Windows 7 / Getting Started

Server Administration

Exchange Server 2007, administrators were constantly reminded that to take advantage of the improvements in high-availability technology, there should only be one storage group per database. If having several databases in a storage group complicated high-availability scenarios and made single-database restores more complex, why bother having them at all?

Apparently Microsoft agreed: In Exchange Server 2010 the concept of the storage group is no more.

Databases are now considered to be "global objects" that are no longer tied specifically to particular mailbox servers. Where administrators used to go to the Server Configuration \ Mailbox node in the EMC to view and modify databases, they now must go to the Organization Configuration \ Mailbox node.

And where Exchange Server 2007 allowed up to 50 databases per server, Exchange Server 2010 now allows 150.

That's right-150 databases per server. This does not mean, however, that administrators should run out and create 150 new databases on each of their servers; rather, the intention is to enable organizations to take advantage of database availability groups, or DAGs. With a DAG, organizations can create up to 16 copies of a database and have them replicated across multiple servers.

Creating a New Database

Creating a new mailbox database in Exchange Server 2010 is a straightforward process. Below are the steps to create a new database in the EMC.

  1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
  2. In the Console Tree, navigate to Organization Configuration, and select the Mailbox node.
  3. In the action pane, click either New Mailbox Database or New Public Folder Database, depending on the type you want to create. This launches the New Database Wizard.
  4. Enter the Mailbox database name. As there are no more storage groups to differentiate one database from another, each database name must be unique within the organization. Click the Browse button to select which server will house the new database and click Next to continue.
  5. Enter the file location's Database and Log folder paths. Note that the option to Mount This database is selected by default. If you do not want the database to mount automatically upon creation, deselect this option. Click Next to continue.
  6. Review the Configuration Summary and, if all is correct, click New to create the database.
  7. Review the Completion page and ensure all steps were completed successfully. Click Finish when done.

To create a new database from the EMS, a sample command is shown here:

new-mailboxdatabase -Server 'E2010-1' -Name 'Mailbox Database 2' -EdbFilePath C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database 2\ Mailbox Database 2.edb' -LogFolderPath 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\ Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database 2'

To mount the newly created database, use

mount-database -Identity 'Mailbox Database 2'

To dismount the database, use

dismount-database -Identity 'Mailbox Database 2'
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In this tutorial:

  1. Administering an Exchange Server
  2. Role Based Access Control
  3. Shared Versus Split Permissions Models
  4. Configuring Exchange Server 2010 for Split Permissions
  5. Administrative Tools
  6. Exchange Management Console
  7. Exchange Management Shell Command Log
  8. Exchange Control Panel
  9. Performing Common Tasks
  10. Creating Multiple Mailboxes in the Exchange Management Shell
  11. Understanding Distribution Groups
  12. Dynamic Distribution Groups
  13. Managing Distribution Groups
  14. Creating Mail Contacts
  15. Managing Disconnected Mailboxes
  16. Moving Mailboxes
  17. Recipient Configuration
  18. Mail Flow Settings
  19. Mailbox Features
  20. Managing Email Addresses
  21. Understanding Archiving
  22. Enabling Archiving on a Mailbox
  23. Using the Exchange Server 2010 Toolbox
  24. Public Folder Management Console
  25. Mail Flow Troubleshooter
  26. Routing Log Viewer
  27. Exchange Server Coexistence
  28. Server Administration
  29. Setting Limits on Databases