Reduce Exchange database file size

Exchange server management best practices

The following are some of the best practices that you must follow for maintaining the Exchange server and database in good condition.

1. Understand the Exchange server storage configuration
2. Run the Exchange server Best Practices Analyzer scan
3. Plan for high availability and site resilience of Exchange server

1. How to reduce the Exchange database file size?

   You can reduce the EDB file size in Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010 with the following methods:

   1. By defragmenting the Exchange database
   2. By deleting mailbox data that you no longer require
   3. Moving the database manually to another location
   4. By taking a backup of Exchange server mailboxes

   • Method 1: Defragment the Exchange database

     Before we get into the specifics of the defragmentation, it is important to understand the concept of whitespace in the database. When you remove or delete the mailboxes in Exchange, it creates a free space known as whitespace that is reused by the database to store new mailbox objects. To reclaim the whitespace and minimize the space on the database you must therefore defragment the database periodically.

     • Remember to dismount the database before performing the defragmentation.
     • Ensure that the drive on which the Exchange server is installed has sufficient space for defragmentation.
     • Take a copy of the database before you start the defrag operation with eseutil.

     Eseutil is a built-in Exchange server utility from Microsoft that checks the database for corruption and performs defragmentation. However, keep in mind that you have to unmount the database, which makes your mailboxes unavailable until the defragmentation is complete. The operation is described in the following steps.

     1. Run the Exchange Management Shell as administrator
     2. Get the amount of white space available in the Exchange database

        Get-MailboxDatabase -status| Name, DatabaseSize, AvailableNewMailboxSpace -Auto

     3. Dismount the Exchange database with the following cmdlet

        Dismount-Database < database name >

     4. Defragment the database with the eseutil

        Eseutil /d < DBName>

     5. Mount the database again after the defragmentation is complete

        Mount-Database < DBName >

     6. Check the new space available in the database after defragmentation

        Get-MailboxDatabase -status| Name, DatabaseSize, AvailableNewMailboxSpace -Auto

     The limitation with eseutil is that it cannot recover the EDB file if it is badly corrupted and requires proper knowledge of the PowerShell commands.

   • Method 2: Delete the unwanted data from the mailboxes

     Deleting unwanted data from Exchange server mailboxes such as junk emails, old contacts, bulky attachments, documents and files will free up the space (creates whitespace) for new data but does not actually reduce the EDB file size. However, this method is also beneficial to keep the database file size constant and not letting it increase or overgrow beyond the limit.

   • Method 3: Move the database from the Exchange admin center

     You can also manually move the user mailboxes to a different database from the Exchange admin center (EAC) or with PowerShell cmdlets.

     • Step 1: Login to the EAC and go to the ‘recipients’>‘migration’ tab
     • Step 2: Click on the + sign and select 'Move to a different database'
     • Step 3: Select the users you want to move and click 'Next'
     • Step 4: In the move configuration page select the target database.
     • Step 5: In the start batch page, configure the settings and click 'new'

      See the detailed steps to create a local move request from the EAC

   • Method 4: Backup and migrate Exchange server mailboxes

     EdbMails is a Microsoft partnered software for Exchange migration, backup and recovery. You can perform the triple functionality from a user-friendly interface and the tool is compatible with Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2007. With its advanced filter options, granular and incremental migration features, it simplifies IT administrators efforts. When you export Exchange mailboxes to PST format, you can delete them on the server and reclaim space that is reused for other mailbox objects without increasing the size of the EDB file.

     The following sections describe the EDB export, migration and backup with EdbMails.

     1. Reduce mailbox size by exporting EDB to PST
        1. Download EdbMails and install the application on any computer that is connected to the source and target environment. You can also perform the export operation by installing EdbMails on any non-Exchange server computer.
        2. Launch the application and click 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial'
        3. Select the recovery technique as EDB to PST. EDB to Office 365. EDB to Exchange.

         See a detailed list of EdbMails system requirements and make sure you have Outlook installed if you want to recover and convert the EDB to PST file. Take a copy of the EDB file before you proceed with the export operation.

        • Step 1: Select the Exchange database file that you want to backup

          Select the Exchange EDB file that you want to export. EdbMails recovers the database file and displays all your mailboxes where you can preview individual mail items and convert the EDB to PST. The application can convert pub.edb, priv.edb, STM files and mailbox.edb files.

          

        • Step 2: Select the mailboxes to perform the export operation

          Select the mailboxes, folders and mailbox items and click 'Export to Outlook PST' button. If you want to directly migrate the mailboxes from EDB to Office 365 click ‘Migrate to Office 365’ and to import EDB to Exchange, click ‘Migrate to Live Exchange’.

          Tip: To reduce the Exchange database size, you can also export the Exchange Archive mailbox to PST with EdbMails.

          

          You can apply the advanced filter settings to export or migrate the Exchange emails based on Date, Subject, Attachment and so on.

          1. The 'Exclude Standard / Custom folders' option enables you to exclude the folders such as Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Custom folders, Junk, Conversation History from the export operation.
          2. EdbMails comes with other additional settings for the export such as splitting a PST file and excluding emails whose size is greater than a specified limit.

          

        • Step 3: Verify the mailboxes and add a label to the export job

          After you select the mailboxes and folders, you can verify them for export and give the task a name for future reference. This activity enables you to save and use the same application settings for future migrations.

          

        • Step 4: Start the EDB to PST export operation

          Browse the location on your computer and ensure that you have enough disk space to save the PST file. Finally, start the export operation from the EDB file to PST. You can pause and resume the operation and view the export details under 'View Log'.

          

          Tip: To restore all your mailboxes and mail items from the EDB file, add the exported PST file in Outlook. You can also copy the PST file to a safe location or replicate it on your network drive for backup.

          The EDB export operation with EdbMails does not cause downtime and the target PST backup is an identical copy of the source. It has advanced built-in filter settings for selecting specific folders, emails, and mail items for export, backup and migration.

         See steps to if you want to perform Exchange to Exchange server migration and reclaim mailbox storage space on the source server. The following method describes the steps to back up Exchange mailboxes.

     2. Reclaim space by performing Exchange mailbox backup
        • Step 1: Select Exchange Backup (AES-256 bit encrypted) in the application

          

        • Step 2: Connect to Exchange server as Global Admin User

          In the Connect to Exchange server (Source) window, select 'Connect using Global Admin User' if you want to backup mailboxes on behalf of all users. You can also connect to the mailboxes by loading a CSV file. See the instructions on how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails.

           With EdbMails, you can backup mailboxes, public folders, and archive mailboxes to an encrypted file.

          

          

        • Step 3: Select the mailboxes and folders for the backup

          From the left pane, select the items you want to backup and click the 'Backup using 256-bit Private Key based Encryption' button. EdbMails provides the facility for a Full Backup or Incremental backup and enables you to exclude mailbox folders such as Inbox, Drafts, Junk, Conversation History.

          

        • Step 4: Set the encryption key for the backup

          You can allow the application to set the encryption key (Default Encryption) or set your own private encryption key for higher security.

           See steps to set private encryption key with EdbMails backup

          

        • Step 5: Specify the location to save the backup file

          Verify the list of mailboxes and folders that you have selected and select a location to save the encrypted backup. Also ensure that you have sufficient disk space on your computer to store the backup data.

          

        • Step 6: Start the Exchange backup operation

          Start the backup operation and verify the count of items with EdbMails log report. You can restore the backup file anytime by following the restore operation with EdbMails.

           See steps to See steps to restore Exchange server backup with EdbMails