XADM: Running Edbutil /d /r /ds
ID: Q184902
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The information in this article applies to:
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Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0
SUMMARY
In general, running the Edbutil program with the repair option against the
directory should never be done on a production server. The repair option is
invoked by using the defragment (/d) and the recovery (/r) parameters
together. Using these two parameters together is not the same as running
the utility twice, once with each parameter.
Running /d and /r together can cause unpredictable problems with the
directory. Once this command is run, it may never be possible to fully
recover the directory. Unpredictable results may include symptoms such as
the inability for this server to see new servers added to the site, or the
inability to add connectors to this server.
If a Dir.edb file has been modified by running Edbutil /d /r /ds, it should
not be used in a production environment unless specifically recommended by
a Microsoft Support Professional.
MORE INFORMATION
When /d /r are used together, they function differently than when they are
used separately, one after the other. When used together, these parameters
indicate that the Edbutil utility should repair the database while
defragmenting it. This process eliminates unreadable data from the
database. Some of this data may be required for the operation of the
service, and may not be recoverable.
When Edbutil is run against the Priv.edb or Pub.edb files, the Isinteg -fix
utility can be used to "clean up" any problems that the combination of the
/d /r switches might have created. In the case of the Dir.edb file,
however, there is no such utility. Because it is working in conjunction
with the directories of all of the other servers in the site, missing
entries in one Dir.edb file can cause problems throughout the site.
In most cases, if the directory is in an inconsistent state, Edbutil /r /ds
should return it to a consistent state and the database can be used in
production. In some cases, it may require running Edbutil /d /r /ds to
return the directory to a consistent state. If this is done and no changes
are made to the database, then it may be possible to use this directory in
a production environment. This determination can only be made by running
Edbutil /d /r /ds on the directory on a recovery computer after Edbutil /r
/ds has failed to make the file consistent. Look at the entries in the
application event log after the utility is run. If there are no events in
the 41 to 50 range with the source EDB, then the only modification made by
the utility was to mark the file as being in a consistent state. Please
contact a PSS engineer before using such a directory in a production
system.
In a disaster recovery situation where the directory (Dir.edb) has become
corrupted, it may make sense to run the utility with these parameters to
reclaim the directory information by means of an Export. Once the directory
is confirmed to be corrupted, it must be restored from backup, or Exchange
Server will need to be reinstalled from scratch to create a new directory
file. In the situation where Exchange Server must be reinstalled from
scratch, running Edbutil /d /r /ds on a recovery computer makes sense to
get the directory to a state where a Tools/Directory Export can be run from
the Exchange Administrator program to export the mailboxes, custom
recipients, and distribution lists (DLs) to .csv files. These files can
then be imported to the production server to bring back all the information
about the mailboxes, custom recipients, and DLs into the new (empty)
directory after the information store has been restored.
Additional query words:
directory corruption corrupted
Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo