Hi

After MS-Support recreated all our ECP Virtual Directories in another case we cannot force a retention policy.
MS-Support claims it has nothing to do with that even tho it worked before their ECP recreation.

When running the command "Start-ManagedFolderAssistant -Identity USER" you get a yellow Warning back:
"WARNING: The User 'USER' Archive mailbox is offline"

However the server is running, the user can access its Archive mailbox and on the normally scheduled job of running retention policys at night or when ever it happens seems to work. Because after a few days the Archive mailbox i getting old emails in it.

Anyone seen this or have any ideas of what could cause this?
MS-Support says nothing is wrong with the ECP directories.
We have 8 servers, 3 Mailboxes, 3 Archive Mailboxes and 2 CAS server.
Its an multi domain/site environment, with E2013 servers in the root domain, some E2007 servers in the root and child domains.

Best regards
Robban

Hello,

 

Does this happen on all the users?

If it only happens on a single user, could you have a test to try disabling the archive and re-enable it and see whether it works. If it still does not work, try moving the mailbox to another mailbox database.

Thanks,

If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact tnmff@microsoft.com

 

Hi,

 

Is there any update on this thread?

 

Thanks,

 

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact tnmff@microsoft.com

 

Hi

It happens on all Archive activated mailboxes.

Regards
Robban

Hi Rabban,

Please help to confirm the following:

1. If we create a new retention policy and apply the policy for affected mailboxes, then run the command Start-ManagedFolderAssistant, will the issue persists?
2. All affected mailboxes are migrated mailboxes?
3. If we create a new mailbox in Exchange 2013 and apply the previous(or new) retention policy for the new mailbox, then run the command Start-ManagedFolderAssistant, will the issue persists?
4. Where is the archive mailbox? In the same domain/site with the primary mailbox?
5. After run the command with warning, will the archive mailbox items proceed by the retention policy as normal? Or totally not work?
6. Is the archive mailbox on premise or in Office365? Based my research, it could occur when the archive mailbox is in O365.

Hi Eric

1. Tried that, it will not work.

2. Yes all mailboxes are migrated, and I did not have this problem before MS-Support recreated all ECP virtual directories related to another problem they are investigating.

3. Yes, the problem persists.

4. All Exchange 2013 servers are in the same domain, Mailboxes and Archives different sites tho. Mailbox and their Archives are in the same site with DAG copies in other sites. Maybe one or two have their Archive in another site.

5. Yes, the automatic archiving seems to run OK.

6. All servers are on premise.

Thank you Eric!

 

I also checked ADSIEdit for an Archive user and there are entries in the msExchArchiveDatabaseLink pinting to the Archave database msExchArchiveDatabaseLinkSL has no enties. msExchArchiveName msExchArchiveQuota has entries. And the Archive mailbox works as I said for the user.

Regards Robban

Hi Rabban,

Thanks for your update. Now I understand that the isseu affected both migrated mailboxes and new mailbox created on Exchange 2013 server. And archive mailbox on premise no O365.

For your finding in ADSI, it's normal that the msExchArchiveDatabaseLink point to archive dataabse name, msExchArchiveDatabaseLinkSL has no enties,msExchArchiveName msExchArchiveQuota has entries. It's the same result in my lab for mailboxes that enabled archive.

For the issue, I will perform further research and reply ASAP. Thanks for your understadning.

Hi Rabban,

Do we have any 3rd party application on the server? Please disable them to avoid any impact on this. Then restart the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Assistants service or restart all the servers.

If issue persists, to know whether the issue is on the archive mailbox end, like the archive related attribute in  AD, we can do a test, please refer to the following steps:

1. Export an affected mailboxs archive mailbox to PST to avoid data loss, use example 2 in the article:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607299(v=exchg.150).aspx

1. Disable archive for the affected mailbox.
2. Create a new test mailbox database, re-enable archive mailbox for the affected mailbox, and put the archive mailbox on the new database we created.
3. After that, try to run the command for the affected mailbox again.

Also, are all the archive mailbox on the same database? Please try to move one archive mailbox to another database; or we can create a new mailbox and a new mailbox database, then enable archive mailbox for the new mailbox and put the archive mailbox on the new database we created. After that, try to run the command for the new mailbox.

Hi

We have no 3rd party on the new 2013 servers, plain Windows 2012R2 and Exchange 2013 CU5 on all.

I did as you specified but the problem remains on that mailbox.

We have three dedicated Archive-servers and it doesn't matter what server/database the mailbox have its Archive, I also moved the Archive to a server not dedicated as Archive and the problem remained.

I will be away on holiday until the 28th so will continue investigating this then.

Thank you!

Regards
Robban

• Marked as answer by Simon_WuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Thursday, July 17, 2014 7:19 AM
• Unmarked as answer by Simon_WuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Thursday, July 17, 2014 7:20 AM

OK, Robban. I will wait for your update. Have a nice holiday!

In my case, Start-ManagedFolderAssistant on Exchange 2013 against a mailbox in Exchange 2010 shows an error like 

"WARNING: The User 'USER' Archive mailbox is offline"

Running the command for 2013 mailbox on 2013 exchange  and 2010 mailbox on 2010 exchange works fine.