup Exec, it doesn't clear the archive bit, and the log files are never committed and then erased.
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The log files are being saved on the external USB drive so I don't think that is an issue but will check.
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if your mirrored drives are C and everything is installed there then with exchange databases using about 26gb, that leaves about 6gb left. with the operating system, swap file, etc. that is probably what is using the remaining space
having users clean out outlook won't help since it will not shrink your database file. you will need to allow online defrag to mark the white space before attempting to do offline defrag - though that isn't even an option here since you don't have the disk space for that operation
definitely not a good idea moving databases to higher-latency external disks
does this server have any option for additional internal disks? just wondered if you have something lying around that could be used as a short-term solution
replacing existing disks may not be an option as you would have to expand the raid 1 array (some controllers may not support this) before any partition operation in the operating system
having users clean out outlook won't help since it will not shrink your database file. you will need to allow online defrag to mark the white space before attempting to do offline defrag - though that isn't even an option here since you don't have the disk space for that operation
definitely not a good idea moving databases to higher-latency external disks
does this server have any option for additional internal disks? just wondered if you have something lying around that could be used as a short-term solution
replacing existing disks may not be an option as you would have to expand the raid 1 array (some controllers may not support this) before any partition operation in the operating system
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foldersize.sourceforge.net
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So using larger hard drives may not be a good option since don't have them. If takes a day or so to get them for this old server (probably real expensive too since old technogolry scsi drives)
I am wondering if I might as well run the essutil late in the day and let it run all night. did that a year ago and got us 8GB back. Also One of the users had a 12GB mailbox until he recently cleaned out about 80,000 emails! He is the boss and didn't take well to our pushing him on it. But told him had to do it. So his mailbox is now 2.5GB So essutil should get back more space until we upgrade the servers and Exchange over Thanksgiving weekend.
What would moving mail store to USB drives do exactly? I know they are slow and just wondering for short term? Not that we would do it.
I am wondering if I might as well run the essutil late in the day and let it run all night. did that a year ago and got us 8GB back. Also One of the users had a 12GB mailbox until he recently cleaned out about 80,000 emails! He is the boss and didn't take well to our pushing him on it. But told him had to do it. So his mailbox is now 2.5GB So essutil should get back more space until we upgrade the servers and Exchange over Thanksgiving weekend.
What would moving mail store to USB drives do exactly? I know they are slow and just wondering for short term? Not that we would do it.
I would also consider moving your email offsite until Thanksgiving. Maybe keep historical emails on your local server and have new ones come in to a hosted exchange server.
the USB bus isnt capable of the amount of IOs needed.
I bet that kind of server might have usb 1.1
I bet that kind of server might have usb 1.1
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Seth2740-
We have done the offline defrag using an external USB drive. it worked although slow.
Is there a reason that should not be an option ?
Also what does the latency of external drive actually do to the workings of the Exchange Database etc?
Thinking of also shrinking the paging file to zero or can the paging file be run on the external USB drive or is that bad idea too?
We have done the offline defrag using an external USB drive. it worked although slow.
Is there a reason that should not be an option ?
Also what does the latency of external drive actually do to the workings of the Exchange Database etc?
Thinking of also shrinking the paging file to zero or can the paging file be run on the external USB drive or is that bad idea too?
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no event 1221s to be found ?
do you have maintenance scheduled?
after it completes it will log that event in the application log
after it completes it will log that event in the application log
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thought so but guess not. Where do I check it I am about top melt down confused :(
in ESM, expand servers then storage group
right click on the store and select properties
on the database tab it will tell you the maintenance schedule
you can customize it to run - say in the next hour or so then check the application log
just a thought though, with your disk space that low, is exchange even running?
if the databases are not mounted then maintenance won't run
right click on the store and select properties
on the database tab it will tell you the maintenance schedule
you can customize it to run - say in the next hour or so then check the application log
just a thought though, with your disk space that low, is exchange even running?
if the databases are not mounted then maintenance won't run
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well think it is screwed. Cant start ESM get
:system can't find the file specified:
Facility: Win32
ID No: c00700002
I reduced the page file to 16mb maybe that caused this? ESM was ok until just now after rebooted. ( I am also doing this remotely through a Terminal Server that then does RDP internally to the Exchange Server
Exchange is running though as I can email myself back and forth from the admin email at the terminal server to my outside pop account?
:system can't find the file specified:
Facility: Win32
ID No: c00700002
I reduced the page file to 16mb maybe that caused this? ESM was ok until just now after rebooted. ( I am also doing this remotely through a Terminal Server that then does RDP internally to the Exchange Server
Exchange is running though as I can email myself back and forth from the admin email at the terminal server to my outside pop account?
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thinks I may change page file back and reboot again and see if ESM runs
I think it's time to call a professional.
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yup thanks