HD space problems - scanning all mailboxes for large attachments

Question

Hello Exchange experts
I have only 5 GB left on a database that has 150 MailBoxes.Until I connect some external storage to the server, i was wondering if there is some way on the server level to scan all the mailboxes for large attachments and delete them to save some space. I
have exchange. 2010.

Answer 1

First make sure database is consuming the space. This command will show you the database file size and path
Get-MailboxDatabase -Status | select ServerName,Name,DatabaseSize,EdbFilePath
Please take an exchange known backup if edb file size is not consuming the database drive space..
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876854(v=exchg.150).aspx. 
I suggest you create a newdatabase and move all mailboxes to the newly created database.
You could attach a HDD and create a mailbox database in that and move all mailboxes and delete the default database (after check this) and create new one in the
place of default database move back all your mailboxes back from the newly connected HDD to this database. You can use this command to move mailboxes in bulk. Please check
this
Get-Mailbox –Database ‘Mailbox Database 001’ | New-MoveRequest –TargetDatabase ‘Mailbox Database 002’
If you dont have enough space you could try defragmentation. But you make sure you have white space or no
http://blogs.technet.com/b/rmilne/archive/2013/08/20/how-to-check-database-white-space-in-exchange.aspx
Or this script remove all attachement that size >1000 KB
first creat mailbox called it test , send many attachements to this this mailbox , in the code below change the line Get-Mailbox yourUserName to Get-Mailbox test
Import-Module -Name "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange\Web Services\1.1\Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.dll"
$credentials = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WebCredentials(ADMINUSERNAME, PASSWORD)
$service = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService
$service.Credentials = $credentials
$service.Url = "http://localhost/ews/exchange.asmx"
$mailbox = Get-Mailbox yourUserName
$folderFilter = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.SearchFilter
$folderView = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.FolderView(1000)
$folderView.Traversal = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.FolderTraversal]::Deep
$itemFilter = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.SearchFilter+IsEqualTo([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.EmailMessageSchema]::HasAttachments, $true)
$itemView = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ItemView(10000)
write-host $mailbox.displayName
$folderId = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.FolderId([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WellKnownFolderName]::MsgFolderRoot, $mailbox.primarySmtpAddress.ToString())
$folder = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.Folder]::Bind($service, $folderId)
$folders = $service.FindFolders($folderId, $folderFilter, $folderView)
foreach ($subFolder in $folders.Folders)
write-host $subFolder.displayName
$items = $subFolder.FindItems($itemFilter, $itemView)
foreach ($item in $items.Items)
write-host $item.subject
$item.Load()
foreach($attachment in $item.Attachments)
if ($item.size > 1000){
write-host $attachment.Name
$item.Attachments.Remove($attachment)
break
$item.Update([Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ConflictResolutionMode]::AutoResolve)
Thanks, MAS
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