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Notice: This material is excerpted from Special Edition Using Microsoft Exchange Server, ISBN: 0-7897-0687-3. The electronic version of this material has not been through the final proof reading stage that the book goes through before being published in printed form. Some errors may exist here that are corrected before the book is published. This material is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind.
Monitoring is the art of watching over your Exchange organization to identify and correct malfunctions before they become serious problems. An Exchange system consists fundamentally of Windows NT servers and links between them. Included with Microsoft Exchange server are two monitoring tools that service both components. They will be your eyes 24 hours a day to alert you when something goes wrong.
Exchange server includes two types of monitoring tools:
Chapter 26, "Troubleshooting Exchange's Directory Services," will go into more detail on how to use the monitors to diagnose problems.
In this chapter, you learn about the following:
Understanding Exchange Monitoring Terms
The following terms are pertinent to using Exchange monitoring tools:
Creating a Link Monitor
As an Exchange administrator, there are two fundamental ways that you may be notified of a downed messaging link:
Link monitors watch for successful message connections between two points in an Exchange organization. They can also be configured to test connections to foreign messaging systems. Link monitors accomplish this by sending out a test message, called a ping message, and timing the round trip of that message.
A ping message sent by a link monitor is sent to test messaging connections. At the polling interval, a ping message is sent to every Exchange server and foreign system listed on the link monitor's servers property page.
To create a new link monitor, follow this procedure:
1. In the Exchange administrator program, select a site in your organization.
2. Open the Configuration container within the selected site.
3. Select the Monitors container, the right administrator program display window will show all the existing monitors (both link and server) in this site. (See figure 24.1.)
The Monitor container shows all monitors in the selected site.
4. Select New Other, and then select Link monitor. The Link Monitor property pages appear.
The link monitor has several property pages:
1. Select the General tab of the LinkKeeper Properties page. The property page shown in figure 24.2 appears.
The LinkKeeper Properties page lets you define a polling interval for this monitor.
2. Enter a Directory name for this link monitor. (The directory name cannot be changed for a link monitor after it has been created.)
3. Enter a Display name as you want it to be shown in the administrator display window.
4. The Log File window shows the filename where monitor logs are being stored. Click Browse to select the file name and location.
Logging for link monitor activity is optional, so you need not specify a Log File location.
5. In the Polling Interval window, enter the units and time interval for Normal operation.
6. In the Polling Interval window, enter the units and time interval for Critical Sites.
7. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
The Notification property page allows you to configure what happens when abnormal message link functioning is detected by a server monitor. There are three main types of notification:
The Notification property page is primarily one main display window list where all notification objects are displayed (see figure 24.3). By default, this window is blank, and no notification is specific.
The link monitor Notification property page shows who to contact in case of malfunctions.
Click New to define a new notification object. Select the type of notification (see figure 24.4).
Select a Notification type.
Configuring an external notification application is as easy as choosing the application and setting the time delay for notification. You must configure that external process for the specific type of notification it provides (see figure 24.5). All Exchange does is launch the process and pass along any additional required parameters.
Configure the parameters for the notification process.
To configure the Launch Process Notification properties, do the following:
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state as well. Otherwise, the notification process will only launch in an alert state after the time delay is exceeded.
3. Click the File button and navigate your directory hierarchy to locate the process your want to launch in this notification. The Launch process box will display this file once selected.
4. Enter any additional command line parameters you want to pass to the notification process once it is launched.
5. Select the Append notification text to parameter list checkbox in order to attach the actual notification text to the above command line parameters during the process launch.
If the external notification application is already configured, you may now use the Test button to verify property functioning.
6. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
You can change a Notification by selecting it from the Notification list and clicking Edit. You can delete a notification by selecting it from the list and clicking Remove.
Mail notification will alert an administrator via e-mail that a server has entered an Alert state (or Warning state) due to excessive delays between message return.
To configure Mail Message Notification properties, follow this procedure (see figure 24.6):
Configure mail message Notification properties.
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state as well. Otherwise, the notification mail message will only be sent in an alert state after the time delay has exceeded.
