Exchange Streaming Database

ATTENTION: DO NOT F- WITH YOUR EXCHANGE DATABASE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING – HILARITY MAY ENSUE.

The system volume on our Exchange server filled up over the weekend again. I got tired of addressing this issue, so spent a few minutes researching the problem. The offending files had the extensions edb and stm. Apparently, these files deal with the Exchange database information store.

Like any heavily used database, these guys will grow quite large if they aren’t groomed and compressed from time to time. How does one get a maintenance plan going for an Exchange information store database? With routine backups of course!

Don’t ask me why – I guess since I’ve learned to think like a Microserf over the last couple of years, now this sort of thing makes sense. When I think like Bill Gates, this is the obvious course of action. “Of course the exchange information store database compression and grooming maintenance program should be initiated by a backup. Duh! What’s wrong with you?”

So, that aside, MSExchange.org has a great article that targets this subject with laser-like focus. Of course, I didn’t find it until after I’d figured out the solution, but it is great for those (this guy) who care to do academic study of the subject.

Still on Vacation

My body is back at work, but my mind is still on vacation.

What an incredible five days that was – between the beach house and the Radiohead concert.

The quality is horrible – I shot this with my Tilt – but what could I do? At least I got this much. This is from the band’s performance of Weird Fishes / Arpeggi.

What a show. As it turns out, this was the last stop on the US leg of their tour. What a venue to see them in? We were in the “Preferred” section (thank you generous, anonymous SB Bowl Board member for your help with tickets), just forward and right of the sound board. The sound and picture are wack. I think I blew out the mic on the recording device.

Beach Blanket Blogging

Ah, la plage.

How sweet it is to know that while one’s co-workers toil tirelessly in your office, you are engaged in a little beach-side blogging.

What a way to close out the summer. Back in March I placed my claim on a pair of tickets for Radiohead’s last performance on the American leg of their latest tour. I’d never seen the Oxfordshire quintet perform live, but from what I’d seen of the video footage of their studio recordings, I was not going to be disappointed. I wasn’t.

The Santa Barbara Bowl is a small natural outdoor amphitheater nestled in the foothills above Santa Barbara. It seats an audience of around 5,000 and was totally packed last night.

So when the opportunity arose for me to spend the night at my godmother’s beach house in Montecito, I quickly spoke up. “I have need of the beach house,” I mentioned to her. I was told to return in two weeks to pick up the keys and, oh, would I drop off some towels while I was up there?

So I got to sleep next to ocean last night. The sound of the waves – I’d forgotten how soothing it is. Sound machines just don’t cut it. These waves shook the house.

And here I am, calling in to the office every hour on the hour, starting off the Labor Day weekend, not laboring.

Ready to Run

I can’t wait to get out of here – I’m going to see how fast I can do the run up to San Vicente and back. On Tuesday I did in about fifty minutes. On my way back I almost got run over by some tool turning right onto Moomat Ahiko from Ocean. Fortunately he had his sunroof open and was at just the right angle for me to give him a short, sharp, “HO!” He stopped. Just in time for me and some douchebag rollerblader to use the crosswalk.

I was way overheated when I got home. I’m not sure how to combat that – I want to be able to go for a run, shower, then go do stuff. As it stands I can’t really do that without sweat-drenching whatever clothes I change in to. The cold shower doesn’t work – it’s my core temperature I want to bring down quick. Popsicles maybe?