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Configure Mailbox Database Properties

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Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

In Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, each mailbox database has its own properties that you can configure. These properties include mounting, dismounting, and moving a database path.

Looking for other management tasks related to mailbox databases? Check out Managing Mailbox Databases.

What Do You Want to Do?

  • Use the EMC to configure mailbox database properties

  • Use the Shell to configure mailbox database properties

Use the EMC to configure mailbox database properties

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Mailbox databases" entry in the Mailbox Permissions topic.

  1. In the console tree, navigate to Organization Configuration > Mailbox.

  2. In the result pane, on the Database Management tab, select the database you want to configure.

  3. In the action pane, under the database name, click Properties.

  4. Use the General tab to view status about the mailbox database, including the mailbox database path, last backup, and mailbox database status:

    • Database path   This read-only field displays the full path to the Exchange database (.edb) file for the selected mailbox database. To view the entire path, you may have to click the path and use the Right Arrow key. You can't use this field to change the path. To change the location of the database files, close Properties, right-click the database, and then click Move Database Path. You can also change the location by using the Move-DatabasePath cmdlet.

    • Last full backup   This read-only field displays the date and time of the last complete backup of the mailbox database.

    • Last incremental backup   This read-only field displays the date and time of the last incremental backup of the mailbox database.

    • Status   This read-only field displays whether the mailbox database is mounted or dismounted.

    • Mounted on server   This read-only field displays which server the database is mounted on.

    • Master   This read-only field displays the master server for the mailbox database. The Mailbox server that hosts the active copy of a database is referred to as the mailbox database master. For more information, see Managing Mailbox Database Copies.

    • Master type   This read-only field displays the type of mailbox database master.

    • Modified   This read-only field displays the date and time the database was last modified.

    • Servers hosting a copy of this database   This read-only field displays the other servers that have a copy of this database.

  5. Use the Maintenance tab to configure mailbox database settings, including specifying a journal recipient, setting a maintenance schedule, and mounting the database at startup:

    • Journal Recipient   Select this check box to enable transport journaling of e-mail. To learn more, see Understanding Journaling.

    • Maintenance schedule   Use this list to select one of the preset maintenance schedules. You can also configure a custom schedule. To configure a custom schedule, click Customize.

    • Enable background database maintenance (24 x 7 ESE scanning) Select this check box to enable online database scanning, which runs continuously in the background. Online database scanning performs a checksum calculation of the database and performs operations that allow Exchange to scan for lost space on the database and recover it. If you select this check box, Exchange scans the database no more than one time per day and will issue a warning event if it can't finish scanning the database in a seven day period. For more information, see Maintain Mailbox Databases.

    • Don't mount this database at startup   Select this check box to prevent Exchange from mounting this mailbox database when it starts.

    • This database can be overwritten by a restore    Select this check box to allow the mailbox database to be overwritten during a restore process.

    • Enable circular logging   Select this check box to enable circular logging. For more information about circular logging, see Understanding the Exchange 2010 Store.

  6. Use the Limits tab to specify the storage limits, the warning message interval, and the deletion settings for a mailbox database:

    • Issue warning at (MB)   Select this check box to automatically warn mailbox users that their mailbox is approaching its storage limit. To specify the storage limit, select the check box, and then specify in kilobytes (KB) how much content can be stored in the mailbox before a warning e-mail message is sent to the mailbox users. You can enter a value from 0 through 2,097,151 megabytes (MB) (2.0 terabytes).

    • Prohibit send at (MB)   Select this check box to prevent users from sending new e-mail messages after the size of their mailbox reaches the specified limit. To specify this limit, select the check box, and then type the size of the mailbox in MB at which you want to prohibit the sending of new e-mail messages and notify the user. You can enter a value from 0 through 2,097,151 MB (2.0 terabytes).

    • Prohibit send and receive at (MB)   Select this check box to prevent users from sending and receiving e-mail messages after their mailbox size reaches the specified limit. To specify this limit, select the check box, and then type the size of the mailbox in MB at which you want to prohibit the sending and receiving of e-mail messages and notify the user. You can enter a value from 0 through 2,097,151 MB (2.0 terabytes).

    • Warning message interval   Use this list to specify the time at which mailboxes are scanned for compliance with the storage limits that you set. To configure a custom time, click Customize.

    • Keep deleted items for (days)   Use this box to set the number of days that deleted items are retained in a mailbox. You can enter a value from 0 through 24,855 days.

    • Keep deleted mailboxes for (days)   Use this box to set the number of days that deleted mailboxes are retained. You can enter a value from 0 through 24,855 days.

    • Don't permanently delete items until the database has been backed up   Select this check box to prevent mailboxes and e-mail messages from being deleted until after the mailbox database has been backed up.

  7. Use the Client Settings tab to view and select the default public folder database and the offline address book (OAB) for the mailbox:

    • Default public folder database   This box shows the location of the default public folder database. The public folder database stores public folder data, OAB information, and free/busy information for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and earlier versions. To change the location of the default public folder database, click Browse and select a new location.

    • Offline address book   This box shows the location of the OAB. To change the location of the OAB, click Browse, and then select a new location.

Use the Shell to configure mailbox database properties

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Mailbox databases" entry in the Mailbox Permissions topic.

This example sets the length of time that deleted items are retained. If a particular mailbox has its own item retention set, that value is used instead of this value, which is set on the mailbox database.

Set-MailboxDatabase "Mailbox Database01" -DeletedItemRetention 7.00:00:00

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see Set-MailboxDatabase.

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