Cannot Activate Database Copy: Content Index Catalog Files in Failed State

When switching a database copy from one Exchange 2010 Server to another Server in the Same Database Availability Group (DAG) it may fail with an error message that catalog index files are in a failed state.

Error:
An Active Manager operation failed. Error The database action failed. Error: An error occurred while trying to validate the specified database copy for possible activation. Error: Database copy ‘mailbox1’ on server ‘exchange2.contoso’ has content index catalog files in the following state: ‘Failed’.. [Database: mailbox1, Server: exchange1.contoso]

An Active Manager operation failed. Error An error occurred while trying to validate the specified database copy for possible activation. Error: Database copy ‘mailbox1’ on server ‘exchange2.contoso’ has content index catalog files in the following state: ‘Failed’..

Analysis:

If you now drop the following comand to the powershell on your affected server:

Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus -Server $env:computername | fl Name,*Index*

You will see the following:

Name                     : mailbox1\EXCHANGE2
ContentIndexState        : Failed
ContentIndexErrorMessage : Catalog needs a reset for database {14a9bd71-239d-4c02-85a4-bfc7392dc402}.

The you can perform the following steps on th affected server (exchange2 in the case above)

1.) Login on the OS from the affected server

2.) Stop the “Microsoft Search Indexer”

2.) Start the exchange Admin console (run as Admin!)

3.) Enter:

cd 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Scripts'

4.) Enter:

 Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy –Identity mailbox1\EXCHANGE2

5.) Enter:

 .\ResetSearchIndex.ps1 -Force mailbox1

6.) Enter:

 Update-MailboxDatabaseCopy -Identity mailbox1\EXCHANGE2
 -SourceServer EXCHANGE1 -CatalogOnly

7.)

Check if the “Microsoft Search Indexer” Service is still running.

This will then reset the searchindex and a new one will be created. Once completed you can try to switch the box again.