The information store has reached 17GB. I am trying to use exmerge to extract a few of the mailboxes but the information store keeps dismounting and the process never finishes. Users cant log on either to delete old items because a connection cant be made. Ive already increased the store size via registry. I cant do an offline defrag because there is only 3GB left of space on the server. What else can I do to bring the store down in size?
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Information store maxed out and locked out [need help]
- Thread starter ncolsgk
- Start date
Hmm, if you already applied the registry fix to increase the size AND you maxed out the extra gig you got, I think you are in trouble. When ever I have to apply the fix, I usually stop the smtp service, apply the fix, remount my IS, extract old emails, run defrag and then restart smtp service. One way to extract the emails even if the IS is offline is to use Ontrack PowerControls for Exchange. I've used it in one case where the IS wouldn't mount at all.
- Thread starter
- #4
You might want to consider setting quota's on your users mailboxes. How many users do you have? How many of those users have larger than 500mb mailboxes? How many of them have larger than 1gb mailboxes?
Our users hate to delete anything! We had some users that had email spanning back 8 years and she wondered why her email was so unstable. We fixed that by setting agressive archiving policies, and now we have a 90 day email retention policy that is enforced strictly.
Good luck, and glad you got it fixed.
Our users hate to delete anything! We had some users that had email spanning back 8 years and she wondered why her email was so unstable. We fixed that by setting agressive archiving policies, and now we have a 90 day email retention policy that is enforced strictly.
Good luck, and glad you got it fixed.
juliaatpcgp
Technical User
Hiya,
Can you tell me more about the registry fix to increase the store size ?
My server has just hit the limit of just over 16GB. Luckily I was able to get the mailbox store mounted long enough to log onto the mail of a staff member who left a few days ago and delete lots of email, archiving it to a PST file and then delete the contents of the mailbox.
My IT company say that this won't fix the problem because the space isn't freed up, but it has kept Exchange stable - if only for the moment.
They say that we need to pay them hundreds of pounds to do an offline defragmentation and also to upgrade Exchange 2000 to Service Pack 2 which allows a larger mailbox store. They say this came out ages ago but it is only applied when a company reports a problem with Exchange, which is why they didn't mention it before.
If there is an Registry edit that can increase the size of the mailbox store, then I cannot understand why they have not mentioned it at all !
I do hope you can help me.
Regards,
Julia
Can you tell me more about the registry fix to increase the store size ?
My server has just hit the limit of just over 16GB. Luckily I was able to get the mailbox store mounted long enough to log onto the mail of a staff member who left a few days ago and delete lots of email, archiving it to a PST file and then delete the contents of the mailbox.
My IT company say that this won't fix the problem because the space isn't freed up, but it has kept Exchange stable - if only for the moment.
They say that we need to pay them hundreds of pounds to do an offline defragmentation and also to upgrade Exchange 2000 to Service Pack 2 which allows a larger mailbox store. They say this came out ages ago but it is only applied when a company reports a problem with Exchange, which is why they didn't mention it before.
If there is an Registry edit that can increase the size of the mailbox store, then I cannot understand why they have not mentioned it at all !
I do hope you can help me.
Regards,
Julia
You should check out the FAQ's in this forum - just click on the FAQ link at the very top.
The following FAQ addresses not only the 16gb limit but also how to perform an offline defragmentation to free up space in your information store:
Good luck,
The following FAQ addresses not only the 16gb limit but also how to perform an offline defragmentation to free up space in your information store:
Good luck,
Definitely do the offline defrag. ESEUTIL is your only salvation.
I'd look at Enterprise as an forward looking solution, though you'll have to buy Exchange2007 then excersize your downgrade rights.
but...
Unlimited mailstore size becomes a problem of its own. Eating up disk space, increased disk or array I/O, network congestion...
Now, if you set up policies limiting the size of the the users mailboxes, you could eliminate a load of problems.
sorry. I digressed into policy rather than maintenance.
Robert Liebsch
Systems Psychologist,
Network Sociologist,
Security Pathologist,
User Therapist.
I'd look at Enterprise as an forward looking solution, though you'll have to buy Exchange2007 then excersize your downgrade rights.
but...
Unlimited mailstore size becomes a problem of its own. Eating up disk space, increased disk or array I/O, network congestion...
