How to increase the Exchange Server 2003 SP2 18GB database size limit

The release of SP2 for MS Exchange 2003 has changed the default database limit from 16GB to 18GB. In addition, SP2 allows you to further increase the size a MS Exchange 2003 Standard Edition database to a maximum size of 75GB.

Exchange Server 2003 version	Licensed limit	Default configuration limit
Standard Edition before SP2	16 GB	Not applicable
Standard Edition with SP2	75 GB	18 GB
Enterprise Edition before SP2	8,000 GB (unlimited)	Not applicable
Enterprise Edition with SP2	8,000 GB (unlimited)	8,000 GB

To extend the Exchange database limit, follow these steps:

1. On the computer that is running Exchange 2003 SP2, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Click one of the following registry subkeys, as appropriate for the store that you want to increase:
• For a mailbox store, click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\Server name\Private-Mailbox Store
• For a public folder store, click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\Server name\Public-Public Store GUID
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. In the New Value #1 box, type Database Size Limit in Gb, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Database Size Limit in Gb, and then click Modify.
6. Click Decimal, and then type an integer from 1 to 75 in the Value data box.
7. Click OK, and then exit Registry Editor.
8. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. To do this, follow these steps:

o    Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

o    At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

net stop msexchangeis

o    After the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service has stopped successfully, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

net start msexchangeis

9. Examine the Application log to verify that the database size has been set successfully. To do this, follow these steps:

o    Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr, and then click OK.

o    In the Event Viewer tool, click Application

o    Double-click event ID 1216 to verify that the database size has been set successfully. Event 1216 is generated every time the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service is started.

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Error message when you try to perform a system state backup in Windows 2008 and 2012 Servers

Symptoms: When you try to perform a system state backup to a volume on which the system state file resides, you receive an error, as mentioned below:

In Windows Server 2008, you receive the following error:

ERROR - The location for backup is a critical volume.

In Windows Server 2008 R2, you receive the following error:

ERROR - The backup storage location is invalid. You cannot use a volume that is included in the backup as a storage location.

Cause: This behavior occurs because system state backups to critical volumes are blocked in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Resolution: You can change the default behavior of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 by adding a registry entry. You must also verify that the following prerequisites are met before you perform a system state backup to a critical volume.

• Make sure that the target volume has no shadow copy before the backup starts.
• If a system state backup is stored on a source volume, backup settings should be configured for full backups. By default, settings are configured for full backups.
• Periodically check that no other user or program maintains a shadow copy on the target volume.
• Do not keep volume level backups and system state backups in the same location. The volume used to store the system state backup needs twice the amount of free space as the size of the system state backup until the backup completes.

Notes:

• Any writes on target volume with shadow copies will increase the diff area size. If the diff area is bounded, it may cause deletion of shadow copies.
• Incremental backups leaves shadow copies behind, it will cause side effect as point 1.
• Backup stores different versions as shadow copies, it will cause side effect as point 1.
• Registry entry to enable system state backups to critical volumes

To enable the system state backup files to be targeted to critical volumes, you must set the value of the AllowSSBToAnyVolume registry entry under the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wbengine\SystemStateBackup\

If the key called "SystemStateBackup" not exist you should to create it and set the value of this entry as follows:

Name: AllowSSBToAnyVolume
Data type: DWORD
Value data: 1

Note: When this value is set to 1, system state backups to any volume are enabled. To revert to the default behavior, set the value to 0

Related Articles:

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944530/en-us?sd=rss&spid=12925

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System writer is not found in the backup

Symptoms: When you perform a system state backup using Windows Server Backup on Windows Server 2008, the backup fails with the following error:

System writer is not found in the backup.

Cause: The system writer fails because permissions to files in the %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\ or %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames directories are incorrect.

Resolution: To resolve this issue, type the following commands from an elevated command prompt:

Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /a
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)
Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\* /a
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)

net stop cryptsvc
net start cryptsvc

At the end type the following command to verify that the system writer is now listed:

vssadmin list writers

If the system writer is still missing, then open the Regedit and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\VssAccessControl.

Change the value of NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE (REG_DWORD) to 1.

You may also want to check and change the entry for other services (LOCAL SERVICE, NetworkService) those services will be indicated by event 8213 in your Application Event Log.

Related Articles:

·         http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009272

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Server: Memory\Pool Non-Paged and Pool Paged Bytes

Memory\Pool Non-Paged Bytes

This measures the size, in bytes, of the non-paged pool. This is an area of system memory for objects that cannot be written to disk but instead must remain in physical memory as long as they are allocated. A typical Event ID 2019 is recorded in the system event log.

Memory\Pool Paged Bytes

This measures the size, in bytes, of the paged pool. This is an area of system memory used for objects that can be written to disk when they are not being used. A typical Event ID 2020 is recorded in the system event log.

Memory	Default(/PAE for 6-16GB )	/3GB Switch
1GB	Free System PTE: 51k Paged Pool: 282MB Non Paged Pool: 212MB	Free System PTE: 32k Paged Pool: 163MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
2GB	Free System PTE: 196k Paged Pool: 360MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 16k Paged Pool: 262MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
3GB	Free System PTE: 195k Paged Pool: 360MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 14k Paged Pool: 262MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
4GB	Free System PTE: 106k Paged Pool: 336MB Non Paged Pool: 285MB	Free System PTE: 15k Paged Pool: 258MB Non Paged Pool: 154MB
6GB	Free System PTE: 186k Paged Pool: 366MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 12k Paged Pool: 239MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
8GB	Free System PTE: 182k Paged Pool: 366MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 12k Paged Pool: 225MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
12GB	Free System PTE: 175k Paged Pool: 366MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 12k Paged Pool: 196MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB
16GB	Free System PTE: 167k Paged Pool: 366MB Non Paged Pool: 262MB	Free System PTE: 12k Paged Pool: 169MB Non Paged Pool: 131MB

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Server: WSUS uninstallation

To uninstall (remove) the Windows Update Services (WSUS) you should navigate to the Control Panel and simply remove it. In the first step you have 3 options, select everything and follow the wizard.

Sometimes this is not enough, you cannot delete the database and you have to manually remove the WSUS. To do that please follow the steps bellow:

1. Download the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility and run msicuu2.exe

2. Once it is installed go to Start | All Programs | Windows Install Clean Up

3. Scroll through the options and highlight Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1 and click remove

4. Open a command prompt and run the following commands:

net stop wsusservice

net stop wsuscertserver

sc delete wsusservice

sc delete wsuscertserver

5. When complete, go back to the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility and highlight Windows Internal Database (MICROSOFT##SSEE) and click remove.

6. Go back to the command line and run the following commands

net stop mssql$microsoft##ssee

sc delete mssql$microsoft##ssee

7. Delete or edit the associated reg keys as noted below:

a. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server and edit the "InstalledInstances" value and remove "MICROSOFT##SSEE"

b. Remove the "MICROSOFT##SSEE" subkey under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server

c. Remove the "MSSQL.2005" subkey under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server

d. Rename the following folder:

\%Windir%\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSQL.2005\MSSQL\Data

to

\%Windir%\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSQL.2005\MSSQL\Data.old

Done!!!

WARNING: Do Not Do This if you are running WSUS on SBS 2008!  SBS 2008 installs Sharepoint and WSUS on the same server and both applications store their database in Windows Internal Database. Removing Windows Internal Database (MICROSOFT##SSEE) using steps 6-8 will break Sharepoint and anything else you may have installed that relies on Windows Internal Database.

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