EXCHANGE 2k7 SP3 - Major Issue After Mailbox Move

[glennda]

Major Issue!

 

Having Moved a few mailbox's on Tuesday to my new Virtual Server i came in yesterday to find that the Exchange Database was dismounted. I looked up the error code (a Mapi Error) I then proceeded to run a repair on the database which was what the MS site said to do (eseutil /p but through the Toolbox). All fine - mailbox store now mounted.

 

Although now all the mailboxes only appear to have the emails which have come in from yesterday so each mailbox is only really small - missing all previous emails, any rules the user had setup and the calendar info etc.

 

I think this data is still in the mailbox database as it is nearly 30gb and there are only a few mailboxes

 

Any way of restoring?

 

(I don't have a backup of the old server/mailboxes as it would not backup (even with ntbackup))

 

Am i totally Screwed?

[IKWeb]

Hi Glennda

 

There are a few other switches you could have tried rather than the /p as this is only meant to be used as a last last resort to get the mail store back online.

 

If your mailbox is showing as been large but only showing a few emails you could try and export the mailbox to a PST file and then open this PST file as see what emails you get. The command for this is would be (from the Powershell) -

 

Export-Mailbox –Identity -PSTFolderPath

[glennda]

Hi Glennda

 

There are a few other switches you could have tried rather than the /p as this is only meant to be used as a last last resort to get the mail store back online.

 

If your mailbox is showing as been large but only showing a few emails you could try and export the mailbox to a PST file and then open this PST file as see what emails you get. The command for this is would be (from the Powershell) -

 

Export-Mailbox –Identity -PSTFolderPath

 

I did try the soft recovery first and also check to make sure if was in a clean shutdown state

 

I've tried the above (took me long time as i had to install management console on my pc to do it as it wanted a 32bit machine with outlook. I get the error The log file directory 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Logging\Migr

ationLogs' does not exist.

At line:1 char:1

+ <<<< Export-Mailbox -Identity username -PSTFolderPath D:\username.pst

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: ( [], InvalidOperationExcept

ion

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : 8C567BB2

[IKWeb]

Have you tried this from the server ?? though the powershell rather than a remote PC ??

[glennda]

Have you tried this from the server ?? though the powershell rather than a remote PC ??

 

Yes I got this error hence why i tried from the remote pc

 

You are running on a 64-bit computer. To export to or import from a .pst file,

you must be running a 32-bit computer that has Outlook 2003 SP2 or later instal

led.

At line:1 char:1

+ <<<< export-mailbox -Identity username -pstfolderpath C:\user.pst

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: ( [], RecipientTaskException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : C001D9F9

[glennda]

Its now starting from the remote machine - i had not got permission to the log file directory for some reason. (and also a registry key it needs to create - MS bug!)

 

Its now running that but giving me a mapi error (again!)

 

PSTFilePath : D:\user.pst

RsgMailboxGuid :

RsgMailboxLegacyExchangeDN :

RsgMailboxDisplayName :

RsgDatabaseGuid :

StandardMessagesDeleted : 0

AssociatedMessagesDeleted : 0

DumpsterMessagesDeleted : 0

MoveType : ExportToPST

MoveStage : Move

StartTime : 04/08/2011 16:40:22

EndTime : 04/08/2011 16:40:23

StatusCode : -1056749164

StatusMessage : Error occurred in the step: Moving messages.

Failed to copy messages to the destination

mailbox store with error:

MAPI or an unspecified service provider.

ID no: 00000000-0000-00000000

ReportFile : C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\L

ogging\MigrationLogs\export-Mailbox20110804-

164020-5500978.xml

[IKWeb]

Not seen this issue before when exporting my mailboxes to PST, I have done a bit of googling and found some people say it can be down to mailbox size limits. Can you increase this or turn off limits and try again?

[glennda]

Not seen this issue before when exporting my mailboxes to PST, I have done a bit of googling and found some people say it can be down to mailbox size limits. Can you increase this or turn off limits and try again?

 

Again was a permissions issue on the mailbox - I was logged in as the wrong account!

 

Unfortunately its still not got the full mailbox items

[sukh]

1. Take a backup of the current DB so you dont lose any more data.

2. Where did you move the mailbox from? Another store? Same exch server? 2003? 2007?

3. How many databases do you have?

4. AFTER a backup of the DB, run ISINTEG, Before doing this, check the state of the db header,make sure it is a clean shutdown.

5. Your normally do this when using /p to be supported by MS.../p then ISINTEG then offline defrag... I wouldnt just do this now as you have run /p already and you havet got a backup.

6. Before doing a backup, can you see if you still have the transation logs file? You may be able to replay the logs back into the database.

[glennda]

I have run isinteg and fixed all errors its currently in clean shutdown state after the fix - what command do I need to use to replay logs - as I tried and it would finish straight away from a process I assumed would take a while.

 

The mailboxes (about 30) have come from another exchange server which would not backup (although tried everything to cure) Ive already converted the first one which went ok and now backs up - tried this one and all failed! And I'm in the sh1t atm!

