Special Edition Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5

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- 26 -
Monitoring Your Organization



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:

Chapter 25, "Monitoring Exchange," goes into more detail about how to use monitors to diagnose problems.

The following terms are pertinent to using Exchange monitoring tools:

Creating a Link Monitor

As an Exchange administrator, there are two fundamental ways in which you can be notified of a downed messaging link:

Link monitors watch for successful message connections between two points in an Exchange organization. They also can 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 link monitor sends a ping message 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 26.1).

4. Select New Other, and then select Link Monitor. The Link Monitor property pages appear.

FIG. 26.1 The Monitors container shows all monitors in the selected site. In our example, monitors can be made and executed anywhere in the organization with proper permissions.

The link monitor has several property pages which enable the following options:

These pages are described in more detail in the following sections.

The General Page

The General page enables you to name the monitor, set the polling interval, and optionally select a log file location. Use the following procedure to configure the link monitor:

1. Select the General tab of the Link Monitor property page. The property page shown in Figure 26.2 appears.

FIG. 26.2 The Link Monitor property page enables you to 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 file name of where monitor logs are being stored. Click Browse to select the file name and location.


NOTE: 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. When you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.

The Notification Page

The Notification property page enables 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 26.3). By default, this window is blank, and no notification is specific.

FIG. 26.3 The Link Monitor Notification property page shows whom to contact in case of malfunctions.

Click New to define a new notification object. Select the type of notification (see Figure 26.4).

FIG. 26.4 Select a Notification Type.

Launching a Notification Process  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 26.5). All Exchange does is launch the process and pass along any additional required parameters.

FIG. 26.5 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 you 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 command-line parameters during the process launch.


TIP: If the external notification application is already configured, you can now use the Test button to verify a property is 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.

Using Mail Message Notification  Mail notification will alert an administrator via e-mail that a server has entered an alert state (or a warning state) due to excessive delays between message returns.

To configure Mail Message Notification properties, follow the procedure detailed in the list following Figure 26.6.

FIG. 26.6 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 be sent in an alert state only after the time delay has been 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.

Using Windows NT Alerts otification by Windows NT Alert (see Figure 26.7) is useful only if the recipient computer is turned on and a user is logged on to it. These alerts are transmitted via the Windows NT Message service and are displayed on-screen to a user.

FIG. 26.7 Define Windows NT Alert parameters.

To configure notification properties for Windows NT Alert, follow these steps:

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 be sent in an alert state only after the time delay has been 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 Page

The Servers property page enables you to determine to which Exchange servers the link monitor will send ping messages. Follow these steps:

1. Select the Servers property page from the Link Monitor property page. The property page shown in Figure 26.8 appears.

The left display window lists the Microsoft Exchange server in the site selected in the lower-left pull-down menu.

The right display window shows which servers will receive ping messages from this server.

FIG. 26.8 Select which Exchange servers will receive ping messages.

2. 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.

3. Select an Exchange server from the Servers window and click Add to enable monitoring for it.

4. To stop monitoring, click a server from the right display window and click Remove.

5. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. When you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.

The Recipients Page

The Recipients property page enables 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 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.


NOTE: 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.


TIP: 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 that others in your organization will not accidentally send messages to the custom recipients.
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 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. When you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.

The Bounce Page

The Bounce property page allows you the maximum allowable round-trips before a server enters a warning or alert state.


CAUTION: If you have created redundant paths to other Exchange sites or foreign messaging systems, the link monitor will not inform you that the primary link is down if the secondary link returns the ping message prior to the server entering an 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 26.9 appears.

2. Enter a number and select the time units (seconds, minutes, or hours) to wait for a return message before entering a warning state. The default time is 30 minutes.

3. Enter a number and select the time units (seconds, minutes, or 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. When 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 the section "Starting and Using a Monitor" later in this chapter.

FIG. 26.9 Use this page to define threshold time before entering warning and alert states.


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 checks 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 (start, stop, or pause) services via the server monitor display window.

