Our Exchange database size   

We are running Exchange 2000 Standard.

What governs the size of the database? The number of users? The amount of 
mail in their mailbox? If I move more users' mail off the server and onto 
local PST files, will it create more room?

I am having to run the offline defrag tool on an almost monthly basis just 
to regain a little space. Is there a more long-term solution I can use until 
we upgrade?

date: Tue, 2 May 2006 09:12:50 -0500   author:   El Marko

Re: Our Exchange database size   

In news:ORTZAKfbGHA.4112@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
El Marko  typed:
> We are running Exchange 2000 Standard.
>
> What governs the size of the database? The number of users? The
> amount of mail in their mailbox?

Yes to all, and whatever is being used by deleted item retention (based on 
your settings).

> If I move more users' mail off the
> server and onto local PST files, will it create more room?

You'll get more whitespace in your database, but the files won't shrink.

>
> I am having to run the offline defrag tool on an almost monthly basis
> just to regain a little space. Is there a more long-term solution I
> can use until we upgrade?

You shouldn't be running offline defrags on a regular basis at all. Make 
sure you have mailbox quotas enabled so your mailbox store can't hit the 
16GB limit....and leave quite a bit of wiggle room for DIR, and just for 
luck.

I would avoid PST files.....if you need temporary space, before moving to (I 
presume) E2003 Enterprise or multiple servers, you might remember the public 
folder stores...you get another 16GB there. You could use them for mailbox 
archive.

Also, train users how to delete junk they no longer need - and to get rid of 
large file attachments, esp. in sent items. That should help buy you some 
time.

date: Tue, 2 May 2006 11:21:00 -0400   author:   Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]

Re: Our Exchange database size   

What is "white space"?

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" 
 wrote in message 
news:OoHh7zfbGHA.3320@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
>
> In news:ORTZAKfbGHA.4112@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
> El Marko  typed:
>> We are running Exchange 2000 Standard.
>>
>> What governs the size of the database? The number of users? The
>> amount of mail in their mailbox?
>
> Yes to all, and whatever is being used by deleted item retention (based on 
> your settings).
>
>> If I move more users' mail off the
>> server and onto local PST files, will it create more room?
>
> You'll get more whitespace in your database, but the files won't shrink.
>
>>
>> I am having to run the offline defrag tool on an almost monthly basis
>> just to regain a little space. Is there a more long-term solution I
>> can use until we upgrade?
>
> You shouldn't be running offline defrags on a regular basis at all. Make 
> sure you have mailbox quotas enabled so your mailbox store can't hit the 
> 16GB limit....and leave quite a bit of wiggle room for DIR, and just for 
> luck.
>
> I would avoid PST files.....if you need temporary space, before moving to 
> (I presume) E2003 Enterprise or multiple servers, you might remember the 
> public folder stores...you get another 16GB there. You could use them for 
> mailbox archive.
>
> Also, train users how to delete junk they no longer need - and to get rid 
> of large file attachments, esp. in sent items. That should help buy you 
> some time.
>

date: Tue, 2 May 2006 11:14:02 -0500   author:   El Marko

Re: Our Exchange database size   

In news:uSTBvNgbGHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,
El Marko  typed:
> What is "white space"?

Empty space in the database files. When you or your users delete anything 
from mailboxes/public folders, the actual file size of each database doesn't 
shrink - Exchange will just re-use the free space within its files.  You'd 
have to do an offline defrag using eseutil to recover the whitespace and 
shrink the file size - this is *not* something you ought to do on a regular 
basis!


>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
>  wrote in
> message news:OoHh7zfbGHA.3320@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>
>>
>> In news:ORTZAKfbGHA.4112@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
>> El Marko  typed:
>>> We are running Exchange 2000 Standard.
>>>
>>> What governs the size of the database? The number of users? The
>>> amount of mail in their mailbox?
>>
>> Yes to all, and whatever is being used by deleted item retention
>> (based on your settings).
>>
>>> If I move more users' mail off the
>>> server and onto local PST files, will it create more room?
>>
>> You'll get more whitespace in your database, but the files won't
>> shrink.
>>>
>>> I am having to run the offline defrag tool on an almost monthly
>>> basis just to regain a little space. Is there a more long-term
>>> solution I can use until we upgrade?
>>
>> You shouldn't be running offline defrags on a regular basis at all.
>> Make sure you have mailbox quotas enabled so your mailbox store
>> can't hit the 16GB limit....and leave quite a bit of wiggle room for
>> DIR, and just for luck.
>>
>> I would avoid PST files.....if you need temporary space, before
>> moving to (I presume) E2003 Enterprise or multiple servers, you
>> might remember the public folder stores...you get another 16GB
>> there. You could use them for mailbox archive.
>>
>> Also, train users how to delete junk they no longer need - and to
>> get rid of large file attachments, esp. in sent items. That should
>> help buy you some time.

date: Thu, 4 May 2006 10:48:36 -0400   author:   Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]