Hello, We are using Exchange 2007 SP1, my first storage data base is on D drive and D drive contains folder 'CatalogData', this folder is of around 12 GB.This folder is having .ci, .dir, .wid files. so can you please let me know what is the catalog data and can I delete the CI files? Is it going to any affect my exchange server work. Thanks, Sandeep

HI Sandeep, This is search index data use by exchnage for search indexing. When the number and size of the CI files grow too large, a Master Merge is performed automatically by design to consolidate the indexes and shrink the overall size of the Content Index During a Master Merge of the Content Index files, the “Catalog” folder containing the content index files typically grow twice the normal size or up to 20% of the mailbox database size. You may see the “Catalog” folder grow larger than 20% - from 50% to 167% of the mailbox database size during the procedure. Please see all parts to understand this behavior in detail: http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/09/17/452528.aspx If still you have question then i will recommend you to open case with Microsoft. Anil

Hi You can’t delete Ci file. Anil’s suggestion Content indexing creates an index, or catalog that allows end users to easily and quickly search through their mail items than manually trolling through the mailbox. It will affect exchange search service.If the content indexing files or folder are deleted / quarantined, when the Exchange search service is restarted it will then automatically recreate the indexs. So … There isn’t any benefit to delete ci file.

It is not recommended to remove the catalogData contents but if you want to stop Exchange cataloging your database you can stop the Exchange Search and also Indexer service service.

HI Sandeep, Do you have any question more now !Anil

we have checked old CI file was not use for long time. we had a taken ntbackup and normal backup of this file and we have rename it. But next day morning we checked remained file it was deleted automatically and space is free now server is working smoothly. Thanks, Sandeep Kotalwar