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, which enable the following options:

The Services Page

The Services property page shown on Figure 26.12 enables you to define which services a Microsoft Exchange server monitor will check. It is identical to the page found on the Server Monitor Servers page. The top display window shows all services currently installed on this Windows NT server; the bottom display window shows the monitored services. Follow this procedure:

1. Select a service from the top window and click Add to add it to the list of Monitored Services.

2. Select a service from the bottom window and click Remove to take it off the list of Monitored Services.

3. Click Default to return to the basic services selected by Exchange Server.

4. Click None to remove all services from the monitored lists.

If your organization includes several 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 Page

The General property page allows you to name the server monitor, 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 26.10 appears.

FIG. 26.10 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. When you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the administrator program.

The Notification Page

The Notification property page enables you to configure what happens when a server monitor detects abnormal functioning. There are three main types of notification:

The Notification property page is primarily one main display window in which 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.

Launching a Notification Process  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, or 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 you want to launch in this notification. The Launch Process box will display this file when it is selected.

4. Enter any additional command-line parameters you want to pass along to the notification process after 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.


TIP: If the external notification application is already configured, you may now use the Test button to verify a property is 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.

Using Mail Message Notification  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, or 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 be sent in an alert state only after the time delay has been 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.

Using Windows NT Alerts otification by Windows NT Alert is useful only if the recipient computer is turned on and a user is logged on 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, follow these steps:

1. In the Time Delay box, enter a numeric value and the time units (seconds, minutes, or 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 be sent in an alert state only after the time delay has been 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 Page

The Servers property page lets you determine what servers the server monitor is monitoring. Follow this procedure:

1. Select the Servers property page from the Server Monitor property page. Select the Server tab from the property page shown in Figure 26.11.

The left display window lists the Microsoft Exchange server in the site selected in the lower-left pull-down menu.

The right display window shows which servers are being monitored.

2. 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.

3. Select an Exchange server from the Servers window, and click Add to enable monitoring for it.

4. To stop monitoring, click on a server from the right display window and click Remove.

5. To define specifically which services are monitored on each server, use the Services button. (See the procedure in the next section, "Configuring Monitored Services with the Server Monitor.")

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.

FIG. 26.11 Select which servers this monitor will watch.

Configuring Monitored Services with the Server Monitor  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.

Click the Services button. The dialog box shown in Figure 26.12 appears.

The Installed Services window shows all the system services running on this Windows NT server.

The Monitored Services window sho ws the system services currently being watched.


NOTE: This dialog box is identical to the Services tab in an individual server's property pages.
2. Scroll through the list of installed Windows NT services and select which to monitor. Click Add.

FIG. 26.12 Add or remove services to be monitored.

3. To remove a service from the Monitored Services list, select it and click Remove.

4. Click None to remove all services from the Monitored Services list.

5. Click Default to keep only the Microsoft Exchange Directory, Information Store, and MTA services on the monitored list.

6. Click All to include every Windows NT service in the Monitored Services window. (This is usually not a good idea, except under very special circumstances.)

7. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. When you are done with all settings, click OK to return to the Server Monitor's Servers property page.

Configuring Monitored Services from Exchange Server Property Pages  To open Server property pages, follow this procedure:

1. Navigate to your desired site with the Exchange administrator program.

2. Click 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 name of the server on which the Private Information Store you want to configure is located. 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 Actions Page

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 notifi-cation). Settings on this dialog box apply to all Exchange servers selected on the Servers property page. If you want to define different actions for other 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. The second attempt is made after the second time, and subsequent attempts are made any time after the first two.

To configure Actions, follow this procedure:

1. Select the Actions tab from the Server Monitor property pages. The property page shown in Figure 26.13 will appear.

FIG. 26.13 Define what actions the server monitor should take upon detecting a service malfunction.



NOTE: Actions defined in this property page are performed in addition to any notification action.
2. Use the pull-down menu next to First attempt to select an appropriate action. By default, Take No Action is chosen.