3. Click the Recipient button and navigate the Exchange address lists to select a recipient for the mail notification.
4. Click the Test button to verify proper notification functioning. Check the destination address to verify message delivery.
5. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
Notification by Windows NT Alert (see fig. 24.7)is only useful if the recipient computer is turned on and a user is logged in to it. These alerts are transmitted via the Windows NT Message service and are displayed on-screen to a user.
Define Windows NT Alert parameters.
To configure notification properties for Windows NT Alert:
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state as well. Otherwise, the alert message will only be sent in an alert state after the time delay has exceeded.
3. Enter the name of the Computer to alert in the box provided. Use the Windows NT server name (Exchange server name) for that computer.
4. Click the Test button to verify proper notification functioning. Check the destination computer to verify alert message delivery.
5. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
The Servers property page lets you determine which Exchange servers will be sent ping messages by the link monitor.
1. Select the Servers property page from the link monitor's property page. The property page shown in figure 24.8 appears.
Select which Exchange servers will receive ping messages.
2. The left display window lists the Microsoft Exchange server is the site selected in the lower left pull-down menu.
3. The right display window shows which servers will receive ping messages from this server.
4. Use the Site pull-down menu to select a site in your organization. The servers in that site will be listed is the left display window.
5. Select an Exchange server from the Servers windows and click Add to enable monitoring for it.
6. To stop monitoring, click on a server from the right display window and click Remove.
7. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
The Recipients property page allows you to configure ping message recipients in foreign messaging systems. At each polling interval, selected foreign recipients will receive a ping message. You must configure each recipient as a custom recipient in the Exchange administrator program. The link monitor will look at the returned ping message subject line for confirmation of message integrity. Alternatively, you can have the link monitor look at the returned message's message body.
For link monitoring, ping messages must be returned by a foreign system. You must write a script that will return the ping message. Another common solution is to send a message to a nonexistent address on that system; the system then returns the nondeliverable message to the link monitor.
Some systems do not automatically return messages sent to nonexistent addresses; they redirect them into a default mailbox. Make sure the foreign system is configured to bounce back messages sent to nonexistent addresses.
Create a separate container to hold the custom recipients created for foreign system link monitoring. Also, set the Hide from address book option for each recipient, so they will not accidentally be sent messages by others in your organization.
1. Select the Recipients tab from the link monitor property pages. The Recipients property page appears.
2. In the left display window, click Modify and select the custom recipients you have created to get ping messages from this link monitor. The monitor will check the subject line of the returned message for confirmation of link status.
3. In the right display window, click Modify and select the custom recipients you have created to get ping messages from this link monitor. The monitor will check the body text of the returned message for confirmation of link status. Use this option usually when sending ping messages to a nonexistent address (when the subject line is not normally preserved).
4. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
The Bounce property page allows you the maximum allowable round-trips before a server enters a warning or alert state.
To define bounce times, follow this procedure:
1. Select the Bounce tab from the link monitor property pages. The property page shown in figure 24.9 appears.
Use this page to define threshold time before entering warning and alert states.
2. Enter the number and select the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) to wait for a return message before entering a warning state. The default time is 30 minutes.
3. Enter the number and select the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) to wait for a return message before entering an alert state. The default time is 60 minutes.
4. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
After configuring all Link Monitor property pages, you must start the link monitor for it to carry out its functions. See "Starting a Monitor" later in this chapter.
Creating a Server Monitor
A server monitor watches a selected list of Windows NT services for proper functioning. At each polling interval, the server monitor will check to see that the server is running by connecting to that server via a remote procedure call. The server's status is displayed in the server monitor's display window. You can also control (i.e., start, stop, pause) services via the server monitor display windows.
Additionally, these monitors can be used to monitor services that are not directly pertinent to Exchange if desired.
To create a new server monitor, follow this procedure:
1. In the Exchange administrator program, select a site in your organization.
2. Open the Configuration container within the selected site.
3. Select the Monitors container, the right administrator program display window will show all the existing monitors (both link and server) in this site.
