Defrag, free up space on Exchange 2003

[jdannan]

I've got an Exchange server that is critically low on disk space, not even 100mb left. And I've looked into doing an offlie defrag, but it says you have to have at least 2x the size of your Exchange Database to do so.

Which I do not even have. What would any of you recommend to clean up this mail database? I'm in desperate need of some sort of solution.

Thank you.

 

[rihu]

Hi

Cant u move databases to another drive?

 

[anawrocki]

Well, depends how desperate you are. Not knowing how big your DB is, I can think of three possible options in order of preference

1. Get additional external storage.

2. If the problem is $$$ get an external USB drive and make a pot of coffee. This is going to be sloooow.

3. If you can't spring for the USB drive, and you have storage space somwhere else on the network you can do it there. It will be reallllly sloooow. Also, you really want to have a very stable network and a good backup. The last thing you need is for this process to fail and corrupt your DB.

 

[jdannan]

Ok, I do have an external USB 1TB drive that I could use.

But my question is, I don't want to move the Exchange database to a USB drive that isn't RAID. Just because what happens if it fails, etc?

Will using the external drive just be for offline defrag purposes, then it will free up space on the main Exchange DB drive?

Thanks.

 

[anawrocki]

You specify the external drive as your defrag location. Make sure you have a good backup first.

 

[anawrocki]

No need to move your DB to do the defrag.

 

[jdannan]

Ok, anyone have a good tutorial for doing a offline defrag? that would be great. thank you.

 

[blakey2]

Why do you want to do an offline defrag?

There are reasons to do so, yet many reasons not to.

Pretty much i'd only be running an offline defrag on the db if you have just recently deleted a whole bunch of mailboxes/mail and really need to reclaim the disk space for use with other server apps/storage.

If you delete items, the db size will not go down without an offline defrag, though it will contain alot of empty/white space in which new mail will occupy. This will mean that the physical size of the database will not increase until you receive more mail than deleted..

I realise I am explaining this badly, but I would want to look at my whole disk usage and storage strategies. - Though your situation ($$, db size, raid configs, spare bays, alternate servers to move other storage to...) is only known by you at this stage ;-)

Cheers.

 

[anawrocki]

Search MS site for Esautil

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...c6f-b181-481f-a492-9bcd21c8e98a.mspx?mfr=true

 

[jdannan]

I want to do an offline defrag so I can free up space on the main hard drive that the DB is on. In my first post I explained how it's running severely low on space.

 

[anawrocki]

That is what ESAUTIL will do for you with the /D switch. This info is readily available on MS or even via google.

 

[blakey2]

Just in case there is any confusion it is actually eseutil (The link is correct however) and as anawrocki pointed out - use the /d switch.

REMEMBER: BACKUP DATABASE BEFORE USING DEFRAG!

 

[anawrocki]

My bad on the typo.