Solution for HUGE archive files (Outlook 2k3/Exchange 2003)

[Jack Black]

Hi, all! Using Outlook 2k3 with Exchange 2k3 back-end on XP/Pro PS2/3
workstations...

We've come up against the max 2Gig file size recommendation for Outlook
Archive files on a number of user workstations, and blown past it nicely.
We're at the point where they're starting to get corrupted, we're having
network access issues trying to open them, and in general it's turning into
a nightmare. Sizes are upwards of 9Gig on some user archives.

Is there a solution to this 2Gig problem? Cleaning up isn't an issue, and
with the years worth of client communications built up most of our attorneys
aren't amenable to searching through five to ten different physical archive
files looking for one emailed item. How are you guys handling the huge
archive file issues in your installations? Is there a solution?

Suggestions welcome, of course!
Thanks!

Jack

 

[Roady [MVP]]

First of all; don't connect to pst-file located on a network share.
Microsoft doesn't recommend nor support such a configuration. It reduces
performance and can lead to data corruption or even data loss. Keep the
pst-file on the local hard drive.

Most large Exchange organizations do not allow the use of pst-files at all.
Archiving is centrally managed at Exchange level instead.

Which time span does that single 9GB pst-file cover? A 4-5GB pst-file should
still perform adequately for archiving purposes on a local hard drive.
Especially if it is a SATA drive. This would mean that they have to go
through 2 files at most (probably only 1 when split logically) and not
through 5-10 files as you stated. Larger should also not be a problem when
looking at it from a relative point of view (after all; it is an archive,
how often is it used?) unless you are using really old hardware. The
practical limit is a different one of course ;-)

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Hi, all! Using Outlook 2k3 with Exchange 2k3 back-end on XP/Pro PS2/3

workstations...

We've come up against the max 2Gig file size recommendation for
Outlook Archive files on a number of user workstations, and blown past
it nicely. We're at the point where they're starting to get corrupted,
we're having network access issues trying to open them, and in general
it's turning into a nightmare. Sizes are upwards of 9Gig on some user
archives.

Is there a solution to this 2Gig problem? Cleaning up isn't an issue,
and with the years worth of client communications built up most of our
attorneys aren't amenable to searching through five to ten different
physical archive files looking for one emailed item. How are you guys
handling the huge archive file issues in your installations? Is there
a solution?

Many corporations forbid archiving of email to prevent discovery, which helps
cut down on archive size =)

 

[Jack Black]

Not an option here, but thanks for responding!!

Jack

 

[Jack Black]

We don't store them on the local drives because it really complicates our
backup solution and adds a good deal of administration to basic user admin.
We discourage any use of local drives at all.

Is there a best-practices from MS that you could link me to? Also something
re: archive administration via Exchange; I'm not the Exchange admin, but if
there's something we should be doing differently I would love to hear/read
more about it. At this point anything beyond 3 months is archived to a
network drive; that network drives (more specifically, their roaming
profiles) are backed up; no local drive backups are performed at all since
we don't support use of local drives by company policy.

Jack

 

[VanguardLH]

Hi, all! Using Outlook 2k3 with Exchange 2k3 back-end on XP/Pro PS2/3
workstations...

We've come up against the max 2Gig file size recommendation for Outlook
Archive files on a number of user workstations, and blown past it nicely.
We're at the point where they're starting to get corrupted, we're having
network access issues trying to open them, and in general it's turning into
a nightmare. Sizes are upwards of 9Gig on some user archives.

Is there a solution to this 2Gig problem? Cleaning up isn't an issue, and
with the years worth of client communications built up most of our attorneys
aren't amenable to searching through five to ten different physical archive
files looking for one emailed item. How are you guys handling the huge
archive file issues in your installations? Is there a solution?

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/sh...a47137d661cf72696feceb&p=13291637&postcount=4

 

[Jon]

"don't connect to pst-file located on a network share"

What if offline files were used? Would this get around the problem?


First of all; don't connect to pst-file located on a network share.
Microsoft doesn't recommend nor support such a configuration. It reduces
performance and can lead to data corruption or even data loss. Keep the
pst-file on the local hard drive.

Most large Exchange organizations do not allow the use of pst-files at all.
Archiving is centrally managed at Exchange level instead.

Which time span does that single 9GB pst-file cover? A 4-5GB pst-file should
still perform adequately for archiving purposes on a local hard drive.
Especially if it is a SATA drive. This would mean that they have to go
through 2 files at most (probably only 1 when split logically) and not
through 5-10 files as you stated. Larger should also not be a problem when
looking at it from a relative point of view (after all; it is an archive,
how often is it used?) unless you are using really old hardware. The
practical limit is a different one of course ;-)

 

[Roady [MVP]]

As for the pst-files on a network share see;
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019

As for the archiving; it all depends on why you need to archive. Personal
reference, distress the Exchange database, mail compliancy, etc... Exchange
offers for some of those solutions out-of-the box such as Journaling and
Managed Folders. Creating an additional Exchange database could also be an
option. There are also many 3rd party archiving tools which integrate with
Exchange and make accessing the archive transparent to your end users.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Hardly. I'd say it would make things even worse. As the pst-file are often
quite large, it will take quite some time for the file to be updated on the
server as well. When this happens at logoff, people will think that Windows
is having shut down issue and turn off the computer by either holding the
shut down button or pulling the plug. You can be certain that the pst-file
is corrupted now. When it is synced back from the server to the client at
next logon, both copies are toast.

You can install the Outlook Backup addin from Microsoft and configure it to
remind them every couple of days. Also, train them to close Outlook properly
before shutting down the PC (recommended practice for any program anyway) or
they'll never get prompted.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8B081F3A-B7D0-4B16-B8AF-5A6322F4FD01

The best solution would still be to forbid the usage of pst-files if you are
in a managed environment. You should not want to implement decentralized
solutions then.

 

[Jon]

Gosh, I would have thought that Windows would have some way of detecting that offline files have got
corrupted to prevent them from syncing back. Is this not the case?


Hardly. I'd say it would make things even worse. As the pst-file are often
quite large, it will take quite some time for the file to be updated on the
server as well. When this happens at logoff, people will think that Windows
is having shut down issue and turn off the computer by either holding the
shut down button or pulling the plug. You can be certain that the pst-file
is corrupted now. When it is synced back from the server to the client at
next logon, both copies are toast.

You can install the Outlook Backup addin from Microsoft and configure it to
remind them every couple of days. Also, train them to close Outlook properly
before shutting down the PC (recommended practice for any program anyway) or
they'll never get prompted.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8B081F3A-B7D0-4B16-B8AF-5A6322F4FD01

The best solution would still be to forbid the usage of pst-files if you are
in a managed environment. You should not want to implement decentralized
solutions then.