How to Fix Error “Load Balancing Failed to Find a Valid Mailbox Database”?

In Exchange Sever, when trying to add a new mailbox or enabling a mailbox via the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) or the Exchange Admin Center (EAC), you may get an error saying, “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database.”  

Due to this, you will be unable to add or enable the mailbox. There might be various reasons behind this issue. Let’s try to find out why this error occurs and see how to fix the error.

Why does the “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database” Error Occur?

Here are some possible reasons that can lead to the “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database” error:

• The database is dismounted from the server.
• The mailbox database is excluded or suspended from provisioning.
• Using incorrect database when creating or adding the mailbox.

Methods to Fix the “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database” Error

Before you start troubleshooting and fixing the issue, first check if the command is correct (if you’re adding or creating mailbox via EMS). You need to ensure that you’re using the correct user details and mailbox database. Next, you need to check if this is occurring on a specific database or all the databases. This helps to understand if the issue is with the particular database or the Exchange Server. If the details are correct and you you’re still facing the issue, then follow the below methods to resolve it.

Method 1: Check the Provisioning Status of the Mailbox Database

If the mailbox database is suspended or excluded from provisioning, then Exchange Server will not allow or exclude the database from provisioning of mailboxes. So, when you try to add or enable a mailbox, you will get the “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database” error. To check the provisioning status of the mailbox database, open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) as admin and run the below PowerShell command:

Get-MailboxDatabase | Format-List Name, IsExcludedFrom*, IsSuspended*

This command will show the relevant information.

As you can see in the above image, the IsExcludedFromProvisioning parameter is set as True. This means that the mailbox database is excluded from provisioning. You need to set the value to False to allow the Exchange Server to provision the mailboxes. For this, you can run the Set-MailboxDatabase command as given below:

Set-MailboxDatabase <Name of the database> -IsExcludedFromProvisioning $false

Similarly, you can change the IsSuspendedFromProvisioning value to False, if it is set as True.

You can re-run the Get-MailboxDatabase command to confirm that the parameters have been changed.

Now, try to enable or add a new mailbox. If the error persists, follow the next method.

Method 2: Check and Mount the Database

You may not able to add or create a new mailbox, if the database is not mounted on the server. To check and mount the database, log in to the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and follow the below steps:

• Click on Servers and then click on Databases.

• Select the mailbox database and check the status column. If it shows the status as Dismounted, click on the more option (three dots) and click on Mount.

Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell commands in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) to check the database status. For this, run the following command:

Get-MailboxDatabase -Identity "<mailbox database>" | FL

In the command output, check the Mounted field. If it is stated as False, this means the database is not mounted. Then, run the following command to mount Exchange database:

Mount-Database –Identity <dbname> –Confirm:$False

What if the Database Fails to Mount?

If the database fails to mount or you face errors while mounting the database on the server, it is an indication that the database is corrupted. In such a case, you need to repair the database. Follow the steps given below:

• First, check the state of database using the eseutil /mh command as given below:

eseutil /mh “<DatabaseName>.edb”

• It will display the state of database. If it shows the state as Dirty Shutdown, it means that the database is corrupted or some transactions logs are missing. In this case, you can perform the Soft Recovery by using the following command:

eseutil /r E00 /l “C:\Path to log file” /d “C:\Path to database”

• Now, again check the database status using the eseutil /mh command. If it displays the status as Clean Shutdown, you can mount the database.
• If it again displays the database status as Dirty Shutdown, then perform the Hard Recovery by running the following command:

eseutil /p <path_to_the_database>

You need to remember that the Hard Recovery process will make the database hard coded and cause data loss as it purges all the data which is deemed as corrupted. Hence, you should use Hard Recovery process as the last resort.

An alternative is to use a third-party Exchange repair software, like Stellar Repair for Exchange. This tool can repair the corrupt Exchange database (EDB) file of any size or of any Exchange Server version. After repairing, it offers option to save the repaired file data in PST and various other file formats, like MSG, EML, etc. It can also directly export the mailboxes, archives, shared folders, and other data from repaired EDB file to a live Exchange Server database or Office 365 with complete integrity and without any data loss. The tool supports Exchange Server 2019, 2016, 2013, and earlier versions.

Conclusion

If you’re encountering the “Load balancing failed to find a valid mailbox database” error when adding or enabling a mailbox, then follow the above-given troubleshooting solutions to resolve the issue. However, if the mailbox database is corrupted, you can use the EseUtil commands to repair the database. To repair the database within minimal time and without using lot of resources, you can use an Exchange database recovery software, such as Stellar Repair for Exchange. With this software, you can easily repair the corrupted Exchange database and granularly save the data to PST and other file formats. You can also export the data from repaired EDB file directly to a live Exchange Server database with automatic mailbox matching.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.