Module 13: Performing Preventive Maintenance

Overview Performing Daily Exchange Maintenance Performing Scheduled Exchange Maintenance Performing On-Demand Exchange Maintenance Discussion: Performing Preventive Maintenance Video

Lesson: Performing Daily Exchange Maintenance What Are the Daily Maintenance Tasks? Guidelines for Checking Logs Guidelines for Monitoring Services and Resources Guidelines for Examining the Exchange Store Statistics What to View in Event Viewer How to Monitor Event Viewer for Potential Issues How to Check Monitoring and Status for Potential Issues What Is Queue Viewer? How to Monitor Queues for Potential Issues

What Are the Daily Maintenance Tasks? To perform daily maintenance tasks: Monitor Event Viewer Check Monitoring and Status Check Queue Viewer Check logs Check for available disk space Monitor Exchange and network services Monitor server performance Monitor cluster resources Verify replication Examine Exchange store statistics Monitor Event Viewer Check Monitoring and Status Check Queue Viewer Check logs Check for available disk space Monitor Exchange and network services Monitor server performance Monitor cluster resources Verify replication Examine Exchange store statistics Administrator

Guidelines for Checking Logs Administrator Event Log Review daily Review warnings and error conditions Respond to errors Antivirus Log Review virus scan information Verify that antivirus product is performing correctly Performance Log Monitor the performance and capacity of Exchange servers Set alerts Protocol Log Track commands Review information such as IP address, domain name, and date and time of the message

Guidelines for Monitoring Services and Resources Monitor network performance: Capture, display, and analyze network traffic Locate network and connectivity problems Capture, display, and analyze network traffic Locate network and connectivity problems Monitor server performance: Review programs and processes Monitor performance counters Review programs and processes Monitor performance counters Monitor Windows services: Monitor Active Directory Monitor DNS service Monitor IIS service Monitor Active Directory Monitor DNS service Monitor IIS service Monitor cluster resources: Verify that clusters are configured correctly View the performance of your server and Exchange Server 2003 Monitor virtual memory counters Verify that clusters are configured correctly View the performance of your server and Exchange Server 2003 Monitor virtual memory counters Administrator

Guidelines for Examining the Exchange Store Statistics View the: Available disk space on each Exchange volume and compare it to the expected rate of growth Statistics for each Exchange database and compare it to the available free space Users that are logged on to a store Size of individual mailboxes Current state of Full-Text Indexing for mailbox and public folder stores Current state of public folders Available disk space on each Exchange volume and compare it to the expected rate of growth Statistics for each Exchange database and compare it to the available free space Users that are logged on to a store Size of individual mailboxes Current state of Full-Text Indexing for mailbox and public folder stores Current state of public folders Use Windows Explorer and Exchange System Manager Verify the hard disk space Hard Disk Administrator

What to View in Event Viewer View normal events, such as: Event ID 8000 and 8001 Event ID 700 and 701 Event ID 1206 and 1207 Event ID 8000 and 8001 Event ID 700 and 701 Event ID 1206 and 1207 View problematic events, such as: Event ID 2064 and 2069 Event ID 9582 Events containing error 1018 JET_errReadVerifyFailure, 1019 JET_errPageNotInitialized, and 1022 JET_errDiskIO Event ID 2064 and 2069 Event ID 9582 Events containing error 1018 JET_errReadVerifyFailure, 1019 JET_errPageNotInitialized, and 1022 JET_errDiskIO View additional event sources, such as: MSExchangeTransport, MSExchangeAL, MSExchangeIS and MSExchangeSA Use Event Viewer to monitor hardware and software activities Administrator

To view Exchange-related event sources: Open Event Viewer Select Application Log Select a specific set of events or leave the default setting Open Event Viewer Select Application Log Select a specific set of events or leave the default setting To configure diagnostic logging: Open the Properties dialog box of the server Configure the logging level for each service and category that you want to configure diagnostic logging for Open the Properties dialog box of the server Configure the logging level for each service and category that you want to configure diagnostic logging for How to Monitor Event Viewer for Potential Issues A higher level of logging enables you to view more events in the Application log, and improves chances for determining the cause of the problem Practice

How to Check Monitoring and Status for Potential Issues Server statusWhat does it indicate? Unreachable One of the main services on the server is down or a connector between routing groups is down or does not exist Unknown System Attendant cannot communicate with the local server Critical or Warning A monitored resource has reached the critical or warning state defined for the resource Unavailable A communication service is not functioning on this connector Practice To verify server and connector status: Browse to Monitoring and Status Review the Status column for an indication of a potential issue Browse to Monitoring and Status Review the Status column for an indication of a potential issue

What Is Queue Viewer? Use this optionTo Disable Outbound Mail Disable outbound from all SMTP queues Settings Determine the frequency at which the queues are refreshed Find Messages Display messages in the queue and searches for messages by specifying search criteria Additional queue information View additional information such as troubleshooting information about a particular queue A utility to maintain and administer the organization messaging queues Queue viewer

