We hit the 16GB limit - now what?

[tmckeown]

Hi,
We recently hit the 16GB limit of Exchange 2003 Standard. I was able to run the defrag utility to compress the database so I could get it back on line. I then had our users start to clean out their mailboxes. Due to the nature of our business, we need to keep email for up to 8 months. Most of it has very large attachments. This problem is going to come back and bite us.

So, I started to look at Exchange Enterprise Server. Is there any way to simply upgrade the email server to Enterprise? The server is only a year old and I would hate to have to buy another one just to move mailboxes.

What's your suggestion?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Zelandakh]

Tom,
Purchase Exchange 2003 Enterprise Version. Get the disk, stick it in. Usual Next, Next, Next. Then apply service pack and hotfixes.

20 minutes start to finish (Exchange is unavailable for that time).

Though of course you need to do this on a Saturday, it takes 8 hours and you need to be paid overtime for it Then unplug the firewall, kick back and catch up on the DVDs you've been missing!!!

 

[jeffwadsworth]

In case you need confirmation, don't worry about trying to defrag, etc. Get the Enterprise edition and don't look back. The same thing happened to me years ago and it was a nightmare. We actually had to download the TRIAL version of Exchange 2000 Enterprise and use that to get the latest email, etc. Crazy. Enterprise is worth the cash, believe me. You can also make several information stores. This makes corrupt stores easy to fix without bring down the whole enchilada.

 

[tmckeown]

Thanks for the tips. Can you really install Enterprise on top of Standard? Our sales guy told me I couldn't. That was probably so I would buy a new server from him. I just want to make sure before I present it to my boss. With tax, Enterprise will run us around $4000. I would hate to be wrong and have to come back and tell him I need new hardware as well. There's plenty of other ways to piss off the boss.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[jeffwadsworth]

Check this post for confirmation. It should be simple, though I have never done it myself. I would get a new sales guy.

http://www.webservertalk.com/message897317.html

 

[tmckeown]

Thanks for that Jeff. That eases my mind a lot.

 

[strongm]

>Can you really install Enterprise on top of Standard?

Absolutely

 

[Chambers]

I have done just that and it worked great

 

[tmckeown]

Thanks to everyone. I'm now pushing to get Enterprise, so I can avoid the 16GB limit in the future.

Thanks again,
Tom

 

[gurner]

Enterprise is definatley the best method if only one server is possible, or alternatively if you have access to more than one box and are on a tight budget

installing a 2nd or 3rd standard version on other machines is far and away cheaper and more fault tolerant than one enterprise edition, regardless of whether you have multiple storage groups

(some SME's have nearly had a fit when they were quoted for an upgrade to Enterprise)

Gurner

http://www.harryontheboat.co.uk

 

[tmckeown]

My boss was among them. He put a hold on my plan to upgrade. I think it's short sighted, but I have no choice now other than watching the database size at least on a weekly basis. I figure it has to go off-line for another day before he will approve the purchase.

Tom

 

[gurner]

you could try the black mail method (for want of a better word) of bringing down the server every week or what ever (distribution emails suggesting people clearout or archive their mailboxes) and explain the situation (with evidence of the limitations to the standard version from M$) and wait for them to fold

or suggest the cheaper alternative of more standard editions

(case of who's gonna break first i'm afraid, lol)

Gurner

http://www.harryontheboat.co.uk

 

[tmckeown]

I already got most of the company to weed out their email, so that might not work. I'll just have to see how it goes for the next few weeks. If it builds up fast, I'll send out the warning. If it goes down, then he has only one person to blame.

 

[Iknowit101]

All this is really good, one more piece of advice "COVER YOUR ASS" In other words, make sure you have this in writting, print them emails out and take a copy home, if your box crashes again, you will not be able to show them and is your word against your boss word, and we all know who is going to win that one.
unfortunatelly, in cases like this, " I told you so" does not work, I learn my lesson the hard way.
my 2 cents.


It wasn't me, it was someone that looks a lot like me . . . .

 

[Jeepix]

Upgrade from Standard to Enterprise from the 'Mouth of Bill':

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;170280