Create and configure mailbox databases

Exam: Microsoft 70-662 - TS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Configuring

Exchange Server 2010, incorporates major changes to the architecture of the Exchange database. In Exchange Server 2010 Databases are no longer treated under Exchange Mailbox Servers for the same status as servers.

In the Exchange Management Console (EMC) databases are not administered at server level but at organizational level. Exchange Server 2010 allows use of additional Exchange Management Shell (EMS) and EMC functionality. The article discusses in detail how mailbox database can be configured in Exchange Server 2010.

Configuring Exchange Databases

Exchange Server 2010 stores public folders and mailboxes in the exchange database and these can co exist in mailbox servers as well. There is a unique Extensible Storage Engine or .edb file for storing every database. The .edb file does not experience any changes according to the sender or receiver of the message.

Every database has a unique set of log which records all transactions which are conducted with the database along with the messages exchanged. One of the most fundamental purposes of having such a log is to ensure consistency, durability, atomicity and isolation of databases.

Another purpose of these is during disaster recovery conditions where high availability features are not being used. The database and its transaction log are stored in the same folder. This is a default action and the path for the folder is -

C:\Prpgramm Files\Microsoft\Exchange\Server\v14\Mailbox

The recommended action is to store the transaction logs in a different folder and a different hard drive altogether. The folder containing the .edb files can also contain the following files:

• Checkpoint file: This determines the transactions from the current log that need to be sent to the database and has the .chk extension
• Current transaction log file (exx.log): This is the file into which new transactions are recorded. A new transaction file is created when it exhausts its storage limit of 1MB.
• Closed transaction log file (.log): the file types of closed files and current transaction files is the same with a difference that the closed files have longer file names.
• Reserved transaction log files (.jrs): These files are used by Exchange Server 2010 for emergency situation like the disk space is full and a new transaction log cannot be created.
• Temporary workspace file (tmp.log): This is also known as the transaction log file.
• Exchange database file (.edb): These files store the content for mailbox and public folder databases.

A mailbox database can be configured by following the steps mentioned below:

• In Organization Configuration, click on Mailbox
• Click on Database Management
• Right click on the database that needs to be configured.
• Click on Properties

The following gives you an overview about the various tabs as shown below.

• The General Tab: this tab gives plenty information pertaining to the database such as information above previous modify date, server location, backup, path and so forth.
• The Client Settings Tab: This allows specification of default public folder database and the default offline address book for all the mailboxes in a particular database.
• The Limits Tab: This allows specifying the storage limit for a database. The storage limit refers to the limit when a warning will be issued. A warning can be issued to users who exceed this limit. The tab also allows specifying the deletion settings. The tab also allows specifying the t duration for which the database will retain the deleted items