Tag: Search

Content Index State is Unknown or Failed and has an error message of: “An internal error occurred for the database or its index.”

 Scenario:  Users cannot search in OWA or when in Outlook in Online mode. When you run the command below you notice that the Content Index State is Failed or Unknown.

get-mailboxdatabasecopystatus DB123 | FL Content*

ContentIndex:  Failed or Unknown
ContentIndexErrorMessage:  An internal error occurred for the database or its index.ContentIndexErrorCode:2

In the Application Event Log you see the following:

Event 1009, MSExchangeFastSearch:

The indexing of mailbox database DB123 encountered an unexpected exception. Error details: Microsoft.Exchange.Search.Core.Abstraction.OperationFailedException: The component operation has failed. —> Microsoft.Exchange.Search.Core.Abstraction.OperationFailedException: The component operation has failed. —> System.ServiceModel.FaultException`1[System.ServiceModel.ExceptionDetail]: Internal error while processing request

You have also verified that the Microsoft Exchange Search and Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller services are started.

Solution: Follow these steps.

  1. Create an security group called ContentSubmitters.
  2. This security group will have no members, but you need to add Full Control in the security of the group to:
    • Administrators
    • Network Service
  3.  Now on the affected Exchange servers,  Restart the following services:
    • MSExchangeFastSearch  (Microsoft Exchange Search)
    • HostControllerService (Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller)