Failed to communicate with the mailbox database

exchange-2013

I have a single exchange server 2013 standard. Exchange and it's database are installed on a single partition (i have 2 partitions, the other one is system).

I have been doing multiple imports via new-import request, and today i ran out of space on the database partition. i have increased partition size, but started getting "Failed to communicate with the mailbox database" error when i try to do anything with imports, exports, and a few other commands.

I was unable to stop, remove or view statistics on import requests. i dismounted the database, and that allowed me to remove all requests, but i am still unable to do anything regarding imports and exports.

Here is an example:
[PS] C:\Windows\system32>New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox vsmaj -FilePath \206.156.102.185\mail\VSMAJLAG.PST -v

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.673 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Active Directory session settings for 'New-MailboxImportRequest' are: View Entire Forest: 'False', Default Scope: 'excel-assemblies.com', Configuration Domain Controller: 'WIN2012DC.excel-assemblies.com', Preferred Global Catalog: 'WIN2012DC.excel-assemblies.com', Preferred Domain Controllers: '{ WIN2012DC.excel-assemblies.com }'

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.767 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Runspace context: Executing user: excel-assemblies.com/Users/Administrator, Executing user organization: , Current organization: , RBAC-enabled: Enabled.

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.767 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Beginning processing

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.782 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Instantiating handler with index 0 for cmdlet extension agent "Admin Audit Log Agent".

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.782 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Current ScopeSet is: { Recipient Read Scope: {{, }}, Recipient Write Scopes: {{, }}, Configuration Read Scope: {{, }}, Configuration Write Scope(s): {{, }, }, Exclusive Recipient Scope(s): {}, Exclusive Configuration Scope(s): {} }

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.782 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : The current object has been processed by the cmdlet extension agent with index 0.

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.782 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Searching objects "vsmaj" of type "ADUser" under the root "$null".

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.860 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Previous operation run on domain controller 'WIN2012DC.excel-assemblies.com'.

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.860 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Searching objects "Mailbox Database 0886186604" of type "MailboxDatabase" under the root "$null".

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.860 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Previous operation run on domain controller 'WIN2012DC.excel-assemblies.com'.

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.954 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Admin Audit Log: Entered Handler:OnComplete.

THIS PART IS RED

Failed to communicate with the mailbox database.

  • CategoryInfo: ResourceUnavailable: (:) [New-MailboxImportRequest], StorageTransientException

  • FullyQualifiedErrorId: 6CBA0560,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.RecipientTasks.NewMailboxImportRequest

  • PSComputerName: mail.excel-assemblies.com

UP TO HERE

VERBOSE: [20:59:37.954 GMT] New-MailboxImportRequest : Ending processing
[PS] C:\Windows\system32>

Anyone have any ideas what to do?

Best Answer

As discussed in the comments section (and I shouldn't have done that), your problem is likely due to a corrupt mail database file in Exchange. In practice, limiting the size of the database files limits the number of mailboxes effected when one of the database files gets corrupted. In your case it was due to a lack of available drive space during a New-MailboxImportRequest.

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