3. Use the pull-down menu next to Second attempt to select an appropriate action. By default, Take No Action is chosen.

4. Use the pull-down menu next to Subsequent attempts to select an appropriate action. By default, Take No Action is chosen.

5. Enter a Restart Delay (in seconds) to designate the amount of time that the server will wait before initiating a restart command. By default, this value is 60 seconds.

6. Type Restart Message that will be displayed 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 Page

The Clock property page configures system clock monitoring. Proper system clock synchronization is essential to running an efficient Exchange organization. Because so many connectors, gateways, and general maintenance processes depend on system-clock-based schedules, an incorrect time setting could create many problems. The monitoring computer will generate an alert if both computers' system clocks are off by a 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 26.14 appears.

FIG. 26.14 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) in which 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) in which the two clocks can differ before entering an alert state.

4. Clear the Synchronize (S_ynchronize) checkboxes to prevent the clock from adjusting to the monitoring computer's clock. By default, this option is selected.

5. Click Apply to set these properties and continue with other properties. When 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 monitor's window must be open (or minimized at all times) when it is running.

Automatically Starting a Server Monitor

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 you log on to 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 format path\admin.exe /m[sitename] \monitorname\server

An example command-line entry follows:

E:\exchange\bin\admin.exe /mGARLAND\WATCHSERVER\GARLAND01
Optionally, multiple monitors can be started with this command-line entry by adding an extra /m and identifying the monitor.

An example follows:

E:\exchange\bin\admin.exe /mGARLAND\WATCHSERVER\GARLAND01 /mGARLAND\LinkIT\GARLAND01

Manually Starting a Server Monitor

You can start a monitor from another server in the organization. In the following examples the monitors were constructed and started at the Garland site. Note that the monitors exist in Los Angeles as well. To start a monitor manually from the administrator program, follow this procedure:

1. Using the Exchange administrator program, select the site at 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 at your site (whether started or not).

4. Select the server monitor of your choice. From the administrator program Tools menu, select Start Monitor (see Figure 26.15).

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.


NOTE: You must connect to a specific server in order to execute server-based operations, such as sending mail.

FIG. 26.15 The administrator program's Start Monitor command.


Using Monitor Status Windows

Using Monitor Status Windows

Monitor status windows are the portals 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.

Reading the Link Monitor Window

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 Figure 26.16).

FIG. 26.16 A functioning Link Monitor window.

The columns indicate the following things:

Up Link is operational.
Down Link is not operational.
Exclamation point Warning state.
Question mark Link is not yet monitored.

Reading the Server Monitor Window

The Server Monitor window displays one line for each server being monitored. The status icon reflects the status of all server components. If any component is down, the server is considered to be down (see Figure 26.17).

FIG. 26.17 A functioning Server Monitor window.

The columns indicate the following things:

Up Server is operational.
Down Server is not operational.
Exclamation point (!) Warning state.
Question mark (?) Server is not yet monitored.

Double-clicking a status message in either a link or server monitor will bring up property pages with status information. See Chapter 28, "Troubleshooting Exchange with Diagnostic Tools," 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 connections through this server will enter alert mode and send out applicable notifications as well.

To prevent these problems, 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 alert and warning routines.

The command to specify a 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 the 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 reveal this information.

Using SNMP to Monitor and Troubleshoot

If your system supports SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), you can use SNMP to monitor and support your Exchange organization.

Microsoft Exchange Server complies with RFC 1566, which defines industry standards for Management Information Base for SNMP Mail and Directory Management, otherwise known as MADMAN MIB.

By making Windows NT Performance Monitor counters available for MIB objects, Microsoft Exchange supports SNMP.

All counters accessed by the Exchange MTA and the Internet Mail Service can be accessed by SNMP, which surpasses the requirements of RFC 1566.

Table 26.1 identifies the MIB objects defined in RFC 1566 and their corresponding Exchange Server counters.

Table 26.1  MIB Objects and Exchange Server Counters

MSExchangeIMC Counter MSExchangeMTA MIB Object Counter
MTAReceivedMessages Inbound Messages Total Inbound Messages Total
MTAStoredMessages Total Messages Queued Work Queue Length
MTATransmittedMessages Outbound Messages Total Outbound Messages Total
MTAReceivedVolume Inbound Bytes Total Inbound Bytes Total
MTAStoredVolume Total Bytes Queued Work Bytes Queued
MTATransmittedVolume Outbound Bytes Total Outbound Bytes Total
MTAReceivedRecipients Total Recipients Inbound Total Recipients Inbound
MTAStoredRecipients Total Recipients Queued Total Recipients Queued
MTATransmittedRecipients Total Recipients Outbound Total Recipients Outbound
MTALoopsDetected Total Loops Detected Total Loops Detected

Table 26.2 lists the MIB group objects and their related MTA Connections counters.

Table 26.2  MIB Objects and MTA Connections Counters

MIB Object MSExchangeMTA Connections Counter
MTAGroupReceivedMessages Inbound Messages Total
MTAGroupRejectedMessages Inbound Rejected Total
MTAGroupStoredMessages Queue Length
MTAGroupTransmittedMessages Outbound Messages Total
MTAGroupReceivedVolume Inbound Bytes Total
MTAGroupStoredVolume Queued Bytes
MTAGroupTransmittedVolume Outbound Bytes Total
MTAGroupReceivedRecipients Total Recipients Inbound
MTAGroupStoredRecipients Total Recipients Queue
DMTAGroupTransmittedRecipients Total Recipients Outbound
MTAGroupOldestMessageStored Oldest Message Queued (seconds)
MTAGroupInboundAssociations Current Inbound Associations
MTAGroupOutboundAssociations Current Outbound Associations
MTAGroupLastInboundActivity Last Inbound Association (seconds)
MTAGroupLastOutboundActivity Last Outbound Association (seconds)
MTAGroupScheduledRetry Next Association Retry (seconds)

By accessing the MIBs in the mib.bin file, the Windows NT Server SNMP agent can respond to SNMP requests. To enable Exchange Server to support SNMP, you must install the MIB for the Microsoft Exchange Server computer (exchange.mib) on your server in the mib.bin file.

A compiled version of Exchange.mib is provided by Microsoft Exchange Server, which is installed by running a batch file from the Exchange Server CD-ROM. The following section, "Using the Batch File," explains how to run this file. If extension MIBs on your server have been configured, you must use other tools to install Exchange.mib rather than the batch file. These other tools to install Exchange.mib are also found on the Exchange Server CD-ROM.


NOTE: The Windows NT SNMP service must be installed prior to installing SNMP support for Exchange. To install the Windows NT SNMP service from Control Panel, choose Network. After you install the service, you must reinstall Windows NT Service Pack 3.

Using the Batch File

As mentioned in the preceding section, if you have not installed any MIBs on your server other than those included with Windows NT, you can run the batch file included on the Exchange Server CD-ROM. The batch file is located in the following directory:

SUPPORT\SNMP\platform\INSTALL.BAT

Using Perf2mib.exe and Mibcc.exe

Microsoft Exchange Server provides tools for SNMP support. Perf2mib.exe compiles Performance Monitor counters into a new MIB for Exchange Server. Mibcc.exe recompiles the Perfmib.mib file created by Perf2mib.exe and creates a new mib.bin file. Use the following procedure to use Perf2mib.exe and Mibcc.exe:

1. Run the Per2mib.exe program from a command prompt to create the perfmib.mib and perfmib.ini files.

2. Run the Mibcc.exe command to create the Mib.bin.

3. Copy Perfmib.dll, Perfmib.ini, and Mib.bin to the system32 directory.

4. Run the regini.exe command to set up the registry with the values to support the performance MIB.

5. Restart the SNMP service by choosing Services from Control Panel.

MIB Viewing

Any SNMP version 1-compatible management console can view the Microsoft Exchange Server MIB. Your management console may need to load the MIB file for the object descriptions, which is available on the Exchange Server CD-ROM. You can also use the SNMPUTIL utility, available with the Windows NT Resource Kit, to view a MIB. l


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