# Win2003 SBS Exchange Mailbox store 147Gb - maximum size 75Gb?



## dweeb (Oct 8, 2009)

*Win2003 SBS Exchange Mailbox store 147Gb - how can the maximum size be 75Gb?*

It's my dirty little secret, I'd like to detail it as a warning story of what not to do as well as elicit any further suggestions as to what I am doing to correct it.

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Event Type:	Warning
Event Source:	MSExchangeIS Mailbox Store
Event Category:	General 
Event ID:	9685
Date: 08/10/2009
Time: 10:22:44
User: N/A
Computer:	SERVER
Description:
Exchange store 'First Storage Group\Mailbox Store (SERVER)': The current physical size of this database (the .edb file and the .stm file) is 147 GB. This database has exceeded the size limit of 75 GB. However, the logical free space in this database has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, it is possible that this database contains enough free space to bring its logical size below the maximum size limit. 

If the logical database size exceeds the maximum size limit, it will be dismounted on a regular basis. 

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To be fair, it's my own doing. I should have been more forceful, but I wanted to keep the users & bosses happy.

The want no downtime, so I've not been able to do a database defrag or even the planned server forklift (there has been a new server sat doing nothing for a few months as they don't even want weekend downtime)
everyone insists on sending loads of PDF documents through the email so mailbox limits weren't enforced and now aren't possible.
Archives I've found to be unreliable, and the users complain of archives on network shares. I also dodged a bullet recently with a pst that got corrupted long ago. Luckily I was able to recover the invoice in the email ,but it was close.
Many people have 5-15Gb mailboxes. As usual it's the directors that are the worse offenders.
 To keep it from stopping at 5am I've got a script restarting the mail store at 5:05am - this is how it's carried on growing to the size it has.


The database is now growing at 10Gb a month with 30 users. :sigh:

I'll tell you what I'm going to do the weekend after this one, I've finally said to the bosses "If I don't take this down for maintenance you might not be able to work at all soon"

first I'll forklift the server to new hardware using Acronis TrueImage SBS as the current server is now all EDB & log files on the data drive
I've purchased GFI MailArchiver. I'll install that and try to archive all the mailboxes so the EDB gets back to a reasonable size.

Any advice regarding GFI Archiver would be appreciated, particularly as I am probably going to have to install it as a Borland database (so flat file) on the same spindle as the on the new server as the exchange database and log file. (I know, I know)

Can't think of anything else at the moment. :4-dontkno


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## dweeb (Oct 8, 2009)

Sorry, the original question - does anyone have any idea of any *actual maximum size* of an SBS 2003 Exchange database? Since it's an enforced limit by software do you think it could actually work until the Enterprise value of 8000Gb? (not that I want to carry it on) or am I just breaking the licensed limit of 75Gb by doing so?


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## bilbus (Aug 29, 2006)

Why not just buy a copy of server 2003/2008, and exchange 2007? 
Exchange 2007 STD has no size limit.

If you do a swing migration, there will be no downtime. another reason i hate SBS and won't use it.


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