Hi We've noticed one of our database volumes filling up so I moved a couple of large users (one 16Gb and one 14GB) to another database. problem is, the free space is still dropping and on checking the white space using the command Get-MailboxDatabase YourDatabaseHere -Status FL AvailableNewMailboxSpace only shows up around 100MB on this database Any advice before this database falls over ? Thanks

Hi, Database space willn't shrink automatically. The whitespace will be reused before the database is expanded again. Make it offline and perform an offline defragmentation Regards from www.windowsadmin.info

Agree You can check event id 1221 in application log to check the free space you will get after offline defrag.Gulab | MCITP: Exchange 2010 | MCITP: Exchange 2007 | Skype: Gulab.Mallah | Blog: www.ExchangeRanger.blogspot.com

No, no , no, This poster is checking the free space within the database, not the actual size of the database. In Exchange 2010, it's actually marginally simpler since there is no SIS. It works like this. 1. delete a bunch of stuff. 2. wait for the deleted items retention period to expire. 3. wait for online maintenance to complete after the deleted items retention period has expired. 4. check your 1221 to see what space is free within the database. So that leads us to the following questions: 1. what is the deleted items retention period? 2. has it expired yet? 3. has BDM completed a pass SINCE BDM expired? J

Hi Jarweb, Any update for your issue? If you have already moved the mailboxes to other database, please check theck it next day, per my known, the exchange server would do the maintenance to release the white spce. Regards! Gavin TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Jarweb, Any update for your issue? If you have already moved the mailboxes to other database, please check it next day, per my known, the exchange server would do the maintenance to release the white space. Regards! Gavin TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, For me it is best to: Move all mailboxes to other database with enabled Dumpster 2.0 (this will preserve all deleted items within mailbox so no data loss). Moving mailboxes will also guarantee no user downtime, which is advantage you will lose while using offline defragmentation. After moving all mailboxes to other databases you can dismount database, delete files and mount it again. This will create empty database with 0 space. Than you can start moving mailboxes back to the database. If you do not want to use Dumpster 2.0, disable it after mailboxes are moved. With regardsZbynk

Hi Jarweb, Any update for your issue? In my opinion, it is not a good idea to do the offline defragmentation, it would let the users could not use their mailbox. As John referred, we also could change the retention period. Or follow Zbynek Salon suggestion, it is also a good method. Regards! Gavin TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.