16-GB Limit

Enhancements
Objectives

Describe the database size limit

Configure the database size limit in the standard and
enterprise versions of Exchange
Describe the licensed database size limit
Describe the timing of the database size check
Analyze early warnings prior to reaching the database size
limit
Define the additional storeITP tracing features (optional)
Definitions

Licensed Database Size Limit

Configurable Database Size Limit
Database Size Warning Buffer
Physical Database Size
Logical Database Size
Configurable Database Size Limit

Overview
Notable Changes
Configuring the Configurable Database Size limit
Notable Changes

Size check done against database using logical database size. Empty
space does not count against the configurable limit.
Limit checks done at regular 24 hour intervals by default; controlled by
Store.exe inside of JET.
New key logging events
 Log Informational Event at Default logging level for every
database mount operation showing the physical database size as
well as the configured Database Size Limit (Event IDs
1216/1217).
 Log a Warning event when the database size is within the
Warning Buffer of the Database Size Limit (Event ID 9688).
 Additional event logs for database size check upon mounting,
start of size check task and operations being performed (Event
IDs 9685, 9686, 9687, 9689, 9690). *To be covered later.
Licensed Database Size Limit

Licensed Database Size Limits / Versions

Exchange 2003 Licensed Default Notes

Version Limit Configured Size
Limit
Standard Pre-SP2 16 GB Not Applicable

Standard SP2 75 GB 18 GB* See below.

Enterprise Pre-SP2 8000 GB Not Applicable

(unlimited)
Enterprise SP2 8000 GB 8000 GB Jet hardcoded limit is 8192GB = 8TB
(unlimited)

* Since the default value of the warning threshold buffer is 10%, that means
with a default DB size limit of 18 GB that the customer will begin to get the size
warnings right around 16GB. (i.e., 10% of 18 GB is ~2 GB. 18 GB – 2 GB
means the warnings occur ~16 GB).
Configuring the Configurable Database Size Limit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\MSExchangeIS\<SERVER NAME>\Private-<GUID
of the database>
 Data Type: REG_DWORD
 Name: Database Size Limit in GB
 Value:
• Standard: 1 - 75
• Enterprise: 1 - 8000
Check the free space in the database
Configuring the Configurable Database Size
Limit
Database Size Buffer Warning

Overview
How It All Works
 Behavior when the Configured Database Size Limit is
reached
 Behavior when the Licensed Database Size Limit is
Reached
Configuring the Database Size Event Log Buffer
Database Size Buffer Warning

The Database Size Buffer Warning is designed to give

administrators a “heads up” when the database size (physical
and/or logical) has reached or exceeded the threshold
specified
By default 10% is the threshold
How It All Works

Upon mounting the store, we compare the physical database

size against the Configured Database Limit
 If the physical size is within or exceeds the configured
“Database Size Warning Buffer” then the store will do a
logical calculation of the database size.
 If the physical size is below the configured “Database
Size Warning Buffer” then there is no need to calculate
the fee space because logical size will always be <=
physical size.
How It All Works (continued)

Pre-SP2, limit checks on the Licensed Database Limit occurred when the
database file size needed to grow (that is, when there was no more free
space to utilize). If it went beyond the licensed limit, the database would
be taken offline.
SP2 and beyond, the server will do the following when the Configured
Database Limit is reached
 On first check after mounting, if the database size is above the limit,
the database will not be taken offline and we log error Event ID 9689
 On second check, an error event 9690 and dismount the store
 When the Licensed Database Limit is reached, the behavior above is
the same
Configuring the Database Size Buffer Warning

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\MSExchangeIS\<SERVER NAME>\Private-<GUID
of the database>
 Data Type: REG_DWORD
 Name: Database Size Buffer in Percentage
 Value: 1-100
Database Size Buffer Warning
Timing of the Database Size Check

By default, timing of the database size check will occur at 5A.M. and run
off 24-hr intervals
Both time and interval are configured via registry per database
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
MSExchangeIS\<SERVER NAME>\Private-<GUID of the database>
• Data Type: REG_DWORD
– Name: Database Size Check Start Time in Hours From Midnight
– Value: 1 – 24
• Data Type: REG_DWORD
– Name: Database Size Check Interval in Minutes
– Value: 1 – 1440
** MS INTERNAL ONLY
Timing of the Database Size Check
Thank You