Exchange 2003 Public Folder Replication Issue

WizZard

I am replacing an older Exchange (2003 SP2) server we have in our office.

I installed Exchange 2003 SP2 on the new server (Win2k3 R2) and moved all mailboxes successfully over to the new server.

I then used the "Move All Replicas" command to move all the public folders (approx. 12GB) to the new Exchange server. I watched as this took hours but seemed to be going ok...
However, the new instances of the public folders are missing a lot of information, e.g. one public folder is 1.9GB in size - the replica on the new server is only 1GB in size

I'm in all day today (Sunday ) trying to sort this out - I've turned on diagnostic logging on the recommended areas and there seem to be no errors, but I can't see the instances growing any bigger.

Also, most of these public folders are mail enabled. I've gotten NDRs for some test messages I sent on Friday. I thought that whilst replication was ongoing ther PFs would still be able to accept messages?

Does anyone have any idea if I can check whether all content will be replicated, and when?
I was supposed to completely decommission this server this week, but that doesn't look like it's going to work now

tech

Hi WIzzard

Have you just the one Exchnage server or has this new 2k3 Exchange box an old server ro replicate from ?

If you like you could copy the Pub1.edb and the PUB1.stm and lof files from the old box and try to mount the Public store?

If you have another server for these public folders to repliate from you can change the replication times on the Public folder replication

tech

also you might want to post you question on this fourm site

http://www.msexchange.org

I find it very helpfull from time to time

WizZard

This new box has an older server to replicate from.
Would mounting the pub1 files not cause issues because the server name is different?
I've set the replication timing to "Always" which I thought would hurry up the replication but to no avail. I might post this question on the MSExchange site tomorrow - it slipped my mind this evening!

tech

Hmm I thought you might be able to copy over PUB1.edb, but what if you run a NT Backup of it from the OlD server and choose a restore of it to the new box? and then run the esutil /cc command ?

WizZard

Yeah, I was thinking of that too. However, because the Public Folders list in the original server is empty (due to the "Move all replicas" command I am doubting the benefit of that The public folder instances folder still has the PFs listed with correct size values, but the actual Public Folders list (of the folders that reside on that server) is empty.
I'm quite worried about the NDRs that I received though - that is not good...

tech

have you mail enabled the public folders on the new server, by default in Exchange 2003 these are not mail enabled ? just a thought

WizZard

Yes they are. The "Move All Replicas" copies folder settings as well as content (supposedly, I'm still waiting on a lot of content )

tech

hmm I suppose wait and see, but this is no good if the users come in the morning and external mail are boucning if they send to public folders,

I suppose a work around till you get it sorted is removed the SMTP address from the Public folder and create a temp user and give them the SMTP address of the Public folders affected?? this way at least the mail wont be lost

You seem to use public folders heavily if you have over 10gig in them are they all mail enabled or just some

Have you many users on you server?

Have all the user mailboxes migrated ok?

WizZard

The mail enabled folders are used pretty heavily - e.g. Sales@, Info@ and CustomerService@ addresses.

There are approx 30 users on the server, and all mailboxes have migrated perfectly...

tech

hmm sh1te then, pity about the public folders, If you create a new one does the mail bounce back?

tech

well how did you get on last night with the public folders>?

WizZard

Horribly
Can't recover the store as it has no public folders - just instances (which I can't seem to access). I can rollback to a previous backup but that means that current messages are lost anyway - not exactly what I want...
Really annoyed - why can't replicate actually do what it says?? :mad:

Am going through KB articles now getting precisely nowhere...
Following this troubleshooting guide too, although it seems that everything is going ok...

This guy has the same issue as me

WizZard

Update:
For some reason replication continued successfully yesterday.
All folders disappeared from the public folder instances this morning and that server has since been successfully decommissioned.

tech

weird but nice ! well done

send on the documentation !