Advice needed - problems with Exchange 2010 (part of SBS2011)

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timbosan

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Topic # 240413 6-Sep-2018 19:17

Hi,

I run SBS2011 at home, primarily so I can host my own email server. This hasn't been without issues and a steep learning curve, but I have learnt lots and I am happy with it. Plus my email is my own property, not that of some big American corporate.

However one thing that always causes issues are power cuts (yes I know, I need a UPS). Normally the SBS server isn't affected too badly, running as a VM it seems quite resilient and I can always revert to the previous days backup if needed.

However last week we had a power cut and now the server is very unhappy. And to top that off the backups of that one specific (and only that one) VM have been failing. So no backups.

Now I have managed to fix this before a while back - I use Outlook for my email so have local copies of them, and last time I had to reinstall SBS I managed to get everything back. But this time the database is corrupted, so:

* I can only use OWA for getting email. ActiveSync is failing and I cannot fix it, so no Outlook, no mobile email, etc.

* I tried to export mailboxes to another local database - this also fails (unable to synchronize manifest)

* I can send email fine from OWA

* I can receive email fine from OWA

So geekzoners, any ideas as what to do to get the emails exported? Ideally I want to export and import at a database level, but that's new to me. I have to do this (I think) since ActiveSync is broken and emails haven't been going to Outlook for about 2 weeks.

Once this is done I will be rebuilding the VM, and getting a UPS ASAP!

Kraven

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Reply # 2085267 6-Sep-2018 21:55

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If OWA is working then it hopefully means the message store is still intact. You could try exporting to PST via powershell. The command you want is New-MailboxExportRequest. You'll need a user with the Mailbox Import Export role first, which you can set with New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" -User "<user name or alias>".

Failing that, you could take the edb offline and try extracting the data using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange. You can install the free version of Veeam Backup to get it.

Hope this helps a little and good luck!

Andib

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Reply # 2085314 7-Sep-2018 07:48

As Kraven has suggested, Since OWA is working your mailbox should still be exportable via Powershell.

Run the following command from the Exchange management shell with Mailbox Admin rights and you should get a pst which you can then re-import with the New-MailboxImportRequest command once you've rebuilt your server.

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox $timbosan -FilePath C:\temp\Export.pst

A side note, Since you're rebuilding your server I would recommend looking at upgrading the OS & Exchange version. Both go end of Life in just over a year.

timbosan

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Reply # 2085349 7-Sep-2018 09:29

Thanks, these are exactly the kind of responses I am looking for! If I can get the mailbox data out to a PST, that would be perfect :-)

@Andib - I have never upgraded to later versions of Exchange (although I would like to as the "SBS has to be the domain controller" thing is a pain) but I have never done it before. How far from the "SBS handholds everything" is a true Exchange install?

1101

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Reply # 2085425 7-Sep-2018 10:53

timbosan:

Thanks, these are exactly the kind of responses I am looking for! If I can get the mailbox data out to a PST, that would be perfect :-)

@Andib - I have never upgraded to later versions of Exchange (although I would like to as the "SBS has to be the domain controller" thing is a pain) but I have never done it before. How far from the "SBS handholds everything" is a true Exchange install?

There is no modern equivalent of SBS with exchange any longer.
MS have dropped exch from the new SBS equivalent

When you upgrade , you'll need to buy exchange & exch licensees separately, just not worth the cost for many small business's , so move to 365.
Pretty sure you'll need to buy Server 2016 as well , in order to install a new exch version.
So Server2016 + exchange + licenses =$$$

timbosan

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Reply # 2085432 7-Sep-2018 11:04

1101:

timbosan:

Thanks, these are exactly the kind of responses I am looking for! If I can get the mailbox data out to a PST, that would be perfect :-)

@Andib - I have never upgraded to later versions of Exchange (although I would like to as the "SBS has to be the domain controller" thing is a pain) but I have never done it before. How far from the "SBS handholds everything" is a true Exchange install?

There is no modern equivalent of SBS with exchange any longer.
MS have dropped exch from the new SBS equivalent

When you upgrade , you'll need to buy exchange & exch licensees separately, just not worth the cost for many small business's , so move to 365.
Pretty sure you'll need to buy Server 2016 as well , in order to install a new exch version.
So Server2016 + exchange + licenses =$$$

Hi, I have licensing covered, and would rather keep everything out of the cloud. If needed I can just re-created my SBS2011 server, which is about an hours' work as I have done it a few times already. Exchange 2016 is something I would like to move to, but I don't NEED to.

geekiegeek

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Reply # 2085530 7-Sep-2018 11:44

Why the aversion to cloud email? Just tinfoil hat or you have actual concerns?

When you live your life on Twitter and Facebook, and are only friends with like minded people on Twitter and Facebook, you are not living in the real world. You are living in a narcissistic echo chamber.

My thoughts are my own and are in no way representative of my employer.

timbosan

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Reply # 2085943 7-Sep-2018 22:18

geekiegeek:
Why the aversion to cloud email? Just tinfoil hat or you have actual concerns?

I value my privacy, and email plays a big part of my life, and a part I can keep under my own control rather than becoming a product of some big data collection firm. Not really tinfoil, I just don't see what a hosted email solution gives me that makes up for losing that privacy.

If I put some more money towards this and have a proper UPS etc. then my uptime would increase to closer to that of a hosted solution, again mitigating the difference.

And I do actually like what I am learning, I find it fun (if somewhat frustrating sometimes trying to track down obscure Exchange Server error codes!).

timbosan

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Reply # 2087633 11-Sep-2018 15:48

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An update - many thanks to the 2 posters who put me onto the mailbox export - this worked a treat and I managed to create a PST file (and then remove a load of junk email, and create a second, much smaller one).

Now I am recreating the SBS2011 VM, but it seems the VM host is also a bit screwed up and won't start any VM that wasn't running before the power cut; even new ones wont start.

So I am now setting up a whole new server, running HyperV on that, and will install SBS2011 on there. At least this way I will have a nice clean install of the host and VM. Plus I hope to see some speed improvements on the new host with a RAID10 disk setup, vs. the single 7200rpm disk on the previous host (along with a slightly faster CPU).

I have also looked into UPS unit, just figuring out if I can use a serial-post based one in Windows with a serial-USB adapter.

More to come!

Hekktor

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Reply # 2089435 12-Sep-2018 17:17

Nice one. OWA is one of my favourite tools at work to say.. "Ah... yea the mailbox is working. Must be Outlook profile or something." Then punt the ticket off to desktop support team XD

1101

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Reply # 2089818 13-Sep-2018 10:55

timbosan: I have also looked into UPS unit, just figuring out if I can use a serial-post based one in Windows with a serial-USB adapter. More to come!

Some servers (eg HP) are very fussy regarding the UPS. Make sure the UPS is compatible (ie not a cheapy)

timbosan

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Reply # 2090090 13-Sep-2018 14:24

1101:

timbosan: I have also looked into UPS unit, just figuring out if I can use a serial-post based one in Windows with a serial-USB adapter. More to come!

Some servers (eg HP) are very fussy regarding the UPS. Make sure the UPS is compatible (ie not a cheapy)

I have moved my VM to running on a Supermicro server. UPS's are a new area to me and I am not sure if I need a basic USB/serial model, or a network model, or something else. I do I want the UPS to shutdown the server after the power has been out for a while, and ideally for it to be rack mounted.