Uh Oh, Public Folders gone, I'm in trouble now!

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:27

So i was removing the 2007 Exchange server from the environment and had trouble removing some PFs.

I followed some help posted on a technet site which said you can remove the offending public folder using ADSI edit.

I did this but now all the public folders have gone, even those that have replicated to the 2010 server (apparently).

OMG

What, if anything, can I do

The .edb file is still present on the 2007 server

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:28

Have you still got the information store files from the exchange 2007 box?

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:31

I have both .edb files the mail one and the PF one (was hoping you were about

)

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:44

What happens if you try and mount the old edb into the Exch 2010 environment?

Else I'd be tempted to set up a Domain Controller and Exchange 2007 server on its own, with no LAN connections to the current environment, configured with the same names as the old environment, and bring up the old information store that way, export the old public data store and re-import into the production 2010 environment.

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:48

Bleurgh! How should I do that?

The PF database on the 2010 box still says mounted and I can see a similar sized ebd file there too.

Should I try and create a new PF, copy the .edb to the 2010 box and rename it or something?

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:50

You'll need the .stm too, but in theory, you should be able to create a 2nd public store and mount the old files. What I'm not sure of is if a 2007 created edb will mount in 2010.

If not then you'll either be forking out for "Ontrack Power Controls" (which is expensive), or attempting to do a mount in a replicated environment (disjointed from your LAN, as everything will need to be configured as per your production environment).

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:55

how do I mount them though? Call them the same name, dismount the new one, put in the old one and remount? Won't the logs moan, or is that what the stm is for?

EDIT: and where's the stm file??/

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 14:58

You might end up with jet database errors when trying to mount the old files (yes, rename them and replace the newly created ones), but you should be able to get around that using ESEUTIL /r.

Obviously you'll have to stop and start the Information Store service, but that's a given

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:05

2010 says I can't create a PF database as one already exists on the server.

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:06

the_chicco said:
Lucero I do believe you owe paradigm substantial consultancy fees with the recent rout of Exchange troubleshooting!!

You are right, Beer tokens for all!!!

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:08

Lucero said:
2010 says I can't create a PF database as one already exists on the server.

In which case you'll have to replace the existing public folder database (which isn't exactly an issue given that its currently empty

)

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:10

I don't understand. I'd replicated the PFs from 2007 to 2010. I can see a file size on the 2010 box and it says it's mounted. PFs are of the devil, that much is true

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:13

This is why public folders aren't recommended anymore, and why we replaced ours with Sharepoint.

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:17

pfft. I will be after this, I'm trying an eseutil /d first (made a copy).

Can I not just create a new PF in the 2007 box, mount it back up and get it replicatiing again? In future, I assume that the system PFs have to be replicated too right?

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:21

I had assumed you had already removed the 2007 box from the organization. Yes, if it is still up and active, remount it and replicate away!!!

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:24

So, let me get this straight.

Create a new PF database on the Exchange 2007 box. lets say, test.edb. Kill infostore, rename the old one to test.edb, fire up infostore and mount?

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:29

Yep, that's how I brought up an old priv.edb when I broke a 2k3 box.

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 15:36

OK, I got as far as clearing the logs, doing an /mh check, then a /d. Created a new PF group, etc, etc. renamed it, yadada, marked it as being able to be overwritten by a restore and it mounted.

But I cant see it in the PF toolbox and it appears to be half the size of the file I copied it from

Django x2 · 15 Feb 2010 at 18:36

What I can't get my head around, is, I had the services of the 2007 box turned off and I could still access the PFs with no issue, everything was working ok. How come, I remove the PFs from 2007 box and everything disappears!!!

paradigm · 15 Feb 2010 at 18:48

I can only assume that the 2010 box tried to replicate from what it believed to be the master copy of the database, saw that it no longer existed so updated itself to reflect the state.