Exchange Server Back Pressure

Back pressure is a resource monitoring feature with Exchange servers which build into Transport service. ( Mailbox Servers ) The idea is to have Exchange Server detect the issues and take necessary action so the messaging servers wont be completely un available.

There are 4 event ID associated with correlating events and actions messaging server would perform.

Figuring out such event can be very usefully when back pressure becomes the issue.

# Explain event descriptions
Write-Host "--------------------------                              ------------------------------"
Write-Host "Event ID 15004 = Resource pressure increased" -Fore Cyan
Write-Host "Event ID 15005 = Resource pressure decreased" -Fore Cyan
Write-Host "Event ID 15006 = Low available disk space" -Fore Yellow
Write-Host "Event ID 15007 = Low available memory" -Fore Yellow
Write-Host "---------------------------                                  ------------------------"

To automate the process we have developed PS script. You can download from TechNet scripting library.

Special thanks to Benjamin Bohn for taking his time and turning my simple script into great resource script.

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog)

Migrate DHCP Service from Windows 2003 onto Windows 2008 R2

We will migrate DHCP Service from windows 2003 DC onto Windows 2008 R2 DC. Just follow the simple steps to get the work done

Environment :

• Source Server  windows 2003 ( DC,GC) DHCP Installed here server name is = Server
• Destination Server Windows 2008 R2 ( DC,GC) = We will migrate DHCP Service and all related configurations here
• Log into Source Server where DHCP is installed
• Click Start Open Cmd.exe

Netsh dhcp server export c:\temp\dhcp.txt

Make sure temp directory exist if not create one on the C drive….

Now log into Target Server

• Click start
• In the search type
• ServerManager.msc
• Hit enter
• Click Add Roles

• Now you need the file we have created earlier to import into this server
• I am going to connect the first server and get the file we have created which does have all existing settings for the DHCP server

I am going to copy the dhcp.txt file onto server1 onto temp directory

Click Start

Type Cmd.exe and hit enter

type following and hit enter

Netsh dhcp server import c:\temp\dhcp.txt

 

Now open back to DHCP management

If you refresh all your existed settings are now in this new DHCP Scope

Last thing we need to do is to go back and un-install DHCP services from source server, running DHCP from two servers will same scope will be ugly (-:

Log back onto first server

Well done you have completed DHCP migration

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog)

PowerShell to Discover the Holders of Active Directory FSMO Roles

FSMO roles always been one of the most hot topics of every interview I have ever been. Even for Exchange Server interviews. Knowing the FSMO roles makes your job easy and understanding Active Directory for sure keeps your place in Exchange world safer.

If you need refresher for the FSMO Just take a look at this question. Considering having single FOREST if you have 12 domains, how many FSMO roles in total exist ? Id your answer is not 38 then you need the refresher (-: and here id nice summary Why do We Need FSMO Roles

You can quickly Fire up CMD and type

NetDom Query FSMO

Or you can open PowerShell

$Domain = Get-ADDomain | select -ExpandProperty Name

Get-ADDomain $Domain | fl PDCEmulator,RIDMaster,InfrastructureMaster

Or here is the simple script can show you the FSMO roles for your Domain Name Space

http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Find-FSMO-Roles-6950d3c7

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog

The Windows component RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface isn't installed on this computer and needs to be installed before

 

Installing Exchange 2013 SP1, receiving error “The Windows component RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface isn't installed on this computer and needs to be installed before”

On the problem server open PowerShell with administrator privileges and use following PS command

Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface

Verify ….

Get-WindowsFeature | where-object {$_.Installed -eq $True} | fl name,*RSAT*

 

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog)

You don’t have sufficient permissions. This operation can only be performed by a manager of this group.

When you want your Tier2 to have ability to manage distribution Groups by adding multiple managers to it, you may receive the error “You don’t have sufficient permissions. This operation can only be performed by a manager of this group.” in Exchange 2010 SMTP organization.

The issue might have been caused by “security group management check” outlined in the following KB

Remedy to this issues is to add the helpdesk administrators into RBAC Role Groups called “Role Management” so that they can populate the DL group membership with multiple managers.

