The title of the article may be confusing for some, but there will be occasions in which you want to block a particular database copy from being activated automatically. Having the database copy in a passive datacentre maybe a reason why you want it to be blocked from automatic activation. Not because it can’t do the job, but probably because you want to know when the database fails over to a different datacentre and you want that to be done by yourself.
Whatever the reason behind is, you need to use the shell to block a database copy from getting activated automatically. Run the following command to block the copy of the database DB1 on server EXCH3 from getting activated.
Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy –identity DB1EXCH3 –ActivationOnly
When you have different copies of a mailbox database, their identity is “DatabaseNameServerName”
If you change your mind and want to reverse the process, run
Resume-MailboxDatabaseCopy –identity DB1EXCH3
Another option is to block all databases hosted on a server from activating. Run the following command to block all database copies on a server named EXCH1,
Set-MailboxServer –identity EXCH1 –DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Blocked
To reverse your decision, run
Set-MailboxServer –identity EXCH1 –DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Unrestricted
Thank you, you saved me!
Glad that the article helped you Nin
Hello,
I assume that making changes to the AutoActivation policy is manually invoked task but is it possible for Exchange to set this policy on it’s own without administrator intervention?
The reason why i ask is that i have found one of my DAG nodes to be in the “Blocked” state but none of the administrators are owning up to changing the settings to enforce the block so am just trying to figure out how it could have happened.
Regards,
Satyam
Hi Satyam,
This setting is manually set. Thanks
I saw your blog, it is interesting, amazign
I have a question, If I have two sites, so in one site have all active databases in other are pasive databases.
So If an active copy database fails, other copy needs to active in another server in the same site before another site does. What command Should I do?
Suspend-Mailboxdatabasecopy or Set-MailboxServer
Gretting form Mexico
Hi Luis,
Set the activation preference the way you want and it will (always) fail locally as that copy will be much more updated than the copy over the WAN link.
You dont want to block the activation on the other side copy just in case you have an issue with the local passive copy.
Thanks
Thanks for the article.
I have 4 MBX DB’s activating themselves in any other server (2 DAG members).
Would you know why this is happening or which events # logs those occurrences?
Thanks
Hey,
what is the difference between
Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy –identity DB1EXCH3 –ActivationOnly
and
Set-MailboxServer –identity EXCH1 –DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Blocked
if i use the 1st command the database will be still updated with logs etc or not ?
i mean the database will be still updated from active database right ?
or it will be updated when we run the resume command ?
Hi Sajid,
When you use the first command, you are blocking the database copy from being activated automatically. Logs will be replicated and everything will work normally.
When you use the second command, you are blocking all databases on a specific server from activating automatically.
Hi,
if i use 2nd command of Set-MailboxServer –identity EXCH1 –DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Blocked, Logs will be replicated and everything will work normally and after taking backup, will it clear the log on that server ?
Yes, it will Sajid. All that will be blocked will be the auto mounting of databases.