Exchange 03, database too big, how to make it smaller?

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Hello and thanks for reading this.
I have a problem with a server running Wondows Server 2003(for small bussiness). In which I run Exchange 2003. nearly(not always) everyday at 7:30AM, when everyone starts the computers in the network, the mail fails to work, unless you restart the server.
The error, in the log says:
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"Exchange store "First Storage Group/Mailbox Store(SERVER)": The current physical size of this database (the .edb file and the .stm file) is 21Gb. This database has exceeded the size limit of 18Gb. Hwever, the logical free space in this database has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, it is possible that this database contains enough free space to bring its logical size below the maximum size limit.

If the logical database size exceeds the maximum size limit, it will be dismounted on a regular basis."
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I saw the .edb and .stm files and indeed, are 21Gb (19 and 3) big, so I wanted to make them smaller. How can I achieve this?
I tried going to the different terminals (PCs in the LAN) and in the Outlook 2007, I erase a lot of junk mails and big pps and other stuff not important, to try to minimize the database but the problem is still there.

I also noticed that there is a command, called "eseutil.exe" which is used to defragment the database, but I dont know if its gonna be any help using this. And I dont know if I have to run it with the exchange stopped or started.

Any help to try to reduce this 21Gbs?

Thanks for listening!!

 

[RebateMonger]

It'd be really good if you spent some time with a consultant familar with Exchange and SBS 2003. This is something that should never happen. SBS's daily Performance reports should have long ago warned you of this issue and it should never have gotten out of control. (You DO have Performance Reports enabled, right?)

Exchange 2003 SP2 allows you to create a 75 GB limit to the email store, rather than the original 16 GB (18 GB with SP2) limits. It's a couple of entries in the Server 2003 Registry.

With the original Exchange 2003, you'd have a serious problem. But assuming you have SP2 (I'm guessing because of the 18 GB limit you are seeing), you should just be able to go into the Registry and change the size limits for the data stores.

How to increase the Exchange Server 2003 SP2 18 GB database size limit.

 

[redbeard1]

Enabling the store to use 75 gig is the simplest fix. Something to be aware of is that there is an offline defrag process that can shrink the database as well.

MS KB

 

[AnnonUSA]

If you run the Offline defrag...be sure to have users clean up their Mailboxes first....Having slack space in the DB will give the most compression...Otherwise it will be a long process with very little returns.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
If you run the Offline defrag...be sure to have users clean up their Mailboxes first....Having slack space in the DB will give the most compression...Otherwise it will be a long process with very little returns.

An offline defrag won't even help much anymore, since Exchange SP2 measures the mail store size differently than before.

Note, too, that deleting a bunch of emails will have no measurable effect until the limit for saving deleted email is surpassed. If you need immediate results, temporarily turn off deleted mail retention, erase a bunch of emails, and then have Exchange run its cleanup agents right afterwards.

 

[Powered by AMD]

thanks folks !!
Ill try this today!

 

[rasczak]

please do a backup before you do anything