Content Index Catalog Files in Failed State

When activating a database copy in an Exchange Server 2010 Database Availability Group it may fail with an error message that catalog index files are in a failed state.

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Microsoft Exchange Error
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Cannot activate database copy ‘Activate Database Copy…’.
Activate Database Copy…
Failed
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 ‘Mailbox Database 01′ on server ‘ex1.exchangeserverpro.local’ has content index catalog files in the following state: ‘Failed’. [Database: Mailbox Database 01, Server: EX2.exchangeserverpro.local]
An Active Manager operation failed. Error: An error occurred while trying to validate the specified database copy for possible activation. Error: Database copy ‘Mailbox Database 01′ on server ‘ex1.exchangeserverpro.local’ has content index catalog files in the following state: ‘Failed’.

When you view the copy status of the mailbox database the content index is in a failed state.

[PS] C:\>Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus | fl name, contentindexstate

Name              : Mailbox Database 01\EX1
ContentIndexState : Failed

Name              : Mailbox Database 02\EX1
ContentIndexState : Healthy

To resolve the issue update the content index on the server on which it has failed.

[PS] C:\>Update-MailboxDatabaseCopy "Mailbox Database 01\EX1" -CatalogOnly

The content index should now be in a healthy state.

[PS] C:\>Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus | fl name, contentindexstate
Name : Mailbox Database 01\EX1

ContentIndexState : Healthy
Name : Mailbox Database 02\EX1
ContentIndexState : Healthy

After the content index is healthy you can attempt to activate the database copy again.

Source