Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeIS
Event Category: General
Event ID: 1112
Date: 12/14/2009
Time: 1:38:40 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SBS2003
Description:
The database “First Storage Group\Mailbox Store (SBS2003)” has reached the maximum allowed size. Attempting to unmount the database.For more information, click http://www.microsoft.com/contentredirect.asp
Recently, WIGITAL was onsite to assist in the merger of 2 companies into the same physical location. As it turned out on this day, the two companies were merging together but ( as sometimes typical of mergers ), the love-fest hadn’t quite made it through to the information technology layer.
While completing our installation of some 2008 Servers, SharePoint, SQL, etc… that WIGITAL oversaw for Partner A,… Partner B’s Small Business Server’s Exchange stopped delivering mail. Hmmmm ( and we’re in the Server room at the time! ).
Well… after receiving a bit of finger pointing and offering a a bit of explanation as to the fact that WIGITAL is a Microsoft Certified Partner, Partner B finally agreed to allow WIGITAL to surf the event logs of their server ( a server we had yet to administer ).
Small Business Server 2003 Exchange Information Store
The Information Store for Exchange 2003 in Small Business Server 2003 has a maximum combined size of 16 GB when first installed. This 16GB limit is effective in the RTM and SP1 versions of Exchange 2003. While this may seem absurdly small by today’s standards, for early SBS scenarios this made sense and was the broad reality in the year Exchange 2003 was released.
Exceeding this size limit can cause some heart burn. One ugly thing is that the Exchange Information Store dismounts! and will continue to dismount after just 60 seconds no matter how many times/ways you re-mount it. That means Exchange cannot retain a connection to it’s data and talk to the .edb and .stm databases which comprises the store.
To understand some specifics about Event ID’s and the actual store size please consider that:
Although the description for event ID such as 445, etc…. state that the Priv1.edb file has reached a size of 16,383 megabytes (MB), this may not be true. The dismount of the information store is triggered if the combined size of the Priv1.edb file and the Priv1.stm file reaches 16,383 MB. The Priv1.edb file by itself may be smaller than 16,383 MB.
By default, you can locate these databases and select Properties from the context menu to view their sizes here:
D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.edb
D:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.stm
Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003
The most reasonable ( and best practice ) way to update the initial Exchange 2003 Information Store size to a larger size is to install Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003. This achieves a limit of 75 GBs. Microsoft itself recommends this approach. This SP2 for Exchange 2003 overview provides some good information on “all” the features SP2 offers.
Now back to our server…. Since we knew quite well that SP2 should already be in place ( it was released in 2005 ) our first step was to confirm the Exchange build ( NOTE: to confirm your Exchange Server build number, go to Build Numbers and Release Dates for Exchange Server ). We saw SP1 was the version number in place and advised Partner B that they were running Exchange build 6.5.7226 ( which is Exchange 2003 SP1 ). Since the year was now 2009, we thought about updating ( ya think! ) BUT then we hit another red flag!!!
As it turned out, a few minutes on Partner B’s SBS Server revealed 4 trojan malware programs, a number virtual memory error pop-ups, and a smattering of other odd behaviors. WIGITAL decided that since we were not responsible for the server prior to it’s delivery (and being that we had no clue about it’s history… i.e. health state unknown? ), a judgement call was made that it was better at that moment in time to NOT install SP2 for Exchange. We did still, however, desperately needed TO AFFIRMATIVELY get the Information Store mounted again for the client.
How to temporarily increase the size of an Exchange 2003 Information Store
ENTER The Microsoft Exchange Team Blog article ” Help! My Mailbox Store has reached the 16GB limit! ” which pointed us to a solution in Article 828070 – Exchange Server 2003 mailbox store does not mount when the mailbox store database reaches the 16-GB limit
This article offers a unique method and registry hack ( method 2 ) allowing a temporary increase in the the mailbox size to 17GB ( or larger for that matter ) that is quick to implement and which stopped the Information Store from dismounting. Our Partner B client was soon to be back online. Yeah! Victory Lap 
Increasing and Adjusting the Exchange 2003 Private Mail Store Size Permanently
Other broader articles for adjusting the Exchange Information Store size limits in a flexible way are available for review:
as well as
The Art and Science of Sizing Exchange 2003 Part1
The Art and Science of Sizing Exchange 2003 Part2
The Art and Science of Sizing Exchange 2003 Part3
Hope this helps you if you ever need a very temporary fix for an Exchange Server Information Store that is dismounting because of size limits.
Thanks and Merry Christmas,
Mark Raborn
WIGITAL