XADM: Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store May Stop After a Successful Restoration Operation

The Exchange Server information store may stop, and the following error messages may be logged in the application event log:

• Event ID: 125
  Source: ese97
  Type: Error
  Date: 13.8.00
  Time: 6:30:12 Am
  Description:
  MSExchangeIS (521) Unable to create the log. The drive may be read-only, out of disk space, misconfigured, or corrupted. Error -1811.
  Event ID: 1111
  Source: MsexchangeIS
  Type: Error
  Date: 13.8.00
  Time: 6:30:18 Am
  An error occurred while writing to the database log file. Attempting to stop the Microsoft Exchange Information Store.
  Event ID: 193
  Source: ese97
  Type: Error
  Date: 13.8.00
  Time: 6:30:38 Am
  Description:
  MSExchangeIS (521) The database engine failed with error -510 while trying to log the commit of a transaction. To ensure database consistency, the process was terminated. Simply restart the process to force database recovery and return the database to a consistent state.
  Event ID: 1005
  Source: MSExchangeSA
  
  Description: Unexpected error 0xc0040000 network problems are preventing connection to the MS Exchange server computer. MSExchange server Information Store id # 80040115-0514-000006bf occurred.
  Event ID: 7
  Source: MSExchangeES
  
  Description: An unexpected error occurred 0x80040115 occurred in maintenance thread.
  Event ID: 1005 Source: MSExchangeSA
  
  Description: Unexpected error 0xc0040000 The Microsoft Exchange server computer is not available. Either there are network problems or the MS computer is down for maintenance. MSExIS id 804011d-0526-000000 occurred.

If you restart the Information Store service, the restart does not work and the following informational and error messages are logged in the application event log:

• Event ID: 100
  Source: ESE97
  Type: Information
  Category: General
  Description:
  MSExchangeIS -Process ID- The database engine-version- started.Event ID: 108
  Source: ESE97
  Type: Information
  Category: Logging/Recovery
  Description: MSExchangeIS -Process ID- The database engine is initiating recovery steps.Event ID: 109
  Source: ESE97
  Type: Information
  Category: Logging/Recovery
  Description:
  MSExchangeIS -Process ID- The database engine is replaying log file exchsrvr\MDBDATA\edbxxxxx.log.Event ID 0
  Source ESE97
  MSExchangeIS (466) -515
  Event ID: 1120
  Source: MSExchangeIS
  
  Description: Error 0xfffffdfd initializing the Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store database
  Event ID 5000
  Source MSExchangeIS
  
  Description: Unable to initialize the Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store service. Error 0xfffffdfd

This issue can occur because when you restore an earlier online backup to an empty Mdbdata folder (or restore an earlier online backup with the erase all existing data option) and start the Information Store service, a new Edb.log file is created with the current log generation. After you copy the saved transaction logs back to the Mdbdata folder, the transaction logs seem to be in the correct sequence; however, the copied transaction logs' generation number is equal to or greater than the Edb.log file number.

One of the transaction logs has the same log generation as the Edb.log file. Because of the already existing corresponding log, the Edb.log file cannot be renamed into the next number after the Edb.log file reaches 5 megabytes (MB). This causes the information store to stop and leaves the databases in an inconsistent state.

To resolve this issue, you can use one of the two following methods. You lose data with both methods. The amount of data that you lose depends on the situation, and cannot be foreseen.

Method 1

This is the fastest method, but this method is likely to involve more data loss.

1. Run the eseutil /ml command on the Edb.log file to find out the log generation number of the Edb.log file.
2. Delete all transaction logs that are equal to or greater than the Edb.log file number. Start the information store again.

Method 2

This method is more time consuming, but in most cases involves less data loss.

1. Restore the information store databases from an online backup again (either restore the databases to an empty Mdbdata folder or click erase existing data).
2. Copy the transaction logs that were saved before in the first online backup to the Mdbdata folder.
3. Make sure that the log files are concurrent in number, and then start the information store again.

NOTE: Transaction logs can only be replayed into the database during a restoration operation before you start the service.