4. Select New Other, then select Server Monitor. The Server Monitor property pages appear.
The server monitor has several property pages:
If your organization includes different people who need to be notified of servers' malfunction, you must create separate server monitors. Also, if you want to set a different polling interval for a specific group of servers, you must create unique server monitors.
The General property page allows you to name the server monitor and determine the polling interval and determine the location for a log file if one is desired.
To configure general settings for the server monitor, follow this procedure:
1. Select the General tab of the server monitor property pages. The property page shown in figure 24.10 appears.
Name this monitor and set its polling interval.
2. Enter a Directory name for this server monitor. (The directory name cannot be changed for a server monitor after it has been created.)
3. Enter a Display name as you want it to be shown in the administrator display window.
4. The Log File window shows the file name where monitor logs are being stored. Click Browse to select the file name and location.
5. In the Polling Interval window, enter the units and time interval for Normal operation.
6. In the Polling Interval window, enter the units and time interval for Critical Sites.
7. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
The Notification property page allows you to configure what happens when abnormal functioning is detected by a server monitor. There are three main types of notification:
The Notification property page is primarily one main display window where all notification objects are displayed. By default, this property page is blank.
Click New to define a new notification object. Select the type of notification.
Configuring an external notification application is as easy as choosing the application and setting the time delay for notification. You must configure that external process for the specific type of notification it provides. All Exchange does is launch the process and pass along any additional required parameters.
To configure Launch Process Notification properties, follow this procedure:
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state. Otherwise, the notification process will only launch in an alert state after the time delay is exceeded.
3. Click the File button and navigate your directory hierarchy to locate the process your want to launch in this notification. The Launch process box will display this file once selected.
4. Enter any additional Command line parameters you want to pass along to the notification process once it is launched.
5. Select the Append notification text to parameter list checkbox in order to attach the actual notification text to the above command line parameters during the process launch.
If the external notification application is already configured, you may now use the Test button to verify property functioning.
6. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
You can change a Notification by selecting it from the Notification list and clicking Edit. You can delete a notification by selecting it from the list and clicking Remove.
Mail message notification will alert an administrator via e-mail that a server has entered an Alert state(or Warning state as well, if desired).
To configure Mail Notification properties, follow this procedure:
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state. Otherwise, the notification mail message will only be sent in an alert state after the time delay has exceeded.
3. Click the Recipient button and navigate the Exchange address lists to select a recipient for the mail notification.
4. Click the Test button to verify proper notification functioning. Check the destination address to verify message delivery.
5. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
Notification by Windows NT Alert is only useful if the recipient computer is turned on and a user is logged in to it. These alerts are transmitted via the Windows NT Message service and are displayed on-screen to the specific user.
To configure notification properties for Windows NT Alert:
1. In the Time delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, hours) from the pull-down menu.
2. Clear the Alert only checkbox if you want this notification process to occur when the server is in a warning state. Otherwise, the alert message will only be sent in an alert state after the time delay has exceeded.
3. Enter the name of the Computer to alert in the box provided. Use the Windows NT server name (Exchange server name) for that computer.
4. Click the Test button to verify proper notification functioning. Check the destination computer to verify alert message delivery.
5. Click OK to complete these settings and return to the Notification property page.
The Servers property page lets you determine what servers are being monitored by the server monitor.
1. Select the Servers property page from the server monitor's property page. The property page shown in figure 24.11 appears.
Select which servers this monitor will watch.
2. The left display window lists the Microsoft Exchange server in the site selected in the lower left pull-down menu.
3. The right display window shows which servers are being monitored.
4. Use the Site pull-down menu to select a site in your organization. The servers in that site will be listed in the left display window.
5. Select an Exchange server from the Servers windows, and click Add to enable monitoring for it.
6. To stop monitoring, click on a server from the right display window and click Remove.
7. To define specifically which services are monitored on each server, use the Services button. (See the procedure in the next section.)
You can determine specific services to be monitored for each selected Exchange server. By default, only the core Microsoft Exchange services (Directory, Information Store, and MTA) are configured for monitoring. Monitored services can also be configured on the property pages for each individual Exchange server.