How to Monitor Queues for Potential Issues Use the Find Messages feature and the queue viewer to check for problem messages Practice To determine a problem with a queue: Select the Queues node for the server you want to view Review the Status column Review the Number of messages and Total message size columns Select the Queues node for the server you want to view Review the Status column Review the Number of messages and Total message size columns To find a message: Select the queue in which you want to search for messages Search for messages View information about the messages found Select the queue in which you want to search for messages Search for messages View information about the messages found

Lesson: Performing Scheduled Exchange Maintenance What Are the Scheduled Maintenance Tasks? Guidelines for Generating Reports and Identifying Trends How to Review Protocol Logs for Potential Issues What Is HTTP Monitor? How to Monitor Outlook Web Access Servers for Potential Issues How to Manage Mailbox Limits How to Manage the Badmail Folder How to Manage the Postmaster Mailbox

What Are the Scheduled Maintenance Tasks? To perform scheduled maintenance tasks: Generate reports and identify trends Review protocol logs for potential issues Monitor Outlook Web Access servers for potential issues Manage mailbox limits Manage the Badmail folder Manage the Postmaster mailbox Generate reports and identify trends Review protocol logs for potential issues Monitor Outlook Web Access servers for potential issues Manage mailbox limits Manage the Badmail folder Manage the Postmaster mailbox Administrator

Guidelines for Generating Reports and Identifying Trends Provide procedures for system monitoring Provide procedures for system measurement Provide procedures for system monitoring Provide procedures for system measurement Monitoring and measurement tasks Establish baselines for each service Monitor all levels of system operations Establish baselines for each service Monitor all levels of system operations Providing capacity planning Record and log system activity over a period of time Chart the activity in real time and display information contained in log files Record and log system activity over a period of time Chart the activity in real time and display information contained in log files Capturing and reporting performance data Capture data and analyze the reports that you create by using that data Analyzing trends Practice

How to Review Protocol Logs for Potential Issues To enable the SMTP, NNTP, or HTTP protocol logging: Use the Properties dialog box of the virtual server to enable SMTP or NNTP protocol logging ‑ or ‑ Use the Properties dialog box of the Default Web Site to enable HTTP protocol logging Select a file format Specify the schedule and location for new log files Select the items you want to track if the file format is W3C Extended Log Use the Properties dialog box of the virtual server to enable SMTP or NNTP protocol logging ‑ or ‑ Use the Properties dialog box of the Default Web Site to enable HTTP protocol logging Select a file format Specify the schedule and location for new log files Select the items you want to track if the file format is W3C Extended Log Types of file formats for a protocol log: IIS Log ODBC Logging W3C Extended Log NCSA Common Log Practice

What Is HTTP Monitor? Checks Web sites Stores the results Log File Benefits Allows you to monitor Web sites Allows you to test several sites and applications simultaneously Allows you to monitor Web sites Allows you to test several sites and applications simultaneously Real-Time Sampling Service SQL Reporting Server Client Monitor Components HTTP Monitor

How to Monitor Outlook Web Access Servers for Potential Issues To install and configure HTTPMon: Run Setup.exe from the Resource Kit Specify the appropriate information in the Setup program Run HTTPMon Configuration Manager.exe Run Setup.exe from the Resource Kit Specify the appropriate information in the Setup program Run HTTPMon Configuration Manager.exe To run HTTPMon: Configure Global Settings Add your server Start HTTPMon View the results by opening the.csv files Review events in Event Viewer Configure Global Settings Add your server Start HTTPMon View the results by opening the.csv files Review events in Event Viewer

How to Manage Mailbox Limits No Checking Below Limit Issue Warning Prohibit Send Mailbox Disabled No Checking Below Limit Issue Warning Prohibit Send Mailbox Disabled Configure diagnostic logging on your server to see events in the Event Viewer application log when mailboxes reach the various stages of storage limit warnings To respond to oversized mailboxes: Open System Manager Select Start Mailbox Management Process Open System Manager Select Start Mailbox Management Process Practice To use Exchange System Manager to manage mailbox limits: Browse to the Servers container Browse to Mailbox Store and select Mailboxes Select Add/Remove Columns Select Storage Limits Browse to the Servers container Browse to Mailbox Store and select Mailboxes Select Add/Remove Columns Select Storage Limits

How to Manage the Badmail Folder Home folder Virtual Server Badmail folder Define policies to monitor the Badmail folder To manage the Badmail folder: Check the contents of the Badmail folder for messages that could not be delivered Delete messages from the Badmail folder based on your company’s policies Check the contents of the Badmail folder for messages that could not be delivered Delete messages from the Badmail folder based on your company’s policies To configure the location of the Badmail folder: Select the virtual server that you want to configure Specify the new location for the Badmail folder Select the virtual server that you want to configure Specify the new location for the Badmail folder Practice

