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Move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server

• Updated on February 17, 2023
 
• Exchange, Powershell
 
• 15 Comments

How to move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server 2010/2013/2016/2019? I recommend you move the arbitration mailboxes to the highest Exchange Server version in the organization. If you install the same Exchange Server version, you don’t have to move the arbitration mailboxes to it.

Table of contents

• When to move arbitration mailboxes
• Get arbitration mailboxes in Exchange environment
• Find mailbox database in Exchange Server
• Move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange to another database
• Conclusion

When to move arbitration mailboxes

• You like to delete a mailbox database. If you don’t move the arbitration mailboxes, you cannot delete the mailbox database.
• You have installed a higher Exchange Server version in the organization.
• You want to decommission the Exchange Server that is hosting the arbitration mailboxes.

Note: Arbitration mailboxes are system mailboxes that are used for storing different types of system data and for managing messaging approval workflow.

Get arbitration mailboxes in Exchange environment

To get the arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the highest Exchange Server version. For example, if you have an Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2016 in the organization, sign in to Exchange Server 2016.

2. Run Exchange Management Shell as administrator.

3. Run the Set-ADServerSettings cmdlet, including the -ViewEntireForest parameter. It will let you view the objects in the entire forest.

4. Run the Get-Mailbox cmdlet, including the -Arbitration parameter, to get the arbitration mailboxes.

The arbitration mailboxes are configured in the default mailbox database after installing Exchange Server. If you did rename the Exchange Server default mailbox database, you would see that name.

[PS] C:\>Set-ADServerSettings -ViewEntireForest $true

[PS] C:\>Get-Mailbox -Arbitration | Format-Table Name, ServerName, Database, AdminDisplayVersion

Name                                                ServerName Database AdminDisplayVersion
----                                                ---------- -------- -------------------
SystemMailbox{1f05a927-259d-4b29-bcd8-76469a2fb004} ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{bb558c35-97f1-4cb9-8ff7-d53741dc928c} ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{e0dc1c29-89c3-4034-b678-e6c29d823ed9} ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
Migration.8f3e7716-2011-43e4-96b1-aba62d229136      ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
FederatedEmail.4c1f4d8b-8179-4148-93bf-00a95fa1e042 ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{D0E409A0-AF9B-4720-92FE-AAC869B0D201} ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{2CE34405-31BE-455D-89D7-A7C7DA7A0DAA} ex01-2016  DB01     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)

Find mailbox database in Exchange Server

Before moving the arbitration mailboxes, you have to check the name of the mailbox database. Also, it’s good to check if the mailbox database is mounted. Otherwise, moving the arbitration mailboxes to that mailbox database will be impossible.

Run the Get-MailboxDatabase cmdlet. The -IncludePreExchange switch will return information regarding your Exchange Server version and earlier Exchange versions.

An example of what the -IncludePreExchange switch does for you:

You have Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2016 running in the organization. If you run the Get-MailBoxDatabase cmdlet from Exchange Server 2016, it will show you only the databases running in Exchange Server 2016. If you use the -IncludePreExchange switch, it will also show you the Exchange Server 2010 mailbox databases.

C:\>Get-MailboxDatabase -IncludePreExchange -Status | Sort Name | Format-Table Name, Server, Mounted, AdminDisplayVersion

Name Server    Mounted AdminDisplayVersion
---- ------    ------- -------------------
DB01 EX01-2016    True Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
DB02 EX01-2016    True Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
DB03 EX01-2016    True Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)

In the next part, you will move the arbitration mailboxes to another mailbox database.

Move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange to another database

You don’t have to separate the arbitration mailboxes into different mailbox databases. Instead, I recommend you move the arbitration mailboxes to one mailbox database. In my example, the mailbox database DB02.

Read more: Create mailbox database in Exchange Server »

Moving arbitration mailboxes is the same as moving mailboxes to another database. The difference is that you use the -Arbitration parameter.

[PS] C:\>Get-Mailbox -Arbitration | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase "DB02"

DisplayName                           StatusDetail        TotalMailboxSize            TotalArchiveSize PercentComplete
-----------                           ------------        ----------------            ---------------- ---------------
Microsoft Exchange Approval Assistant WaitingForJobPickup 121.2 KB (124,156 bytes)                     0
Microsoft Exchange                    WaitingForJobPickup 518.1 KB (530,503 bytes)                     0
Microsoft Exchange                    WaitingForJobPickup 21.12 MB (22,141,001 bytes)                  0
Microsoft Exchange Migration          WaitingForJobPickup 129.7 KB (132,801 bytes)                     0
Microsoft Exchange Federation Mailbox WaitingForJobPickup 117.8 KB (120,610 bytes)                     0
E4E Encryption Store - Active         WaitingForJobPickup 120 KB (122,897 bytes)                       0
Microsoft Exchange                    WaitingForJobPickup 118.3 KB (121,093 bytes)                     0

Check the progress of the arbitration mailboxes move requests.

[PS] C:\>Get-MoveRequest | Get-MoveRequestStatistics

DisplayName                           StatusDetail    TotalMailboxSize            TotalArchiveSize PercentComplete
-----------                           ------------    ----------------            ---------------- ---------------
Microsoft Exchange                    CopyingMessages 21.36 MB (22,396,398 bytes)                  30
Microsoft Exchange Approval Assistant Completed       243 KB (248,791 bytes)                       100
Microsoft Exchange                    Completed       630.1 KB (645,173 bytes)                     100
Microsoft Exchange Migration          Completed       239.1 KB (244,832 bytes)                     100
Microsoft Exchange Federation Mailbox Completed       235.7 KB (241,395 bytes)                     100
E4E Encryption Store - Active         Completed       237.8 KB (243,512 bytes)                     100
Microsoft Exchange                    Completed       241.1 KB (246,932 bytes)                     100

Verify if the arbitration mailboxes are moved successfully to the target database.

[PS] C:\>Get-Mailbox -Arbitration | Format-Table Name, ServerName, Database, AdminDisplayVersion

Name                                                ServerName Database AdminDisplayVersion
----                                                ---------- -------- -------------------
SystemMailbox{1f05a927-259d-4b29-bcd8-76469a2fb004} ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{bb558c35-97f1-4cb9-8ff7-d53741dc928c} ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{e0dc1c29-89c3-4034-b678-e6c29d823ed9} ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
Migration.8f3e7716-2011-43e4-96b1-aba62d229136      ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
FederatedEmail.4c1f4d8b-8179-4148-93bf-00a95fa1e042 ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{D0E409A0-AF9B-4720-92FE-AAC869B0D201} ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)
SystemMailbox{2CE34405-31BE-455D-89D7-A7C7DA7A0DAA} ex01-2016  DB02     Version 15.1 (Build 1979.3)

To clean it up, remove completed move requests. The first cmdlet will remove the completed move requests. If you like to remove all the move requests, use the second cmdlet.

[PS] C:\>Get-MoveRequest -MoveStatus Completed | Remove-MoveRequest -Confirm:$False

[PS] C:\>Get-MoveRequest | Remove-MoveRequest -Confirm:$False

Did this help you to find and move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server 2010/2013/2016/2019?

Articles that you may be interested in:

• Check Exchange arbitration mailboxes
• Recreate arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server

Conclusion

You learned how to move arbitration mailboxes in Exchange Server. First, check if the arbitration mailboxes are present and in which mailbox databases. After that, find the mounted mailbox databases. As of last, move the arbitration mailboxes to the mounted mailbox database. Remember to move the arbitration mailboxes to the highest Exchange Server version.

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