“A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts that argument –BypassSecurityGroupManagerCheck “ this error simply being generated due to “Un sufficient rights”

Set-DistributionGroup "CTOS" –ManagedBy brian@ZtekZone.gov,Sam@ZtekZone.gov

Log into ECP with org administrator privileges

https://mail.ztekzone.com/ECP

Open Administrator Roles, select “Role Management” assign this to your Helpdesk  administrators.

Role Management Role allows

This role enables administrators to manage management role groups; role assignment policies and management roles; and role entries, assignments, and scopes in an organization. Users assigned this role can override the role group managed by property, configure any role group, and add or remove members to or from any role group.

After changes have been made you should not be receiving the same error.

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog)

MAPI-HTTP Alchemy Exchange 2013 SP1

Exchange 2013 SP1 has been released with several improvements over the product. The new futures listed in the release notes , that can be found here

If you are in the production environment it is critical you have to be !!!aware of these changes!!! and found issues with SP1 release. As you can tell clearly, without proper planning and preparation the SP1 upgrade can turn into !!!disaster!!!, which all of must avoid being there.

Some of the highlights for SP1…

1. Mail flow stops after Exchange 2013 SP1 is installed

• Reboot the server after upgrade
• (Microsoft Exchange Frontend Transport)

2. Mailbox size increase when migrating from previous Exchange versions

• To prevent users from exceeding their mailbox size quotas, increase the database or mailbox quota
• Mailbox size reported may increase 30 percent to 40 percent,
• Disk space used by the mailbox database has not increased
• Only the attribution of space used by each mailbox has increase

3. You must adjust the user quotas to prevent interruption

4. Installing Exchange 2013 in an existing Exchange organization may cause all clients to download the OAB 

• This could result in network saturation and server performance issues especially on large enterprise platforms

5. MAPI over HTTP may experience poor performance when you upgrade to Exchange 2013 SP1

• clients that connect to an Exchange 2013 SP1 server using the protocol may experience poor performance.

From CAS Servers ( Elevated command prompt)

set AppCmdLocation=%windir%\System32\inetsrv set ExchangeLocation=%ProgramFiles%\Exchange Server\V15 %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe SET AppPool "MSExchangeMapiFrontEndAppPool" /CLRConfigFile:"%ExchangeLocation%\bin\MSExchangeMapiFrontEndAppPool_CLRConfig.config" %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe RECYCLE AppPool "MSExchangeMapiFrontEndAppPool"

From MBX Servers ( Elevated command prompt)

set AppCmdLocation=%windir%\System32\inetsrv set ExchangeLocation=%ProgramFiles%\Exchange Server\V15 %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe SET AppPool "MSExchangeMapiMailboxAppPool" /CLRConfigFile:"%ExchangeLocation%\bin\MSExchangeMapiMailboxAppPool_CLRConfig.config" %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe RECYCLE AppPool "MSExchangeMapiMailboxAppPool" %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe SET AppPool "MSExchangeMapiAddressBookAppPool" /CLRConfigFile:"%ExchangeLocation%\bin\MSExchangeMapiAddressBookAppPool_CLRConfig.config" %AppCmdLocation%\appcmd.exe RECYCLE AppPool "MSExchangeMapiAddressBookAppPool"

MapiHttp (codename Alchemy). 

• Microsoft has designed MapiHttp protocol to replace the existing RPC/HTTP protocol. MapiHttp is new communication protocol in between outlook and Exchange 2013 SP1.
• The gain is obvious, taking out the RPC out the picture will improve the end-user messaging experience. As you could tell this will have big positive impact & effect on Office 365 cloud scenario, over user outlook usage.

MapiHttp protocol

• Provides faster reconnection times after a communications break because only TCP connection unlike RFC requires "rebuild"
• Offers a session context that is not dependent on the connection

Read more

To enable MapiHttp run following

Set-OrganizationConfig -MapiHttpEnabled $true

Read more some other real cool futures listed in Scotts Blog

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Database Availability Groups

Channel 9

Joseph Warren…

Exchange 2013 and MapiHttp

Scott Schnoll

Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Tips & Tricks

• http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2014/02/25/exchange-server-2013-service-pack-1-available.aspx

• What's New in Exchange 2013

Stay tuned until next time.

Best regards,
Oz Casey , Dedeal
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)
Http://telnet25.wordpress.com (Blog)