Module 11
Maintaining Microsoft®
Exchange Server 2010
Module Overview
• Monitoring Exchange Server 2010
• Maintaining Exchange Server 2010
• Troubleshooting Exchange Server 2010
Lesson 1: Monitoring Exchange Server 2010
• Why Is Performance Monitoring Important?
• Tools for Monitoring Exchange Server
• Collecting Performance Data for the Exchange Server
• Collecting Performance Data for the Mailbox Server
• Collecting Performance Data for the Hub Transport and Edge Transport Servers
• Collecting Performance Data for the Client Access Server
• Using the Collected Performance Data
Why Is Performance Monitoring Important?
Performance monitoring can help you:
• Identify performance issues
• Identify growth trends to improve plans for upgrades
• Measure performance against service level agreements
• Identify security issues and denial-of-service attacks
Tools for Monitoring Exchange Server
The following tools can help you monitor system health:
• System Center Operations Manager or System Center Essentials (with Exchange Server 2010 Management Pack)
• Third-party monitoring products
• Performance and Reliability Monitor
Collecting Performance Data for the Exchange Server
Suggested performance counters for all Exchange Server roles:
Processor:
• _Total\% Processor Time
• _Total\% User Time
• _Total\% Privilege Time
System:
• Processor Queue Length
MSExchange ADAccess Domain Controllers:
• LDAP Read Time• LDAP Search Time• LDAP Searches time
out per minute• Long running LDAP
operations/min
Memory:
• Available Mbytes
• Pool Paged Bytes
• Transition Pages Repurposed/sec
• Page Reads/sec
• Pages/sec
• Page Input/sec
• Pages Output/sec
Collecting Performance Data for the Mailbox Server
Suggested performance counters for all Mailbox server roles:
LogicalDisk:
• Avg. Disk sec/Read
• Ave. Disk sec/Write
• Avg. Disk sec/Transfer
MSExchangeIS Mailbox:
• Messages Queued for Submission
MSExchangeIS:
• RPC Requests
• RPC Averaged Latency
• RPC Operations/sec
• RPC Num Slow Packets
• RPC Average Latency
MSExchangeIS Public:
• Messages Queued for Submission
Collecting Performance Data for the Hub Transport and Edge Transport Servers
Suggested performance counters for the Hub Transport and Edge Transport server roles:
LogicalDisk:
• Avg. Disk sec/Read
• Avg. Disk sec/Write
• Avg. Disk Queue Length
MSExchange Database ==> Instances:
• Log Generation Checkpoint Depth
• Version buckets allocated
• Log Record Stalls/sec
MSExchangeTransport Queues:
• Aggregate Delivery Queue Length (All Queues)
• Active Report Delivery Queue Length
• Active Mailbox Delivery Queue Length
• Retry Mailbox Delivery Queue Length
• Unreachable Queue Length
• Largest Delivery Queue Length
• Poison Queue Length
Collecting Performance Data for the Client Access Server
Suggested performance counters for the Client Access server role:
LogicalDisk:
• Avg. Disk sec/Read
• Ave. Disk sec/Write
ASP.NET:
• Application Restarts
• Worker Process Restarts
• Requests Current
• Request Wait Time
MSExchange OWA:
• Average Response Time
• Average Search Time
MSExchange ActiveSync:
• Average Request Time
MSExchangeFS OAB:
• Download Task Queued
RPC/HTTP Proxy:
• Number of failed back-end connection attempts per second
ASP.NET Applications:
• Requests in Application Queue
MSExchange Availability Service:
• Average Time to Process a Free Busy Request
Using the Collected Performance Data
To use the collected performance data:
Create a baseline:• Monitor performance for a full business cycle• Note any peaks or troughs in the data
Set warning and error level thresholds
Review growth trends regularly to:• Adjust threshold• Adjust server configuration
Lesson 2: Maintaining Exchange Server 2010
• Discussion: What Is Change Management?
• Considerations for Managing Change
• Discussion: What Are Software Updates?
• Process for Deploying Software Updates
• Determining the Need for Hardware Upgrades
• Process for Implementing Hardware Upgrades
Discussion: What Is Change Management?
• How does your organization address change management?
• Are there some situations where change management is more important than others?
• What are the benefits of having a formal change management process?
• Are there situations in which you cannot follow the normal change process?
Considerations for Managing Change
• Define a process and use it consistently
• Support the change management process
• Use a process model like MOF to describe a system life cycle
Discussion: What Are Software Updates?
• What is the difference between a hotfix and an update?
• Why should your organization deploy software updates?
Process for Deploying Software Updates
You can manage software updates by using WSUSYou can manage software updates by using WSUS
Determine which updates are needed11
Test and document the back-out plan33
Backup the server44
Schedule and install the software update55
Verify and monitor the software update installation66
Test and document the update in a compatible environment
22
Determining the Need for Hardware Upgrades
• Investigate causes of poor user experiences
• Monitor processor counters
• Monitor memory counters
• Monitor disk counters
• Monitor network counters
Process for Implementing Hardware Upgrades
Determine which upgrades are needed11
33
Backup the server 44
Schedule and install the hardware upgrade55
Verify and monitor the hardware upgrade66
Test and document the upgrade in a test environment22
Test and document the back-out plan
Lesson 3: Troubleshooting Exchange Server 2010
• Developing a Troubleshooting Methodology
• Troubleshooting Tools
• Discussion: Troubleshooting Mailbox Servers
• Discussion: Troubleshooting Client Access Servers
• Discussion: Troubleshooting Message Transport Servers
Developing a Troubleshooting Methodology
Clearly define the problem11
List the probable cause of the problem33
Rank the cause by probability and define solutions 44
Rank solutions by ease of resolution and impact to complete55
Try the most probable and easily implemented resolution until the problem is resolved66
Gather information related to the problem• Turn up logging• Review logs• Try to reproduce the problem
22
Reduce logging to normal77
Document resolution and root cause for future reference88
Troubleshooting Tools
All Exchange servers:• Best Practices Analyzer • Performance Troubleshooter• Network Monitor• Performance and Reliability Monitor• Test cmdlets
Hub Transport and Edge Transport servers:• Mail Flow Troubleshooter• Message tracking• Queue Viewer• Routing Log Viewer• Telnet
Discussion: Troubleshooting Mailbox Servers
A database has gone offline. What process can you use to troubleshoot the problem?
Discussion: Troubleshooting Client Access Servers
Outlook users no longer can connect to the system. What process can you use to troubleshoot the problem?
Discussion: Troubleshooting Message Transport Servers
Users are reporting undeliverable and slow-to-deliver outbound e-mail. What process can you use to troubleshoot the problem?
Lab: Maintaining Exchange Server 2010
• Exercise 1: Monitoring Exchange Server 2010
• Exercise 2: Troubleshooting Database Availability
• Exercise 3: Troubleshooting Client Access Servers
Logon information
Estimated time: 60 minutes
Virtual machines 10135A-VAN-DC1 10135A-VAN-EX1
User name Administrator
Password Pa$$w0rd
Lab Scenario
You are the messaging administrator at A. Datum Corporation. You need to configure basic monitoring by using the Performance and Reliability Monitor. You also must troubleshoot issues with a mailbox database and a Client Access server.
Lab Review
• Was the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer helpful in troubleshooting the database error? When might using Exchange Best Practices Analyzer be a better fit?
• Why do you need to run IISReset after reconfiguring Outlook Web App?
Module Review and Takeaways
• Review Questions
• Common Issues and Troubleshooting Tips
• Real-World Issues and Scenarios
• Best Practices