Managing Storage Groups and Databases

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 Topic Last Modified: 2007-09-24

This topic describes the basics of storage group and database management in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. To learn more about storage groups and databases, see Understanding the Exchange 2007 Store.

An Exchange storage group is a logical container for Exchange databases and their associated system and transaction log files.

An Exchange database stores data, data definitions, indexes, checksums, flags, and other information associated with user mailboxes or public folders. Exchange databases are stored in .edb files. (Note that unlike previous versions of Exchange, there are no .stm database files in Exchange 2007.) Databases are based on Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) technology.

Note:
Specialized and sophisticated storage group and database management methods can be employed to assure the highest possible levels of availability of your Exchange system. For more information about managing for high availability, see High Availability and Disaster Recovery.

Managing Storage Groups

Managing storage groups includes creating a new storage group, configuring a storage group, removing an existing storage group, and moving a storage group path.

Note:
Although a storage group can contain up to five databases, we recommend that you use one database for each storage group. The standard license for Exchange 2007 enables you to create up to a five storage groups and to mount up to five databases. The enterprise license for Exchange 2007 enables you to you can create up to 50 storage groups and mount up to 50 databases.

Creating a New Storage Group

You can create a new storage group by clicking New Storage Group in the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console. You can also create a new storage group in the Exchange Management Shell with the New-StorageGroup cmdlet. For more information about creating new storage groups, see How to Create a New Storage Group.

Configuring a Storage Group

You can configure many storage group settings by right-clicking a storage group in the work pane of the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console, and then clicking Properties. You can configure all the settings of a storage group in the Exchange Management Shell with the Set-StorageGroup cmdlet.

Removing a Storage Group

You can remove a storage group by right-clicking the storage group in the work pane of the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console, and then clicking Remove. You can also remove a storage group by using the Remove-StorageGroup cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell. For more information about removing storage groups, see How to Remove a Storage Group.

Moving a Storage Group Path

You can move storage group system and log files by right-clicking the storage group in the work pane of the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console, and then clicking Move Storage Group Path. You can also move the storage group files by using the Move-StorageGroupPath cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell. For more information about removing storage groups, see How to Move a Storage Group Path.

Managing Databases

You can use both the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell to configure options for Exchange mailbox databases and public folder databases. However, the Exchange Management Shell offers access to more information and settings than the Exchange Management Console, and makes available the power of scripting. (For more information about scripting, see Scripting with the Exchange Management Shell and Scripts for Managing Public Folders in the Exchange Management Shell.)

Note:
For reliability, and in some cases for performance reasons, databases should be placed on disks that do not contain transaction logs.

Managing databases includes creating a new database, removing an existing database, mounting a database, dismounting a database, and backing up a database.

Creating a Database

You can add mailbox databases or public folder databases to storage groups.

For information about how to create a new mailbox database, see How to Create a New Mailbox Database.
For information about how to create a new public folder database, see How to Create a New Public Folder Database.

Note:
Only one public folder database can exist on each server.

Note:
Only one database can be added to a storage group on which local continuous replication is enabled. For reliability, and in some cases for performance reasons, databases should be on placed on disks that do not contain transaction logs.

Removing a Database

For information about how to remove a mailbox database, see How to Remove a Mailbox Database.
For information about how to remove a public folder database, see How to Remove a Public Folder Database.

Mounting a Database

You can mount a database by right-clicking the database in the work pane of the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console, and then clicking Mount Database. You can also mount a database in the Exchange Management Shell with the Mount-Database cmdlet. For more information about mounting databases, see How to Mount a Database.

Dismounting a Database

You can dismount a database by right-clicking the database in the work pane of the Mailbox node under Server Configuration in the Exchange Management Console, and then clicking Dismount. You can also dismount a database in the Exchange Management Shell with the Mount-Database cmdlet. For more information about dismounting databases, see How to Mount a Database.

Backing Up a Database

Backing up the critical data in your Exchange 2007 organization is a necessary operational task. To learn how to perform a basic backup of an Exchange 2007 database using the Microsoft Windows Backup utility, see How to Perform a Basic Backup of Exchange Databases.