 

I managed to move one storage group (the students) off that server fine but the staff mail is what I'm struggling with!

[sukh]

1. The 30 mbx have come from which exch svr 2003?2007?2010?. Reason Im askingis that 2010 would leave the source mailbox behind so you have a copy for the rentension period configured.

2. What do you mean by "..... Ive already converted the first one which went ok and now backs up - tried this one and all failed!" - what was converted?

3. The staff mbx, I assume they are still on the source?

4.When was the last time the ioucrce was abcked if?

5. On the source, how far back do the transactions logs go?

[sukh]

1. What is the current size of the edb file on the source exch and target exch?

2. The students mailboxes which have been moved, is the move a success? Is it only dataloss in the stidents mbx or students and staff?

3. Do you have a support contract with MS or do you normally pay per incident?

[glennda]

1. The 30 mbx have come from which exch svr 2003?2007?2010?. Reason Im askingis that 2010 would leave the source mailbox behind so you have a copy for the rentension period configured.

2. What do you mean by "..... Ive already converted the first one which went ok and now backs up - tried this one and all failed!" - what was converted?

3. The staff mbx, I assume they are still on the source?

4.When was the last time the ioucrce was abcked if?

5. On the source, how far back do the transactions logs go?

 

Sorry I should have made it clearer. All Servers are 2k7 SP3 (recently upgraded as i've only just taken full responsibility for these servers)

 

Originally we had 2 exchange servers (each with 2 storage groups 1 staff 1 student) - both would constantly fail consistency checks and therefore not backup. So I've moved staff and students from server 1 to server 2 which all went ok no problems - database all backs up nicely and happy days. I've started the second and alls gone wrong with Staff Only - Students is fine.

 

Not sure if they are still on the on the Source server - is there a way to test? I have logs on the source dating back to mid June.

 

Its hard to tell about the DB sizes becuase i haven't moved all staff mailboxes - there is about another 50 still on the source!

 

No MS Support Contract - I've never needed to phone them before!

[sukh]

1. Just trying picture youre setup. So we are only working witgh 2 Exch server (2007 SP3) right?

2. What do you mean by "....I've started the second and alls gone wrong with Staff Only - Students is fine. " - second half as in you have moved some of the staff over from the source server db and now are trying to move the other half of staff on the SAME staff db on the source?

3. The staff that have been moved over to the target server, are is there any dataloss in their mailboxes?

4. The remaining staff in the source DB, are their mailboxes all fine?

5. Are there any exch users active/live on the network now?

6. The logs that youhave from June, just to be clear, are for the staff storage group?

7. I assume that you had 2 SG, and each had it's own DB?

8. If we are to replay the logs back, (seems like its for the staff mbx) then we MAY be able to use the logs if they are correct.

9. Keep all transactions logs, dont purge them or delete them, so that include when doing a backup as they may get flushed and you dont want that.

[glennda]

1. Yes all Correct - Only 2k7 SP3

2. I've started to move the mailboxes from server 2 to the new server (4 on diagram) (still 2k7 sp3) and its the 30 mailboxes which have been moved where the data loss has occurred.

3. Yes thats where the problem is.

4.The mailboxes on svr2 which havn't been moved are still intact and functioning correctly.

5. No exchange users are live (on this db) as i dismounted the DB so that staff cannot access - but students can.

6. Yes they are - seprate folder to the student logs

8. thats what i'm hoping!

9. I havn't touched them on the source (it doesn't backup due to strange errors)

[sukh]

Glennda, from your setup, it may well be possible but without 'poking' around in your exch system it will be difficult to fully understand what's going on. I would suggest that you open a case with MS (if the data is critical). It's always easier when you have someone on the phone rather than email.

 

If you do decide to log a case with MS, let me know beforehand as I may be able to help you with a discounted rate.

 

Also, the data which you have noticed is lost, is there a specific date range? Is it for all 30 mailboxes within a date range?

 

Did a member of staff complain or are you just looking at mailbox sizes and suspect data loss?

[glennda]

Glennda, from your setup, it may well be possible but without 'poking' around in your exch system it will be difficult to fully understand what's going on. I would suggest that you open a case with MS (if the data is critical). It's always easier when you have someone on the phone rather than email.

 

If you do decide to log a case with MS, let me know beforehand as I may be able to help you with a discounted rate.

 

Also, the data which you have noticed is lost, is there a specific date range? Is it for all 30 mailboxes within a date range?

 

Did a member of staff complain or are you just looking at mailbox sizes and suspect data loss?

 

I will wait for my boss to come back from holiday first hes back in monday.

 

All data in all the mailboxes which have moved is missing - i noticed because mine was in that range. I've also tested on other mailboxes and its all gone

[sukh]

1. When you mean missing, is it a specifc date range?

2. When you moved the mbx from source to target, did the move-mailbox complete successfully or did it fail?

3. What is making you suspect dataloss?