Online Defrag for Exchange

[xchnged]

Hello Forum,



We seem to have an issue were our online defrags are completing but not freeing up any white space on one out of our public folder stores. I made sure that backups and maintenance do not overlap. Has anyone else experienced this issue?



Background

Multiple Exchange 2003 - native

Pub.edb is 160 GB (...i know..)

Two PF servers replicating. One server is gaining white space but the other is not. Both stores are in the same public folder policy. maintenance is scheduled off hours and runs for about 4 hours. I see the events that it starting and ending.

Event IDs logged are: 1221, 704, 702, 1206, 1207



Thanks,



x

 

[u080570]

If I understand correctly, you need to take your dbs offline and defrag to get back free space...check this link out:

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Defragmenting-Exchange-Database.html

 

[58sniper]

Keep in mind that an online defrag isn't really supposed to shrink the file size. In fact, Exchange has an easier time dealing with a db that has some whitespace than in one that doesn't, only because it then must increase the size of the file first.

If you're concerned just because there is a bunch of whitespace, don't be. Exchange will ultimately use it. If it's causing a problem with available space on the drive, do an offline defrag. Then start preparing for adding drive space to accomodate future growth.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[bulkmail]

Thanks for replying people.

But there is a mis-understanding which s my fault. I was not refering to "shrinking" my db. I should have wrote my first post this way.

I have two replica servers that had approximately the same amount of white space. for some reason, one db;s white space was increasingly getting smaller and smaller. my online maint and backups were not stepping on each other. both dbs are in the same sstem pf policy. I want my white space so that exchange can reuse that space instead of increasing the size of the db. All folders are being replicated between both servers. Just an example: pf1 had 20 GBs worth of white space. pf2 had 18 - 19 GBs of white space. Over a course of two months, pf1's white space got all the way down to 5 GB of white space while pf2 continued to gain more white space.

That being said, I have solved my own issue by removing and readding the db from the pf policy. strange...anyway, again, thanks again for your input.

Thanks,

x