While creating a new mailbox database in Exchange Server 2013 you may encounter the following error.

[PS] C:\>New-MailboxDatabase DB07 -Server E15MB1 -EdbFilePath E:DB07DB07.edb -LogFolderPath F:DB07

An inconsistency in the Active Directory was detected: Database ‘DB07’ is expected to be in a database availability
group but the value for its MasterServerOrAvailabilityGroup property (‘E15MB1’) is not valid. This may be a defect in
the product and this should be reported to Microsoft Product Support.
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (DB07:MailboxDatabase) [New-MailboxDatabase], InconsistentADException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=E15MB1,RequestId=b008e2ed-bbd4-465e-9681-b8b64b734db0,TimeStamp=16/02/2014 1:07:
18 PM] 8006979E,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewMailboxDatabase
+ PSComputerName : e15mb1.exchange2013demo.com

This appears to be a bug that, at least in my specific case, occurs when an Exchange 2013 mailbox server has been removed as a member of a database availability group, and then a mailbox database is created on that mailbox server.

Despite the error message the database object is created in Active Directory, however the database and log folder paths are not created on the server and the database itself can’t be mounted.

[PS] C:\>Mount-Database DB07
Failed to mount database "DB07". Error: An Active Manager operation failed with a transient error. Please retry the
operation. Error: Database action failed with transient error. Error: A transient error occurred during a database
operation. Error: An error occurred while preparing to mount database 'DB07'. Error: An I/O error occurred while
attempting to enumerate log files in directory 'F:DB07'. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from
Windows API 'FindFirstFile'. [Database: DB07, Server: E15MB1.exchange2013demo.com]
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (DB07:ADObjectId) [Mount-Database], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=E15MB1,RequestId=a930a445-11de-4fba-a648-881662a8e5f7,TimeStamp=16/02/2014 1:11:
   38 PM] FC4C3D31,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.MountDatabase
    + PSComputerName        : e15mb1.exchange2013demo.com

In my testing I found that the database creation error would not appear if I first re-added the mailbox server to a DAG (any DAG, not necessarily the one it was previously a member of). Obviously that is not an ideal solution, so fortunately it also appears that the new database will be mountable if you manually create the log folder path on the server.

[PS] C:\>New-Item -Type Directory -Path (Get-MailboxDatabase DB07).LogFolderPath

After creating the log folder path the database should mount successfully.

[PS] C:\>Mount-Database DB07

[PS] C:\>Get-MailboxDatabase DB07 | Test-MAPIConnectivity

MailboxServer      Database           Result    Error
-------------      --------           ------    -----
E15MB1             DB07               Success

I am not sure exactly which versions of Exchange Server 2013 would exhibit this behaviour, as I only have Exchange 2013 CU3 available to me at the moment.

About the Author

Paul Cunningham

Paul is a former Microsoft MVP for Office Apps and Services. He works as a consultant, writer, and trainer specializing in Office 365 and Exchange Server. Paul no longer writes for Practical365.com.

Comments

  1. Pradeep

    Hi, My default mailbox was 150GB in size. So I created a new DB and moved all mailboxes from default DB to new one. By this process I gained 50+ GB. Then I dismounted default DB and deleted all contents from default DB location from window explorer. Now when I am trying to remount default db is shows me below error: Please Help

    ——————————————————–
    Microsoft Exchange Error
    ——————————————————–
    Failed to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’.

    Mailbox Database 0322309082
    Failed
    Error:
    Couldn’t mount the database that you specified. Specified database: Mailbox Database 0322309082; Error code: An Active Manager operation failed with a transient error. Please retry the operation. Error: Database action failed with transient error. Error: A transient error occurred during a database operation. Error: An error occurred while preparing to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’. Error: An I/O error occurred while attempting to enumerate log files. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from Windows API ‘FindFirstFile’. [Database: Mailbox Database 0322309082, Server: MAILSERVER.cipl.local].

    An Active Manager operation failed with a transient error. Please retry the operation. Error: Database action failed with transient error. Error: A transient error occurred during a database operation. Error: An error occurred while preparing to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’. Error: An I/O error occurred while attempting to enumerate log files. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from Windows API ‘FindFirstFile’. [Database: Mailbox Database 0322309082, Server: MAILSERVER.cipl.local]

    An Active Manager operation failed with a transient error. Please retry the operation. Error: An error occurred while preparing to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’. Error: An I/O error occurred while attempting to enumerate log files. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from Windows API ‘FindFirstFile’. [Server: mailserver.cipl.local]

    An error occurred while preparing to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’. Error: An I/O error occurred while attempting to enumerate log files. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from Windows API ‘FindFirstFile’.

