Public folder database file stored on network drive
[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]
Topic Last Modified: 2010-07-21
The Microsoft® Exchange Best Practices Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine the value for the msExchEDBFile attribute of each public folder database object. This attribute specifies the location of the database files used by this public folder database.
The Analyzer tool also queries Active Directory to determine the count of the values listed in the homeMDBBL attribute of each mailbox database on this server. The count of this attribute represents the number of mailboxes on the mailbox database. The Exchange Server Analyzer can then calculate the total number of mailboxes managed by the server.
If the Analyzer tool finds that the msExchEDBFile attribute starts with "\\" on an Exchange Server that has more than 50 mailboxes, an error is displayed.
This error indicates that the database files for the public folder database are being stored on a network share. An msExchEDBFile attribute that starts with "\\" indicates that the log file path uses a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. We do not recommend this practice because interruptions in network connectivity could cause database errors, resulting in lost data or corrupted databases. We recommend that you correct this problem as soon as possible.
To move the database files to a new drive
In Exchange System Manager, expand the Exchange server object on which the database resides, expand the appropriate storage group container, right-click the public folder database object that you want, and then click Properties.
Specify new file locations on the Database tab of the Properties dialog box.
For more information about Exchange Server database files, see the following topics:
"Managing Mailbox Stores and Public Folder Store" in Exchange Server 2003 Administration Guide (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47617)
"Understanding the Exchange Server 2003 Store" in Working with the Exchange Server 2003 Store (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47595)
For more information about using Exchange Server with network drives, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
328879, "Using Exchange Server with Storage Attached Network and network-attached storage devices" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=328879)
839687, "Microsoft support policy on the use of network-attached storage devices with Exchange Server 2003" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=839687)
317173, "Exchange Server and network-attached storage" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=317173)
317172, "Exchange Server 5.5 and network-attached storage" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=317172)