Outlook and Serer

Notlob

Hi,

I am scratching my head.

Server memory really low, so deleting very old emails. However, upon deleting emails, memory decreases i.e. 3mb before deletion, 1mb after deletion.

I have emptied the deleted folder but no use.

Any suggestions!

Notlob

Aliktren

what operating system, what version of outlook - is "server memory really low" an error message you're getting ?

Notlob

OS is Windows server 2003 for small business server.

3 x Outlook 2003 on 2 workstations (XP Pro) & server and 2007 on vista workstation.

We noticed no new emails arriving so logged into server. Thought it best to defrag and it showed no free space & 0% free space. As such, couldn't defrag. We then emptied deleted items folder within outlook on all 3 workstations which created some space, allowing emails to arrive.

Last Saturday, I decided to delete lots of emails on my workstation and noticed the available memory going the wrong way. Today, I deleted emails, but not empty the delete items folder, on outlook on the server as emails stopped arriving and noticed 0MB again. This created 3MB free space and emails started to arrive. After deleting more emails I noticed free space dropped to 1MB and remained that way after emptying deleted items.

3,000-4,000 emails deleted so far

Regards

Notlob

M4RKM

this is one reason why exchange should be set up with mailbox limits!!!

don't just delete emails, what you need to do is be creative.

set your inboxes to show the size, and click on it, so largest emails are first.. then you delete all the large emails, which you've most probably saved the attachment, which means you actually have it twice..

once you've done that, archive, so it transfers emails from exchange onto your local computer hard drive. This again clears up space from the server

finally, give everyone a 200mb mailbox limit, and it'll never happen again, people need to get used to moving things that they NEED, rather than just keeping everything

M

scheming_gypsy

guessing you're using exchange on the server?

if you're only running 3 mailboxes there's a couple of questions..
1 - from the exchange systems manager, how big are the mailboxes?
2 - how much hard drive space do you have on the server? 3 mailboxes shouldn't even dent a file servers space.
3 - do you have another drive with available space to move the server log files to?

Although that is one of the reasons i hate SBS. DC's, file and print servers and exchange server usually ends up on one drive. So rather if that's the case you could also do with looking at deleting other files rather than just emails.

Notlob

I am not too sure if this answers the issue of why the free memory is decreasing when deleting emails, but I have noticed that every time I restart the server, there is also an update to install. Could it be that as soon as I create space the auto update facility eats it up again, and will continue to do so until all outstanding updates are downloaded or I turn off auto update?

Notlob

Notlob

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

guessing you're using exchange on the server?

if you're only running 3 mailboxes there's a couple of questions..
1 - from the exchange systems manager, how big are the mailboxes?
2 - how much hard drive space do you have on the server? 3 mailboxes shouldn't even dent a file servers space.
3 - do you have another drive with available space to move the server log files to?

Although that is one of the reasons i hate SBS. DC's, file and print servers and exchange server usually ends up on one drive. So rather if that's the case you could also do with looking at deleting other files rather than just emails.

Hard drive space on the server is split between local hard drive "C" (15GB) and network drive "Z" (120GB). C drive now has no free space and 60GB of free space on Z drive.

One idea I have is to save data that is on network Z drive and delete Z and then set up new network drive with less memory. Programs are on the C drive and only date files on the Z drive. This is new territory for me and I lack confidence to undertake this without checking first that this idea has merit.

Appreciate the ideas so far.

Notlob

scheming_gypsy

here you go.. step by step details on how to move the log files and exchange database.

http://www.petri.co.il/move_exchange_stores_to_a_different_disk.htm


your 15gig partition is too small for the OS, mailboxes, log files etc. If you move files onto the Z: you'll find it runs better.

Notlob

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

here you go.. step by step details on how to move the log files and exchange database.

http://www.petri.co.il/move_exchange_stores_to_a_different_disk.htm


your 15gig partition is too small for the OS, mailboxes, log files etc. If you move files onto the Z: you'll find it runs better.

Greatly appreciated. Agreed that the C drive is way too small. The C drive is very lean hence why deleting old emails was my main option. I did find a folder that was no longer required, creating 100MB of space. I also stopped auto update and this seemed to sort the problem, I suspect only temporarily. I will view the link and hope it provides the answers.

Regards,

Notlob

scheming_gypsy

it should do. If you create a new folder on the other drive / partition with admin rights so people can't access it and delete everything and follow the instructions, you'll move all the log files and exchange folders. This will clear up a large amount of space on C: which you will need for temporary files etc etc

Notlob

Hi Scheming Gypsy,

I would like to pick your brains again.

The link you kindly provided stated the default file path where exchange installs and configures Exchange. I located this path and there is a MDBDATA folder with Log files starting E0000. These only date back to late November 2008. All are 5120KB and there are 2 -4 per day. In total there are 139 files totalling 695MB.

My queries are:-
What are these files for?
Why only go back to Nov. last year? (system set up in 2006)
Can I safely delete them?

Further info

I have just looked at the log files and 7 have been added today alone, 3 within 3 minutes of each other. This equates to 36MB of memory which explains why the free space is decreasing. Yesterday I regained 135MB by deleting an old folder. I am now down to only 63MB.


Regards

Notlob