To configure monitored services with the server monitor, follow this procedure:
1. On the Servers tab of the Server monitor property pages, select a server to configure.
2. Click the Services button. The dialog box shown in figure 24.12 appears.
Add or remove services to be monitored.
3. The Installed services window shows all the system services running on this Windows NT server.
4. The Monitored services window shows the system services currently being watched.
This dialog box is identical to the Services tab in an individual server's property pages.
5. Scroll through the list of installed Windows NT services and select which to monitor. Click Add.
6. To remove a service from the Monitored services list, select it and click Remove.
7. Click None to remove all services from the monitored services list.
8. Click Default to keep only the Microsoft Exchange Directory, Information Store, and Message Transfer Agent services on the monitored list.
9. Click All to include every single Windows NT service in the Monitored services window (this is usually not a good idea, except under very special circumstances).
10. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the Server Monitor's Servers property page.
To open Server property pages, follow this procedure:
1. Navigate to your desired site with the Exchange administrator program.
2. Click on the Configuration container of the selected site. All the site configuration objects appear in the administrator program's right window.
3. Open the Servers container. A list of Exchange servers in your site will be listed.
4. Click the server name on which is the Private Information Store your want to configure. The list of server objects is visible on the right display window of the Microsoft Exchange administrator program.
5. Open its property pages by selecting Properties from the administrator program file menu or by pressing Alt+Enter.
6. Select the Services tab.
The Services property page allows you to define what services will be checked by a Microsoft Exchange server monitor. It is identical to the page found on the server monitor Servers page. The top display window shows all services current installed on this Windows NT server; the bottom display window shows the monitored services.
Select a service from the top window and click Add to add it to the list of Monitored Services.
Select a service from the bottom window and click Remove to take it off the list of Monitored Services.
Click Default to return to the basic services selected by Exchange Server.
Click None to remove all services from the monitored lists.
Use the Actions property page to define what steps are to be taken when a monitored service ceases to function. By default, no action is taken when a service goes down (except notification). Settings on this dialog box apply to all Exchange servers selected on the Servers property page. If you want to define different actions for different servers, you must create additional server monitors. There are three action choices to configure:
First attempt actions are executed the first time a service is polled and found to be in a warning or alert state. Second attempt is after the second, and Subsequent attempts are any time after the first two.
To configuring Actions, follow this procedure:
1. Select the Actions tab from the Server monitor property pages. The property page shown in figure 24.13 will appear.
Define what actions the server monitor should take upon detecting a service malfunction.
Actions defined in this property page are performed in addition to any notification action.
2. Next to First attempt use the pull-down menu to select an appropriate action. By default, Take no action is chosen.
3. Next to Second attempt use the pull-down menu to select an appropriate action. By default, Take no action is chosen.
4. Next to Subsequent attempts use the pull-down menu to select an appropriate action. By default, Take no action is chosen.
5. Enter a Restart delay (in seconds) that the server will wait before initiating a restart command. By default, this value is 60 seconds.
6. Type Restart message that will be display by the server when a restart server action is initiated.
7. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
The Clock property page configures system clock monitoring. Proper system clock synchronization is essential to running an efficient Exchange organization. So many connectors, gateways, and general maintenance processes depend on system-clock-based schedules that incorrect time setting could create many problems. The monitoring computer will generate an alert if both computers' system clocks are off by the predetermined number of seconds.
To set clock monitoring, follow this procedure:
1. Select the Clock tab of the Server Monitor property pages. The dialog box shown in figure 24.14 appears.
Make sure clocks in your organization are properly synchronized.
2. In Warning if off by more than, type the maximum amount of time (in seconds) that the two clocks can differ before entering a warning state.
3. In Alert if off by more than, type the maximum amount of time (in seconds) that the two clocks can differ before entering an alert state.
4. Clear the Synchronize checkboxes to prevent the clock from adjusted to the monitoring computer's clock. By default, this option is selected.
5. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. If you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.
