XADM: Multiple Databases in a Single Storage Group Must Have Unique Names

Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server enables a server to host up to five messaging databases in a single storage group. You may back up all of these databases to a file or backup media at the same time.

Patch files are created throughout an online backup of an Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server computer that runs Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) or earlier. These patch files contain data that the Exchange Server computer receives throughout the backup process. When the backup completes, these patch files are written to the backup file or to backup media.

In process of restoring of all the databases in the storage group, if these databases do not have unique names the following popup error will be shown when one of these databases is mounted: The following event ID messages may be logged in the Application event log:

This issue can occur because Exchange Server patch files automatically generate and use the same file name as the database that has a .pat file extension. When the restore process of an online backup completes, the patch files are written from backup media into a single folder on the hard disk that the user specifies. If the Exchange Server databases do not have unique names in the storage group, only one patch file is created on the hard disk, and then the patch file is overwritten. Because only one patch file is available to restore multiple databases, the restore process does not respond.

To resolve this issue:

• Make sure that multiple Exchange Server databases in a storage group have unique names, even if they exist in separate folders on the hard disk.
  -or-
• Upgrade to Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 2 (SP2).

NOTE: After you upgrade to Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) from Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1), you may not be able to restore your earlier Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2000 SP1 backups to the Exchange 2000 SP2 server because, in Exchange 2000 SP2, the databases are upgraded to a newer version. For additional information about how to work around this behavior, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To work around this issue, restore only one Exchange Server database at a time.