You can use the Eseutil utility to defragment the information store and directory in Exchange Server 5.5 and to defragment the information store in Exchange 2000 Server. Eseutil examines the structure of the database tables and records (which can include reading, scanning, repairing, and defragmenting) the low level of the database (Ese.dll).
Eseutil is located in the Winnt\System32 folder in Exchange Server 5.5 and in the Exchsrvr/Bin folder in Exchange 2000. The utility can run on one database at a time from the command line.

The defragmentation option makes used storage contiguous, eliminates unused storage, and compacts the database, which reduces the database's size. Eseutil copies database records to a new database. When defragmentation is complete, the original database is deleted or saved to a user-specified location, and the new version is renamed as the original. If the utility encounters a bad record, the utility stops and displays an error message.

NOTE: Defragmenting a database requires free disk space equal to 110 percent of the size of the database that you want to process.

1. Stop the service of the database you wish to defragment by using the Services tool in Control Panel.
   • For the Exchange Directory database, stop the Microsoft Exchange Directory service.
   • For the Exchange Mailbox or Public Folder databases, stop the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.
2. At the command prompt, change to the Winnt\System32 folder, and then type the eseutil /d command, a database switch, and any options that you want to use.
   For example, the following command runs the standard defragmentation utility on the directory and saves the copy in the user-defined file:

   C:\winnt\system32> eseutil /d /ds /tc:\dbback\tempdfrg.edb /p

Use one of the following database switches to run Eseutil on a specific database.

Option	Description
/ds	Directory
/ispriv	Private information store
/ispub	Public information store

Use one or more of the following options to specify the operations that you want to perform on the database.

Option	Description
/b path	Makes a backup copy of the original uncompacted database at the specified location.
/p	Retains and preserves the original uncompacted database in its original location and stores the new compacted database in the default file Exchsrvr\Bin\Tempdfrg.edb.
/t file_name	Creates and renames the new compacted database in the specified path.
/o	Does not display the Microsoft Exchange Server banner.

In Exchange System Manager,

1. right-click the information store that you want to defragment, and
2. then click Dismount Store.
3. At the command prompt, change to the Exchsrvr\Bin folder,
4. type the eseutil /d command, a database switch, and any options that you want to use.

C:\exchsrvr\bin> eseutil /d c:\exchsrvr\mdbdata\firststore.edb

eseutil /d database_name [options]

Performs off-line compaction of a database.

Syntax: eseutil /d database_name [options]

You are not required to use any of the following options, but you can use one or more (separated by a space) to specify the operations that you want to perform on the database.

Option	Description
/bdatabase	Make a backup copy under the specified name
/tdatabase	Set the temporary database name (the default is Tempdfrg.edb)
/sfile	Set the streaming file name (the default is NONE)
/ffile	Set the temporary streaming file name (the default is Tempdfrg.stm)
/p	Preserve the temporary database (in other words, do not instate)
/o	Suppress logo
/i	Do not defragment streaming file. NOTE: If instating is disabled (for example, if you use the /p option), the original database is preserved uncompacted, and the temporary database contains the defragmented version of the database.

For additional information about Exchange Server versions 4.0 and 5.0, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 163627 XADM: How to Defrag an EDB file on a Non-Exchange Server For additional information about how to run Eseutil on a computer without Exchange Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 244525 XADM: How to Run Eseutil on a Computer Without Exchange Server

The Tempdfrg.edb file is created on the logical drive from which the eseutil /d command is run unless you use the /t switch.
For example, to create a Tempdfrg.edb on the root of drive D, run the following command:

D:\>eseutil /d /ispriv

D:\>eseutil /d /ispub

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
• Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server

Note: In Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003, online defragmentation recovers disk space but does not reduce the size of an .edb database file.
To reduce the size of the .edb database file, you must perform an offline defragmentation with the Eseutil.exe utility (the eseutil /d command) against the .edb database file.

This information in this article applies to:

• Mirosoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition