XFOR: Redirecting Exchange 2000 Connector Mailbox to a Different Messaging Database (268013)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server

This article was previously published under Q268013

SUMMARY

By default, Exchange 2000 Server is installed with one database in one storage group. You can gain certain advantages by creating separate mailbox stores for each connector. Typically, you do not need to include connector mailboxes in backups and you can enable circular logging to limit disk space usage. If conversion issues cause database issues, you can also replace the database without affecting user mailboxes.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: Any messages left in the original Messaging Database (MDB) will be lost.

To move the mailboxes of Exchange 2000 connectors to a new database:
  1. If another storage group does not exist, create a new storage group:
    1. Right-click the server container, click New, and then click Storage group.
    2. Type a name for the group, a transaction log file location, and a system path location.
  2. Select a storage group (either the storage group that you created in step 1, or an existing storage group):
    1. Right-click the storage group, click New, and then click Mailbox store.
    2. Browse to the folder that you want to use and change the file names of the database and the streaming database, if necessary.
  3. Move the connector's mailbox:
    1. Change the homeMDB attribute of the connector object for the server to reflect the new database. For example, if the homeMDB value is the following:

      CN=Mailbox Store (SERVER1),CN=First Storage Group,CN=InformationStore,CN=SERVER1,CN=Servers,CN=First Administrative Group,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=First Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=my_company,DC=com

      to move the connector mailbox to a database called DB2 in a storage group called Second, change the homeMDB value to the following:

      CN=DB2,CN=Second,CN=InformationStore,CN=SERVER1,CN=Servers,CN=First Administrative Group,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=First Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=my_company,DC=com

      The connector objects are located in the Configuration container of your Active Directory forest. The path to the connector objects is the following:

      CN=Connections,CN=routing_group_name,CN=Routing Groups,CN=administrative_group_name,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=organization_name,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration

      NOTE: There are several ways to edit the homeMDB value. You can use the ADSI Edit tool, the LDP tool, or the LDIFDE tool.

      To change the homeMDB attribute of the mailbox by using ADSI Edit:WARNING: If you use the ADSI Edit snap-in, the LDP utility, or any other LDAP version 3 client, and you incorrectly modify the attributes of Active Directory objects, you can cause serious problems. These problems may require you to reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, or both. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that occur if you incorrectly modify Active Directory object attributes can be solved. Modify these attributes at your own risk.

      1. In ADSI Edit, browse to the newly created mailbox database by using the following path:

        CN=new_store_name,CN=storage_group_name,CN=InformationStore,CN=server_name,CN=Servers,CN=administrative_group,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=my_company,DC=com

      2. Right-click the store name, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
      3. Copy the distinguishedName of the database.
      4. In ADSI Edit, browse to the connector object.
      5. Right-click the connector name, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
      6. Press the DOWN ARROW key to select homeMDB in the Select a property to view list, and then paste the distinguishedName that you copied in step 3 in the Edit Attribute box.
      7. Click Set and verify that the value has changed.
    2. Stop and restart all Exchange services.
    3. Run the Mailbox Cleanup Agent against the original database. To gain access to the Mailbox Cleanup Agent, right-click the Mailboxes object for the database. After you run the Mailbox Cleanup Agent, a red X should be displayed next to the original system attendant mailbox, which indicates that the system attendant mailbox is no longer connected to an Active Directory object.
    4. Right-click the disconnected connector mailbox, and then permanently delete the mailbox.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/25/2005
Keywords:kbinfo KB268013