How to Manage the Postmaster Mailbox Change the default display name to prevent displaying the name of your administrator account to outside users To manage the Postmaster mailbox: Determine whether to associate or create a postmaster account Delegate access to the postmaster’s mailbox Establish a regular schedule Determine if NDRs are to be sent to the postmaster account Determine whether to associate or create a postmaster account Delegate access to the postmaster’s mailbox Establish a regular schedule Determine if NDRs are to be sent to the postmaster account To change the origin of delivery status notifications: Remove the SMTP proxy address Locate the account and specify the postmaster address Change the Display Name Remove the SMTP proxy address Locate the account and specify the postmaster address Change the Display Name Practice To manually set an SMTP Postmaster mailbox to receive NDRs: Select the user account Create an SMTP proxy address Define that address on the virtual server Select the user account Create an SMTP proxy address Define that address on the virtual server

Lesson: Performing On-Demand Exchange Maintenance What Are the On-Demand Maintenance Tasks? Why Defragment the Database? How to Defragment Exchange Stores How Isinteg Verifies the Exchange Store Integrity How to Verify the Exchange Store Integrity What to Look for When Checking Queues Guidelines for Configuring a Performance Console

What Are the On-Demand Maintenance Tasks? To perform on-demand maintenance tasks: Defragment mailbox and public folder stores Verify mailbox and public folder store integrity Check queues Configure performance console Defragment mailbox and public folder stores Verify mailbox and public folder store integrity Check queues Configure performance console Administrator

Why Defragment the Database? Use the Eseutil command- line tool to defragment the information store in Exchange Server 2003 Modes of operation Eseutil /dEseutil /p Eseutil /rEseutil /c Eseutil /gEseutil /k Eseutil /mEseutil /y Requirements for defragmenting: Database must not be mounted Free disk space at least 110 percent of the size of the database being processed Database must not be mounted Free disk space at least 110 percent of the size of the database being processed Perform an offline defragmentation to reduce the database size and create a compacted database

How to Defragment Exchange Stores Practice To defragment mailbox and public folder stores by using Eseutil: Use Exchange System Manager to dismount the Exchange store that you want to defragment At the command prompt, run eseutil /d Use Exchange System Manager to dismount the Exchange store that you want to defragment At the command prompt, run eseutil /d

How Isinteg Verifies the Exchange Store Integrity Checks whether MSExchangeIS service is stopped Compares the counts found to the counts in the reference database 4 4 Performs the named to ID or named properties cleanup check ? 2 2 Browses all of the cross reference tables for errors ? Use the Isinteg command-line tool to search an offline information store for integrity weaknesses and to repair detected issues

How to Verify the Exchange Store Integrity To test the integrity of the Exchange store, at a command prompt type: c:\program files\exchsrvr\bin> isinteg -s ServerName -test alltests To fix inconsistencies and errors in the Exchange store, at a command prompt type: To fix inconsistencies and errors in the Exchange store, at a command prompt type: c:\program files\exchsrvr\bin> isinteg -s ServerName -fix Syntax: Isinteg -s ServerName [-fix] [-verbose] [-l LogFilename ] -test TestName [[, TestName ]...] Syntax: Isinteg -s ServerName [-fix] [-verbose] [-l LogFilename ] -test TestName [[, TestName ]...] Practice

Check messages by using Queue Viewer What to Look for When Checking Queues Extended periods of queues Spikes in queued messages Indicates an abnormal system event that warrants your attention Indicates that a: Server is down Service is stopped Network disruption is preventing the system from establishing a connection Indicates that a: Server is down Service is stopped Network disruption is preventing the system from establishing a connection Indicates loop or DoS attack Administrator

Guidelines for Configuring a Performance Console Create a Performance console to ask some basic questions about your environment To monitor: Use Microsoft Operations Manager to automate the monitoring of large numbers of servers and their applications Use Exchange Application Management Pack to analyze and graph the performance data To monitor: Use Microsoft Operations Manager to automate the monitoring of large numbers of servers and their applications Use Exchange Application Management Pack to analyze and graph the performance data To manually set an SMTP Postmaster mailbox to receive NDRs: Select the user account Create an SMTP proxy address Define that address on the virtual server Select the user account Create an SMTP proxy address Define that address on the virtual server Guidelines for creating a Performance console: Create a Performance console that has two different sample times Include a minimal set of counters in each console Examine your busiest server Save reference logs Create a Performance console that has two different sample times Include a minimal set of counters in each console Examine your busiest server Save reference logs

Discussion: Performing Preventive Maintenance Read the scenarios Determine possible solutions Discuss your solutions with the class Read the scenarios Determine possible solutions Discuss your solutions with the class