Hello, I am getting the event ID 4165 and not sure what that really means. We are running exchange 2007 SP 3. It's started happening this morning and the catalog search folder was about 66 GB. Please see the error message below. Also, It was eating my disk space so had to stop the service and delete the catalog folder to free up space. As of now the service isn't running. I am also trying to figure out if we need this service running? My understanding is that when you do a search with search index it helps you search against attachments etc. A master merge was started because the catalog reached the maximum number of indexes on the last level (16).

That event isnt an indication of a problem. I would restart the indexing service and monitor.

That event isnt an indication of a problem. I would restart the indexing service and monitor.

Hi During master merge operation the Catalogue file will grow up to 20% of the Database size and it is by design. Please find the below information regarding the Master Merge Operation for Index Catalogue. The event for starting of the operation is 4165 and on completion is event 4103. In Exchange 2007, the indexes are held in a catalog which is created in the same location as the database files. Extensive research and experience shows that 5-10 percent of the database size can be expected for the catalog. Note that for planning purposes, you should reserve 20 percent of the database size since the catalog can momentarily double during a Master Index Merge. For more detail, please refer to blog: Introduction to Exchange 2007 Search http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2009/09/14/3408299.aspx CheersZi Feng TechNet Community Support

Hi During master merge operation the Catalogue file will grow up to 20% of the Database size and it is by design. Please find the below information regarding the Master Merge Operation for Index Catalogue. The event for starting of the operation is 4165 and on completion is event 4103. In Exchange 2007, the indexes are held in a catalog which is created in the same location as the database files. Extensive research and experience shows that 5-10 percent of the database size can be expected for the catalog. Note that for planning purposes, you should reserve 20 percent of the database size since the catalog can momentarily double during a Master Index Merge. For more detail, please refer to blog: Introduction to Exchange 2007 Search http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2009/09/14/3408299.aspx CheersZi Feng TechNet Community Support

As of now the service isn't running. 1. I am also trying to figure out if we need this service running? My understanding is that when you do a search with search index running it helps you search against attachments etc.? 2. And since I deleted it, I will have to rebuild the search index again. If I were to rebuild it, will it be 20% of the DB size? 3. If an index does not exist, how are users able to search?

Default service and states here. Your understanding is pretty much there. Exch also indexes so that you can perform search when clients are in online mode or use OWA.If the CI data has been deleted then rebuild as mentioned here. I believe 5% sounds about right.Could be the users are in cache mode and are using the Windows Search locally or just using Exchange Search, see this.Sukh

Default service and states here. Your understanding is pretty much there. Exch also indexes so that you can perform search when clients are in online mode or use OWA.If the CI data has been deleted then rebuild as mentioned here. I believe 5% sounds about right.Could be the users are in cache mode and are using the Windows Search locally or just using Exchange Search, see this.Sukh

Default service and states here. Your understanding is pretty much there. Exch also indexes so that you can perform search when clients are in online mode or use OWA.If the CI data has been deleted then rebuild as mentioned here. I believe 5% sounds about right.Could be the users are in cache mode and are using the Windows Search locally or just using Exchange Search, see this.Sukh

If you want another detailed look at the indexing see: Establishing Exchange Content Index Rebuild Baselines (Parts 1 and 2)

If you want another detailed look at the indexing see: Establishing Exchange Content Index Rebuild Baselines (Parts 1 and 2)

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong.

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong.

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong. Pretty much. See: ( 2010 article) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb232132.aspx#DBE

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong. Pretty much. See: ( 2010 article) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb232132.aspx#DBE

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong. Yes.Sukh

So If I understood correctly search index service uses Exchange search and it's faster and better. But there is also Exchange store search which is lot slower which is doable even without the search index service running? Correct me if I am wrong. Yes.Sukh