Monthly Archives: November 2011

Exchange

High CPU utilization after moving Exchange database

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Issue:
After moving an Exchange 2010/2007 database to a new location, the CPU starts spiking with high utilization. msftefd.exe is using most of the CPU cycles and Event IDs 109 and 108 are logged in the System Log by the Search Indexer.

Solution:
After initial troubleshooting, you likely made it to the Microsoft link entitled “The new Search in Exchange Server 2007“.  This article says that the Exchange Service Indexer triggers a crawl in three instances:

  1. Adding a new Mailbox Database
  2. Adding a new Mailbox
  3. Receiving a new email.

What it doesn’t say specifically is moving a database to a new location has the same content indexing consequences as if a new mailbox database was added.  This will trigger a full crawl of the moved database resulting in high CPU utilization.  The process will not end until a MSExchange Search Indexer Event 110 is logged in the system log.

In a real world environment(~1000 users), it will take approximately 1.6 minutes to process 1 gigabyte.

Example: If you move a 100GB database, it will take approximately 2.6 hours to index.  During this time, msftefd.exe will be utilizing most of the CPU cycles.

Exchange

How to stop Exchange message tracking logs from truncating prematurely

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Issue:
The Exchange server keeps deleting message tracking logs before they are scheduled to be deleted.  They should stay on the server for 30 days, but they often delete at the 10-15 day mark.  The Log directory currently has 1GB of logs.

Solution:
Exchange 2007 and 2010 place retention policies on message tracking logs in three ways: Age, Directory Size and File Size.  In this situation the problem is being caused by the Directory Size limit.

  1. First determine what your message directory size settings are currently at by running ” Get-transportserver | select name,*message* ” from the management shell.
  2. Look at the number next to MessageTrackingLogMaxDirectorySize.  In 2007, the default is 250MB.  In 2010, the default is 1GB (1024MB).
  3. Since the log directly is currently maxed out at 1GB, this directory size limitation needs to be raised to 2GB.
  4. From the management shell, run ” Get-transportserver “transportservername” | Set-TransportServer -MessageTrackingLogMaxDirectorySize 2048MB “
Dell Equallogic

How to find the Dell Equallogic service tag in Group Manager web console

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Issue:
The Equallogic is all cabled up and ready to go.  Servers have been installed and there is no room above the array in the rack.  You need the service tag number, but Equallogic has been nice enough to stamp the tag on top of the array.  Brilliant!

You log into the Group Manager and follow a link from Equallogic on how to find the Member Service Information.  Unfortunately the GUI you’re using does not match this interface.  You continue to search around the GUI and find a tab  under Maintenance that says Service Tag, but it says “No service tag”.  Thanks Dell and Equallogic.  (I hope they fix this in the future).

Solution:
Dell Equallogic arrays are defined by serial numbers, not service tags.

  1. Open up Group Manager.
  2. Use grpadmin:grpadmin, if everything is default, to login.
  3. Click Members and choose the appropriate array
  4. Go to the versions tab and highlight backplane
  5. Take note of the backplane serial number.  It will start with “SHU”.
  6. Go to the Dell Equallogic Serial Number Converter website
  7. Type in the serial number and hopefully you will get a response
  8. Since it probably won’t work, you will need to call 1-800-945-3355 and tell support that you want to find your Equallogic Service Tag number.  They will redirect your call to the appropriate number.

Firmware: 2.03
Series: PS5000,6000

Blackberry Enterprise Server

How to determine the specific version of BES 5.0 in Server 2008

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Issue:
You want to determine what maintenance release you are running for Blackberry Enterprise Server 5.0, but you cannot find the version number in the web console or Add/Remove Programs.  You are running Server 2008.

Solution:
In 2003, it was fairly easy to determine which Blackberry Enterprise Server you were running by going to Add/Remove programs and click “Click Here for More Information”.  In 2008, it is a little bit different.

This information is included in the release notes for each maintenance release, but it doesn’t get indexed well in search engines.

  1.  Open Control Panel
  2. Go to Programs and Features
  3. Right Click the the column heading and Click More
  4. In the dialog box, select Version
  5. Click OK