XFOR: Exchange DXA Does Not Start Because Index Is Corrupted After Upgrading Windows NT to SP4

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0 SP4, 4.0 SP5

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade a computer running Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 3 that was running the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization Service (DXA) to Service Pack 4, the following errors appear in the Windows NT Application Event Log, and the DXA does not start:

Event ID: 249
Source: MSExchangeDX
Description: Error -1201 occurred while trying to create a new database.

- and -

Event ID: 172
Source: ese97
Description: MSExchangeDX ((276)) The database engine is initiating index cleanup of database 'd:\exchsrvr\DXADATA\XDIR.EDB' as a result of an NT version upgrade from 4.0.1381 SP3 to 4.0.1381 SP4.

- and -

Event ID: 177
Source: ese97
Description: MSExchangeDX ((276)) Database 'd:\exchsrvr\DXADATA\XDIR.EDB': The secondary index 'DisplayName_index' of table 'MapTable' is corrupt. Please defragment the database to rebuild the index.

CAUSE

After you apply Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 4, you need to rebuild the indexes of the DXA database to start the DXA, because the UNICODE sort order is changed in Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 4. After you upgrade the Windows NT version, the DXA doesn't rebuild the indexes of the DXA database automatically when you start the DXA.

RESOLUTION

If you defragment the DXA database, indexes are rebuilt, and the DXA starts successfully.
For additional information about how to defragment an Exchange Server database, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q192185 XADM: How to Defragment with the ESEUTIL Utility (Eseutil.exe)

Additional query words:

Keywords : exc4 exc5 exc55
Version : winnt:4.0,4.0 SP4,4.0 SP5,5.0,5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb