reducing mailbox store size 1

[esmithbda]

We have multiple users with mailboxes over 1GB and one over 2GB with 20K messages.

I setup his Outlook to archive all of the messages over 12 months old out to a pst file with permissions only for him and the admin user on the network (so that it can still get backed up and be loaded if need be).

I also went through and deleted all old mailboxes, after running the cleanup agent, and then took the store offline and did a defrag with the eseutil. Then brought it back up online.

But even though the archives on the network show that the archives are 400MB in size from these users, their mailboxes haven't gotten any smaller - even after the store defrag.

I know that SP2 for Exchange 2k3 will increase the store size up to 75GB allowed, but for now we are dangerously close to the 13GB limit and I would like to be able to last until the SP2 comes out.

Can you please suggest options as to what I could do, or may be doing wrong with the archive now (is it archiving them, but not removing them from the store)?

Thanks

 

[rliebsch]

You will have to do an offline defragmentation to regain that space.
I'd also check the deleted message retention period.

and you have a 16GB limit for awhile yet.

I'd check your logs between 1 and 3AM. There should be some ESEUTIL message telling you, something to the effect of, mailstore has Xmb of free space after online defragmentation.

Basically, you have this database, binder for example. This database adds pages to the back when the last page is full, kind of like a ring binder. Now, you can erase pages of of the database, but you cant take the pages back out of the binder, unless you do the offline defragmentation. So, while your database is only doing online defrags, you can get new mail and your database will not grow until all the empty pages are filled up. But if you want to take pages out of the database, you have to use ESEUTIL and do an offline defrag.

There is ample documentation available via google. "ESEUTIL OFFLINE DEFRAGMENTATION"



Robert Liebsch
Stone Yamashita Partners

http://www.stoneyamashita.com/

 

[esmithbda]

*smacks forehead*

I thought it was a 13GB limit. With 16GB we should be able to make it until the SP2.

As for the offline defrag - as I said in the description there, I did do one with eseutil (have done several actually) after taking the store offline and then brought it up after that.

Thanks for pointing out my 13 < 16 - I think I just need more sleep. Or a new job.

 

[jkupski]

esmithbda,

What's your deleted item retention set at? I'm willing to bet that is the reason you did not see any difference after doing your offline defrag.

 

[FrigginGuy]

I received instructions to run an Eseutil defrag using this command line. When I type it in I get an error message "Path not Found"??
I have the rights assosciated with the drive but still no cigar.. Any thoughts?

 

[xmsre]

I also went through and deleted all old mailboxes, after running the cleanup agent, and then took the store offline and did a defrag with the eseutil. Then brought it back up online."

When you delete an item, it's simply maked deleted until the deteted items retention period expires. At that point, it is marked as free space when the next online defrag runs. After this happens, that's when you run an offline defrag to recover the space. Doing so prior to this will not produce the desired result. So, the steps are:

1. Delete some mail
2. Wait for the deleted items retention period to expire
3. Wait for the next online defrage after the expiration of deleted items retention to complete.
4. Run an offline defrag to recover the space.