Exchange 2003 Enterprise SP2 I notice that sum of each mailbox (Administrative Groups --> First Administrative Group --> Servers --> |||--> Storage Group --> Mailbox Store --> Mailboxes --> Sum of each mailbox) is nearly same with sum of EDB and STM for particular database. Is it correct? EDB + STM for particular database ???????????????????? Online defragmentation claims that there is 1 GB of free space for particular database after online defragmentation. My question is that whether that particular database size will change to 1 GB less than its original after running Offline defragmentation. Suppose, its original is 15 GB and it become 14 GB after Offline defragmentation. Thanks.

Yes, with the offline degrag of database, you will be able to claim 1 GB of space and the DB size will get reduced to 14 GB.Raj

Thanks for your answer. If I dont run Offline defragmentation yet, what will happen with this white space 1 GB? Will it be used? Kyi

No, you will not be able to use that 1GB of free space. thats basically the white space that got created after deleting emails or mail boxes. You can only use that space on the Disk after running the offline defrag.Raj

Sorry to bother you again. I have never run the Offline defragmentation yet. I have deleted several mailboxes for particular database till now. However, free space after running Online defragmentation doesnt match the size of mailboxes I deleted from there. Free space is much less than the size of the mailboxes I have deleted so far. Do you know why?

Yes, you need to run offline defrag on this. Online is Maintainence and not defragmentation. So you need to run it. It will run arounf 4-5 Gb / hour. So make sure to take a downtime for the mail services.Raj

I heard about moving mailboxes rather than Offline defragmentation to reduce the database size. Do you recommend for that? If so, could you guide me or give me the link that I can read? Thanks.

well yes and no. If you can afford down time go for offline defrag http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328804or else go ahead with moving mail boxes from one store to another and that will give you free space and the benefit is that only one user at a given time (while moving the mailbox ) will have the downtime.Raj

No, you will not be able to use that 1GB of free space. thats basically the white space that got created after deleting emails or mail boxes. You can only use that space on the Disk after running the offline defrag. Raj Sorry Ray,I think the free space will be reused.As space in the database is freed by deletion of items, existing pages are reused where possible. Typically, a Microsoft Exchange Server database will grow for several months after it is put in service, but eventually the database size stabilizes.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspxFrank Wang

Sorry to bother you again. I have never run the Offline defragmentation yet. I have deleted several mailboxes for particular database till now. However, free space after running Online defragmentation doesnt match the size of mailboxes I deleted from there. Free space is much less than the size of the mailboxes I have deleted so far. Do you know why? Hi,So you have deleted several mailboxes till now. Do you also check the "keep deleted mailboxes for(days)" in limits tag ofmailbox storeproperties?The mailboxes are not permanently deleted until the setting time. Thus the free space doesn't match the size of mailboxes you deleted.If you want to know the time to offline deragment, check the event 1221, if there is 20% free space of the database, you should run the offline defragmentation. Please follow the KB to offline defrag as Raj give you.More details: Eseutil /D Defragmentation Mode http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspxFrank Wang

Hi,So you have deleted several mailboxes till now. Do you also check the "keep deleted mailboxes for(days)" in limits tag ofmailbox storeproperties?The mailboxes are not permanently deleted until the setting time. Thus the free space doesn't match the size of mailboxes you deleted.If you want to know the time to offline deragment, check the event 1221, if there is 20% free space of the database, you should run the offline defragmentation. Please follow the KB to offline defrag as Raj give you.More details: Eseutil /D Defragmentation Mode http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspx Frank Wang Hi Frank, Thanks for your suggestions. In fact, I have purged the deleted mailboxes already. What I realize after reading this article http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspx is that white space will be reused where possible. This might be the reason that white space claimed by online defragmentation does not continue growing according to deleted mailboxes and messages. Instead, white space might be used for growing of other mailboxes in that database and when creating the new mailbox in that database. Since white space will be reused where possible and it can be claimed after running online defragmentation, eventually Exchange database size stabilizes after database is placed in service for several months. So, MS recommend to run offline defragmentation only when white space reached to 20% of the database. I am not sosure whether my assumption is correct. Kyi

Hi,So you have deleted several mailboxes till now. Do you also check the "keep deleted mailboxes for(days)" in limits tag ofmailbox storeproperties?The mailboxes are not permanently deleted until the setting time. Thus the free space doesn't match the size of mailboxes you deleted.If you want to know the time to offline deragment, check the event 1221, if there is 20% free space of the database, you should run the offline defragmentation. Please follow the KB to offline defrag as Raj give you.More details: Eseutil /D Defragmentation Mode http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspx Frank Wang Hi Frank, Thanks for your suggestions. In fact, I have purged the deleted mailboxes already. What I realize after reading this article http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123761(EXCHG.65).aspx is that white space will be reused where possible. This might be the reason that white space claimed by online defragmentation does not continue growing according to deleted mailboxes and messages. Instead, white space might be used for growing of other mailboxes in that database and when creating the new mailbox in that database. Since white space will be reused where possible and it can be claimed after running online defragmentation, eventually Exchange database size stabilizes after database is placed in service for several months. So, MS recommend to run offline defragmentation only when white space reached to 20% of the database. I am not sosure whether my assumption is correct. Kyi Kyi,If you do not have disk space issues, do not worry about 1GB of whitespace, this is such a small amount of space to be worrying about. Whitespace will always be present in a healthy Exchange Database. When I regularly administered Exchange 2003 (using 2007 and 2010 now) I would not worry about whitespace until there was over 20GB present in a 100GB combined edb and stm. This is inline with the 20% you have noted.Note that Exchange 2003 Standardwith SP2 supports database sizes upto a logical 75GB (meaning it does not count whitespace as used space).However you are using Enterprise, if you have a spare database available, consider moving mailboxes until there are zero mailboxes left in the database, and then dismount it, delete the edb and stm files and remount for a nice fresh clean database.OliverOliver Moazzezi | Exchange MVP, MCSA:M, MCTS:Exchange 2010, BA (Hons) Anim | http://www.exchange2007.com | http://www.exchange2010.com | http://www.cobweb.com |

However you are using Enterprise, if you have a spare database available, consider moving mailboxes until there are zero mailboxes left in the database, and then dismount it, delete the edb and stm files and remount for a nice fresh clean database.Oliver Oliver Moazzezi | Exchange MVP, MCSA:M, MCTS:Exchange 2010, BA (Hons) Anim | http://www.exchange2007.com | http://www.exchange2010.com | http://www.cobweb.com | You can just right click on the database and select delete instead of deleting the edb and stm files?

However you are using Enterprise, if you have a spare database available, consider moving mailboxes until there are zero mailboxes left in the database, and then dismount it, delete the edb and stm files and remount for a nice fresh clean database.Oliver Oliver Moazzezi | Exchange MVP, MCSA:M, MCTS:Exchange 2010, BA (Hons) Anim | http://www.exchange2007.com | http://www.exchange2010.com | http://www.cobweb.com | You can just right click on the database and select delete instead of deleting the edb and stm files? Hi there,Yes you can. Dismounting the store and then deleting the edb and stm and remounting will keep all your store settings intact.Deleting the store either gets rid of it entirely, ie, you don't want it, or allows you to provision a new one, entirely different name, on a different drive etc.OliverOliver Moazzezi | Exchange MVP, MCSA:M, MCTS:Exchange 2010, BA (Hons) Anim | http://www.exchange2007.com | http://www.exchange2010.com | http://www.cobweb.com |