Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller service - Content Index Failed

 Hello All

i hope everyone is doing well, Today we are going to cover the issue which i recently encountered in one of the DAG environment after latest Security Updated installed in Exchange server 2016 CU 23 and exchange server rebooted



Content Index Fail Status was shown as Failed & Unknown in the rebooted server

[PS] C:\Windows\system32>Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus

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Name     Status          CopyQueue ReplayQueue LastInspectedLogTime   ContentIndex

                                                              Length    Length                             State

----                                          ------          --------- ----------- --------------------   ------------

CMEXD01DB01\CMEXD01                           Mounted         0         0                                  Failed

CMEXD1DB02\CMEXD01                            Mounted         0         0                                  Unknown

CMEXD02DB01\CMEXD01                           Mounted         0         0                                  Unknown

CMEXD2DB02\CMEXD01                            Mounted         0         0                                  Unknown

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In another server DAG server 

[PS] C:\Windows\system32>Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus -Server cmexd02

=========================================================================

Name                                          Status          CopyQueue ReplayQueue LastInspectedLogTime   ContentIndex

                                                              Length    Length                             State

----                                          ------          --------- ----------- --------------------   ------------

CMEXD02DB01\CMEXD02                           Healthy         0         0           8/15/2023 5:48:57 PM   Healthy

CMEXD2DB02\CMEXD02                            Healthy         0         0           8/15/2023 5:48:13 PM   Healthy

CMEXD01DB01\CMEXD02                           Healthy         0         0           8/15/2023 5:46:41 PM   FailedAndSuspended

CMEXD1DB02\CMEXD02                            Healthy         0         0           8/15/2023 5:46:41 PM   FailedAndSuspended

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Blindly i tried to fix the issue by using the below command without checking the services and Event viewers , However its not fixed - Its My fault 😤

[PS] C:\Windows\system32>Update-MailboxDatabaseCopy CMEXD01DB01\CMEXD01 -SourceServer cmexd02 -CatalogOnly

Confirm

Are you sure you want to perform this action?

Seeding database copy "CMEXD01DB01\CMEXD01".

[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y

Confirm

The mailbox database copy 'CMEXD01DB01\CMEXD01' has failed to update from server . Do you want to clean up that update

request now? Seeding cannot be requested for the same database copy until the failed request has been cleaned up by the

 server, which should automatically happen within 15 minutes.

[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y

WARNING: Seeding of content index catalog for database 'CMEXD01DB01' failed. Please verify that the Microsoft Search

(Exchange) and the Host Controller service for Exchange services are running and try the operation again. Error: Could

not connect to net.tcp://localhost:3863/Management/SeedingAgent-C591B148-8C71-465A-AD20-A9F418EEE77212/Single. The

connection attempt lasted for a time span of 00:00:02.0059889. TCP error code 10061: No connection could be made

because the target machine actively refused it 127.0.0.1:3863. .

=========================================================================

Two Mistakes i have done. I have not checked the Services and event viewer as i said, 

Found Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller went to Disabled after SU installed on CU 23

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Resolution : 

After Set the service Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller to Automatic and started the service. Issue got Fixed

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What is the main functionality of this Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller service?

It connects with exchange mailbox databases and creates content indexes for each databases.

This content indexes helps in the eDiscovery search.This eDiscovery search uses the content indexes for search query that are done in the entire organisation.

What things will be affected if the Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller service is stopped?

1) We will not be able to perform  eDiscovery search in the entire organisation.

2) And also mailbox database in a DAG will not automatically fail over if the content index is not healthy and it shows as failed and suspended.

However we would be able to perform a manual fail over through EMS with the switch -SkipClientExperienceChecks with a bad content index state as a work around.

I hope this might be usefull and Happy Learning 😊

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