    An I/O error occurred while attempting to enumerate log files. Error 0x3 (The system cannot find the path specified) from Windows API ‘FindFirstFile’.

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      “and deleted all contents from default DB location from window explorer”

      You’ve deleted all the log files for the database? That will certainly cause the database to fail to mount. You should restore those files if you want to be able to mount the database.

      1. Pradeep

        I restored Log files but still the error is same. Log file path is:
        F:exchangeDBPrimaryLogsMailbox Database 0322309082

        DB path is:
        F:exchangeDBPrimaryMailbox Database 0322309082

        In DB location edb files and another folder was there named ‘catalogdata44ij…..’. I deleted that folder as well along with edb file.

        1. Avatar photo
          Paul Cunningham

          Restore everything that you deleted. If you still can’t get the database to mount, and you’re concerned about data loss, you should open a Microsoft support case and let them guide you through a database recovery.

        2. Pradeep

          Hi Paul, Sorry. I am getting new error now after restoring log files:

          ——————————————————–
          Microsoft Exchange Error
          ——————————————————–
          Failed to mount database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’.

          Mailbox Database 0322309082
          Failed
          Error:
          Couldn’t mount the database that you specified. Specified database: Mailbox Database 0322309082; Error code: An Active Manager operation failed. Error The database action failed. Error: The mount operation is being prevented for database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’ because its database file at ‘F:exchangeDBPrimaryMailbox Database 0322309082Mailbox Database 0322309082.edb’ is missing, but still has transaction log files, with the highest generation number being 0xe0d78. Please either recover the database file from a backup, or remove the log files if your intention is to mount a newly-created empty database.. [Database: Mailbox Database 0322309082, Server: MAILSERVER.cipl.local].

          An Active Manager operation failed. Error The database action failed. Error: The mount operation is being prevented for database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’ because its database file at ‘F:exchangeDBPrimaryMailbox Database 0322309082Mailbox Database 0322309082.edb’ is missing, but still has transaction log files, with the highest generation number being 0xe0d78. Please either recover the database file from a backup, or remove the log files if your intention is to mount a newly-created empty database.. [Database: Mailbox Database 0322309082, Server: MAILSERVER.cipl.local]

          An Active Manager operation failed. Error The mount operation is being prevented for database ‘Mailbox Database 0322309082’ because its database file at ‘F:exchangeDBPrimaryMailbox Database 0322309082Mailbox Database 0322309082.edb’ is missing, but still has transaction log files, with the highest generation number being 0xe0d78. Please either recover the database file from a backup, or remove the log files if your intention is to mount a newly-created empty database.. [Server: mailserver.cipl.local]

          1. Avatar photo
            Paul Cunningham

            That error message is telling you that the database file is missing. It also tells you what to do about it.

            “Please either recover the database file from a backup, or remove the log files if your intention is to mount a newly-created empty database.”

  2. chhitsengtry

    Dear Pual,

    I have the found the problem in Exchange Server 2013 installation.

    Error Message:

    Setup will prepare the organization for Exchange Server 2013 by using ‘Setup /PrepareAD’. No Exchange 2007 server roles have been detected in this topology. After this operation, you will not be able to install any Exchange 2007 servers. for more information, visit: http//technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.NoE12ServerWarning.aspx

    So please help me to solve this problem.

    Best regards,

    chhit sengtry

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      That isn’t a blocking error, it’s just a warning. If you don’t plan to deploy any Exchange 2007 servers in your org you can ignore it and proceed with the Exchange 2013 deployment.

  3. Indra Lesmana

    Hi Coul You Help Me?

    I Have a problem with my Exchange 2013 after my Active Directory Crashed.

    I have try to Install New Active Directory with schema and DC same with Existing AD, then i joined Exchange 2013 to New AD but Still Error. Please Help me……i really confused

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      That won’t work. You can’t just join an Exchange server to a new AD, even if the AD is the same name. You should do a restore/recovery of your original AD instead.

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