Now, if you set up policies limiting the size of the the users mailboxes, you could eliminate a load of problems.
sorry. I digressed into policy rather than maintenance.
Robert Liebsch
Systems Psychologist,
Network Sociologist,
Security Pathologist,
User Therapist.
Julia,
1) There isn't really a Registry setting to increase the size of your store, not in a permanent sense. What there is is a setting that is intended to allow you to temporarily increase the size by 1GB so that you can access and delete stuff from a store that has hit the 16GB limit and won't mount. Once the maintenance has been done, you then remove the setting to revert back to 16GB.
2) Your IT company is being misleading. You have freed up space within the store by doing your housekeeping(you just won't have recovered any disk space for use by other applications/files)
3) Your IT company is being misleading. There is no SP for Exchange 2000 that increases the maximum allowed size of the store.
4) Your IT company is being evasive. It should be their job to recommend whether you need service packs applied, not to wait until something goes wrong.
1) There isn't really a Registry setting to increase the size of your store, not in a permanent sense. What there is is a setting that is intended to allow you to temporarily increase the size by 1GB so that you can access and delete stuff from a store that has hit the 16GB limit and won't mount. Once the maintenance has been done, you then remove the setting to revert back to 16GB.
2) Your IT company is being misleading. You have freed up space within the store by doing your housekeeping(you just won't have recovered any disk space for use by other applications/files)
3) Your IT company is being misleading. There is no SP for Exchange 2000 that increases the maximum allowed size of the store.
4) Your IT company is being evasive. It should be their job to recommend whether you need service packs applied, not to wait until something goes wrong.
They say that we need to pay them hundreds of pounds to do an offline defragmentation and also to upgrade Exchange 2000 to Service Pack 2 which allows a larger mailbox store. They say this came out ages ago but it is only applied when a company reports a problem with Exchange, which is why they didn't mention it before.
If there is an Registry edit that can increase the size of the mailbox store, then I cannot understand why they have not mentioned it at all !"
1. An offline defrag does no good unless you PERMANENTLY delete a large amount of mail. Otherwise the whitespace returns in that a certain amount of whitespace is normal.
2. It's Exchange 2003 SP2, There is no SP in Exchange 200o that will increase the max possible size of the store.
3. There is a reg key for a temp increase to 17GB, but this is only temporary and intended to enable you to bring up the store ande delete stuff.
A better long term approach is to simply do 1 of the 2:
Migrate to Exchange 2003 SP2 which allows you to increase the size to 75GB or upgrade to Exchange 2000 Enterprise. From an operational perspective, upgrading to Exchange 2000 enterprise is the simplist (reintall). From a cost perspective upgrading to Exchange 2003 standard is the cheapest.
If there is an Registry edit that can increase the size of the mailbox store, then I cannot understand why they have not mentioned it at all !"
1. An offline defrag does no good unless you PERMANENTLY delete a large amount of mail. Otherwise the whitespace returns in that a certain amount of whitespace is normal.
2. It's Exchange 2003 SP2, There is no SP in Exchange 200o that will increase the max possible size of the store.
3. There is a reg key for a temp increase to 17GB, but this is only temporary and intended to enable you to bring up the store ande delete stuff.
A better long term approach is to simply do 1 of the 2:
Migrate to Exchange 2003 SP2 which allows you to increase the size to 75GB or upgrade to Exchange 2000 Enterprise. From an operational perspective, upgrading to Exchange 2000 enterprise is the simplist (reintall). From a cost perspective upgrading to Exchange 2003 standard is the cheapest.
We finally brought our Exchange server to its knees with the 16GB barrier.
I was able to use the 1GB registry hack/fakeout and conjure enough elbow room to remount the info store and clean out some space.
Interesting note: a few users complained that their DELETED ITEMS folders in Outlook are now empty. I made PST files of SENT ITEMS folders and this freed the space I needed, but I did nothing to anyone's DELETED ITEMS folders. Would the dirty dismount cause the auto-delete scenario?
I was able to use the 1GB registry hack/fakeout and conjure enough elbow room to remount the info store and clean out some space.
Interesting note: a few users complained that their DELETED ITEMS folders in Outlook are now empty. I made PST files of SENT ITEMS folders and this freed the space I needed, but I did nothing to anyone's DELETED ITEMS folders. Would the dirty dismount cause the auto-delete scenario?
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