Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Document Revision History

Version Doc Name Changes Made Prepared Approved By Approved Dt
# By
1.0 Exchange Base Version Suresh
Data Base Patro/
Defragmentati Vikas
on Process Kalamkar

Internal Page 1
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Table of Contents
1. Introduction....................................................................................................................3
2. Pre requisite for initiating a Data Base Defragmentation Process..............................3
Pre requisite: ...........................................................................................................................3
Frequency and mode of Check:..............................................................................................3
Step by Step process To Check % free disk space of a database........................................3
3. Step By Step process for Exchange Data Base Defragmentation................................4
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

1. Introduction

Defragmenting a database requires disk space to copy the existing database in to a temporary file. If you
don't have enough disk space on the same drive where the database is located you can use the other
server’s disk space or the other drives where exchange database exists.

In Exchange Enterprise Edition we can defragment any database of any Storage Group without downtime
to the other databases. There will be a short timeout while the log files are being re-synced.

2. Pre requisite for initiating a Data Base Defragmentation

Process

Pre requisite:
% of free space on exchange database should be less than 10%

Frequency and mode of Check:

Frequency: Every 2 Hours

Mode of Check: Manual

Step by Step process To Check % free disk space of a

database
Team has to login in remotely on one of exchange servers that are mentioned below. As all exchange
servers are in cluster environment after logging in one server, through Exchange management console of
that server we can see all existing exchange server in that environment.
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

After logging in one of the servers mentioned in the above list, My Computer ->Manage->Storage -> disk
management, will list all the exchange databases disk space status.

In the above Screen if any one of the exchange data base “% free” < 10% then initiate De fragmentation
process for that data base. Please use “Step by Step Process for Exchange Data base Defragmentation”

Before initiating this process Do we need Approval from any one?

3. Step By Step process for Exchange Data Base

Defragmentation
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process
Find out all mail boxes where %free <10%. For ex in the above screen there are 3
mailboxes which are having <10% of space
Vso1sg13
Vs01sg09
Vso1sg15

Step 1: Login MMC

For a selected mailbox, under server configuration->mailbox you need

to find the database.

For finding the database select one by one exchange server and
search for the database path for a selected mailbox. For ex, in the
given below screen you will find the database path for Vso1sg13 is CSS3.
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

In Varina environment during Defragmentation we always will use

“staging data base” for moving the users from identified
defragmented data base.

The “staging database” is available in pa-ex-mbxvs03.

 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Select Recipient configuration and click on “Create Filter” on right

hand side

Select Database in the dropdown of filter and click on “Browse”

button. A small window will open up with list of all data bases. Select
the database which you want to defragment from the popup screen
and click on “OK”
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Click on “Apply Filter”

System will display the entire user mailbox that exists in that
database.

Select all Mailboxes by clicking Ctrl + A button. Right click and select
“Move Mailbox”
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Select Destination database by clicking on browse button. System will

display a popup with all databases, For us always destination
database is “mail staging” data base.

Click Next button for continuing the process.

 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Select the Server Configuration -> mailbox -> and the database of
defragmented mailbox store. Right click and select “Dismount
Database” option on the screen.

Now go to my computer and select R drive,

 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Select vs01sg13 (Defragmented mailbox store)

Delete “Catalog Index Folder” in the below screen

Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

Go to CMD Prompt.
Insert the Snap shot.

For offline fragmentation Type the following command, which will

automatically defrag the dismounted databases.

eseutil /d "R:\vs01sg13\mailbox database.edb”

Go to Exchange Management Console and select dismounted

database and right click and select mount database option.

After this we need move back all the users mailboxes from mail
staging to original mailbox. (Css3). Select Recipient configuration and
select filter as database and select “mail staging” database and click
on OK. Select mail box object and click on Move – Repeat the process.
 Exchange Data Base Defragmentation Process

After moving to original database, suspend scr replication for the Mail
staging database.

Go to Exchange Management shell and type the following command.

Suspend-StorageGroupCopy pa-ex-mbxvs01\css3 -StandByMachine cr-dr-ex-mbx01

Require for a shot

Login to cr-ex-mbx01 server

Delete the database and log files from cr-ex-mbx01\css3

Update-StorageGroupCopy pa-ex-mbxvs01\css3 —StandByMachine cr-dr-ex-mbx01

Require a snap shot

Then we need to check with Black Berry console to make sure no

errors from move.

Require a Screen shot