We are running on 10.7242, windows 2012 R2 server 7 GB RAM, 2 CPU with 2 cores each (Vmware).

We have licenses for up to 250 users (so small system) and have a few users who have 30 GB mail boxes, using IMAP as they are also shared over various desktop clients.

We have started to see over the last month or so that our backup consolidation is failing to consolidate on alternating days, and the only way we have currently found is that by stopping the server before the backup starts the system then manages to do the consolidation and the server just works OK the following day.

However when the consolidation fails, the whole system runs like a "bad situation" and customers call and complain.

We also find that from time to time the IMAP also becomes unresponsive and we end up having to restart the smartermail service to correct this.

The only reason I can find for the consolidation issue is possibly excessive disk IO, and system becomes unresponsive.

Any Idea's would help.