Starting and Using a Monitor
After creating a monitor, you must start it in order for it to perform its functions. You can start a monitor manually from the administrator program or automatically from the command line. The monitors window must be open at all times when running (minimized is OK).
You can configure a server monitor for automatic startup by creating a program item for it in the Program Manager Startup group. The following sequence automatically starts the administrator program and designated monitors when logging into Windows NT.
1. In the Windows NT Program Manager, open the Startup program group.
2. Select New from the Program Manager File menu.
3. Select Program Item from the New Program Object dialog box. Click OK.
4. Enter a Description for this startup item.
5. Enter a command line following the following format: path\admin.exe /m[sitename]\monitorname\server
6. Example command line entry:
E:\exchange\bin\admin.exe /mMELBOURNE\watchdog1\NECRISC01
1. Optionally, multiple monitors can be started with this command line entry by adding an extra /m and identifying the monitor.
2. Example:
E:\exchange\bin\admin.exe /mBOSTON\watchdog1\BOSTON01 /mBOSTON\linkkeeper\BOSTON01
To start a monitor manually from the administrator program, follow this procedure:
1. Using the Exchange administrator program, select the site in which the desired server monitor resides.
2. Open the Configuration container for the selected site.
3. Click on the Monitors container for this site. The right administrator display window will show all the monitors you have created in your site (whether started or not).
4. Select the server monitor of your choice. From the administrator program Tools menu, select Start Monitor (see fig. 24.15).
The administrator program's Start Monitor command.
5. In the Connect to server dialog box, select which server to connect to as a home server. Click OK to start the monitor. The server monitor's display window appears.
You must connect to a specific server in order to execute server based operations (e.g., sending mail).
Using Monitor Status Windows
Monitor status windows are your portal through which you view the current condition of monitored links and servers. The status windows periodically update and display data on their operation. With enough strategically placed monitors, you can get an overall feel of your organization's messaging conditions from a single machine in your enterprise.
The Link Monitor window displays the condition of monitored links. Each line in the display represents one link. You can sort the display using the Column heading buttons. You can also change the width of the columns to make the display easier to read. (See fig. 24.16.)
A functioning Link Monitor window.
The Columns indicate the following things:
The Server Monitor window displays one line for each server being monitored. The status of the server, as represented by the icon, reflects the status of all server components. If any component is down, the server is considered to be down. (See fig. 24.17.)
A functioning Server Monitor window.
The Columns indicate the following things:
Double-clicking on a status message in either a link or server monitor will bring up property pages with status information. See chapter 26, "Troubleshooting Exchange's Directory Services," for an explanation of these property pages.
Stopping a Monitor for Maintenance
When bringing an Exchange server down for maintenance, consider the effects on monitors watching the server. Any server monitors will notice the halted services, initiate notifications, and enter an alert state. Any link monitors watching messaging connection through this server will enter alert mode and send out applicable notifications as well.
To prevent these problem, you can put a server into maintenance mode. When a monitor polls a server in this mode, it knows not to go through the normal alerts and warnings routine.
The command to specify an maintenance mode for a server is as follows:
ADMIN /t
After this command is executed, each monitor learns of the server's maintenance status at next server poll. Keep in mind each monitor's polling interval to be sure that all monitors are notified before you bring a server down.
The command can be modified with these additional switches:
-n halts notification processes on a monitor, but keeps monitor initiated repairs
-r keeps monitor initiated notifications, but halts repair processes on a monitor
-nr halts both notification and repair processes
-t resets the monitor to normal mode
To confirm that a monitor has received a maintenance notification, open a link or a server entry in the monitor and select its Maintenance property page. The checkboxes will give you this information.
From Here . . .
In this chapter, we have covered the two types of Exchange monitors. You will use these tools as your virtual eyes and ears watching over your Exchange servers and messaging links. Various notification options can be configured to alert you in the event of a malfunction or aberration in standard perfomance occurs. However, these monitors are just additional tools at your disposal, not substitutes for good site and link planning and implementation.
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Copyright ©1996, Que Corporation
