For those who have been reading my other thread this is a new question based on new developments. Exchange 2007 SP2, SBS 2008 with RAID1 C:\ and RAID5 D:\ Exchange is installed on C:\ but I moved the exchange database files over to D:\ as it has huge capacity. Our D:\ drive has a punctured RAID array and Dell inform me there is no way around this and I need to destroy the RAID and remake it. After some research I've found this to be true! As my RAID is punctured my backup fails and trying to manually copy the .edb file fails using ESEUTIL and MS Rich Copy. Attempting to move the exchange database using the SBS console also fails. The only "backup" I have is that I have exported all mailboxes to a PST file on a local PC. My question then is, once I destroy the RAID and remake it what will happen to Exchange? Exchange will be looking for the database in D:\<file path> but it won't be there. How do I get Exchange to create a new database there? Then, if I import those .pst files will everyone have access to their emails? Is there anything else I can do before destroying and remaking this RAID which will make getting exchange back up and running easier? Many thanks for reading.

Exchange 2003 will create a new blank database by default if the database is missing (I'm 99% sure that 2010 will do the same but I hope someone else can validate this because personally I have not tried it). Once the new blank database is created, mount it and begin importing the PST files. Miguel Fra | Falcon IT Services, Miami, FL www.falconitservices.com | www.falconits.com | Blog

On Sat, 15 Sep 2012 15:04:00 +0000, Chris30-UK wrote: > > >For those who have been reading my other thread this is a new question based on new developments. > >Exchange 2007 SP2, SBS 2008 with RAID1 C:\ and RAID5 D:\ > >Exchange is installed on C:\ but I moved the exchange database files over to D:\ as it has huge capacity. > >Our D:\ drive has a punctured RAID array and Dell inform me there is no way around this and I need to destroy the RAID and remake it. After some research I've found this to be true! > >As my RAID is punctured my backup fails and trying to manually copy the .edb file fails using ESEUTIL and MS Rich Copy. > >Attempting to move the exchange database using the SBS console also fails. > >The only "backup" I have is that I have exported all mailboxes to a PST file on a local PC. > >My question then is, once I destroy the RAID and remake it what will happen to Exchange? Exchange will be looking for the database in D:\<file path> but it won't be there. How do I get Exchange to create a new database there? Then, if I import those .pst files will everyone have access to their emails? They'll have whatever you had in the PST files. They'll also be able to use their mailboxes immediately -- they just won;t have anything in them until you complete the PST import. >Is there anything else I can do before destroying and remaking this RAID which will make getting exchange back up and running easier? > >Many thanks for reading. Make sure the directory is there. Make sure there are no old log files or chk file for the old database (I'm assuming you had only one daabase in the storage group?). When Exchange starts it'll create a new, empty, database and begin a new log file generation. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP

If you have another server with mailbox role ready just move-mailbox with switch -configurationOnly import the PST files rebuild the old server create new db move users back seem like dial tone recovery but without the RSG and swap and mirage mailboxes downtime for the users is minimum

Rich> Yes, I only have 1 database in there. I feel a lot more confident having read your reply - many thanks. Ayman> I don't have another server with mailbox role on it. I plan on exporting the .pst's deleting the RAID, reinitialising the RAID and letting exchange create a new DB and importing the .pst files. I'll report back how I get on.