If Possible to change log drive for Exchange 2010 running on Esxi 5

[Wajeeh]

Dear Experts,

We are running exchange 2010 on Esxi 5, This exchange 2010 was recently installed and all mail boxes were transferred from exchange 2003 which was a physical server. So at the time of migration in exchange 2010 we created logs drive vmdk of 100GB since huge logs are generated during migration of mailboxes. As now migration is done few months back and now I observed for 2/3 weeks the behavior of logs drive during a whole week only 5GB is consumed in logs vmdk drive, and that is also flushed with weekly full backup of exchange.

What I intend to ask is that I am thinking to have log vmdk to 30GB instead of 100GB, so the present drive of 100GB of log I can not reduce, but Yes I can create another vdisk to exchange, but need advise if anyone have similar experience of changing the logs vmdk drive for exchange ? With this approach I am trying to save 70GB of space from storage.

I hope my question is clear.

Waiting for your responses with thoughts.

Thanks,

[tomtom901]

You would best create a new hard disk (VMDK) and move the logs directory in Exchange. Afterwards, just remove the disk from the VM (not from disk at this point). If for about one week no issues arise, you can delete the disk. This procedure is no problem, I've done this a few weeks ago (including the main Exchange database).

[Wajeeh]

Hello Tomtom901,

This is what I am thinking to add new virtual disk of 30GB, so now I need to copy logs from existing logs directory or not? and afterwards remove the virtual disk from VM (not from disk), work for a week, works fine remove the vmdk from disk as well.

But do I need to copy logs which currently residing in logs drive (L), during this time we need to stop all exchange services ?

[tomtom901 · Accepted solution]

Yes, you need to stop the Exchange Services. But Exchange 2010 has a nice wizard for this, which can stop the database services, move the logs automatically and remount the database.

It's located under Organization -> Mailbox

Leave the database as is, but only change the Log Folder Path.

[Wajeeh]

Hello Tomtom901,

I appreciate your help on this.

Regards,