Exchange Database Details Test

Mailbox Database can be considered a container that stores and maintains all mailboxes of the users. When administrators install Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 one Mailbox Database is automatically created which enables the Exchange Server to create mailboxes for several users. Since mailboxes constantly grow in size and number, these mailbox databases should be adequately sized. Lack of space in an exchange database can cause the mailboxes in that database to stop receiving emails! To avoid such an outcome, administrators can use this test to continuously track the space usage in each of the Exchange mailbox databases configured on the Exchange server and rapidly isolate the mailbox database that is running out of space. The test also helps administrators differentiate between actual free space and white space.

Note:

This test applies only to Exchange 2010 servers.

Target of the test : An Exchange 2010 server configured with the Mailbox role

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each mailbox database on the Exchange 2010 server.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameters	Description
Test Period	How often should the test be executed.
Host	Indicates the IP address of the Mailbox server.
Port	The port number through which the Mailbox server communicates. By default, this is 6001.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Total drive space	Indicates the total size of this database.	GB
Free space in drive	Indicates the amount of space lying unused in this mailbox database.	GB	A high value is desired for this measure. Note that this value does not include white space.
Disk free space in drive	Indicates the percentage of free space in this mailbox database.	Percent	Ideally, the value of this measure should be high. A low value or a consistent decrease in this value is a cause for concern, as it indicates that the space in the mailbox database is getting rapidly eroded. You can compare the value of this measure across mailbox databases to identify that database that has very low free space. If any database has less than 5% free space, it is worrysome, since this could mean that the mailbox database is experiencing a severe space crunch; this in turn can cause that mailbox to stop receiving mails. Note that this percentage does not consider the whitespace in the Exchange database.
White space	Indicates the total amount of whitepspace in this mailbox database.	GB	Exchange 2010 constantly runs an online defragmentation process, which automatically deletes content that has passed the deleted item retention period that is configured in Exchange. The free space that is created in the Exchange mailbox database as a result of this deletion is known as whitespace. When new content comes in, this whitespace will be used by Exchange 2010 before expanding the database any larger.
Total free space in drive	Indicates the total amount of space that is free in this mailbox database.	GB	This is the total free space in the database, inclusive of the whitespace.
Total disk free space in drive	Indicates the percentage of total space in this mailbox database that is currently free.	Percent	Ideally, the value of this measure should be high. A low value or a consistent decrease in this value is a cause for concern, as it indicates that the space in the mailbox database is getting rapidly eroded. You can compare the value of this measure across mailbox databases to identify that database that has very low free space. If any database has less than 5% free space, it is worrysome, since this could mean that the mailbox database is experiencing a severe space crunch; this in turn can cause that mailbox to stop receiving mails. Note that this percentage includes the whitespace in the Exchange database.