Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 2 (14.2.0) is now available. More details below:

View article…

Just a quick useful command to force all mail in your transport queue to retry instead of waiting for the next retry time.

Retry-Queue -Identity “QueueName” -Resubmit $True

Just a quick useful command to show you the last time your Exchange databases were backed up.

Get-MailboxDatabase -Status | FT name, Last*

The command issues an output like below

This is some great news for advocates of Lync Enterprise Voice. Here is another study (albeit a US centric one) that suggests Lync EV is seeing huge success and is set for even more growth!

This concurs with what I am seeing when I’m talking to customers and people in the marketplace about voice platforms. There seems to be a real buzz about Lync and particularly Lync voice this year. I’ve christened it “year of the Lync”!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-infotrack-study-projects-microsoft-lyncs-enterprise-voice-on-verge-of-explosive-growth-2012-03-01

Happy reading!

BrianC

This is an excellent tool that I used extensively and I’m pleased that its been released so soon.

You can download it from:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=29268

Information is available on TechNet:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh920821.aspx

Enjoy!

 

John Riseam

System Center Consultant

Risual

Hi There,

There are a number of underlying permissions that must be granted in order for a user to be able to successfully initiate a console session to an SCCM environment.

Firstly you need to make sure the user has the correct site permissions… for example, a user requiring Remote Control access may have the following user rights;

• Collection
  • Read, Use Remote Tools, Read Resource

• Site
  • Read

Secondly this user must reside in the relevant site servers Local Group – ‘SMS Admins’. SMS Admins is generally nested in another Local Group – ‘Distributed COM Users’, and you need to check this is the case as well.

Finally, and this was the first time I’ve had to do this for a permission related issue – (and I’ve not discovered the reason why this bit of configuration had been changed or deleted) – you need to make sure that SMS Admins OR the user group containing the Remote Control users has permissions over WMI. To do this you can perform the following;

• Navigate to Server Manager
• Expand Configuration
• Select ‘Properties’ of the WMI Control Object
• Select the Security Tab
• Expand Root
• Select the SMS Folder, and choose Security

• • SMS Admins (or the group containing your users) should have the following permissions;
    • Enable Account
    • Remote Enable

• Select the site_<SiteCode> folder under SMS, and choose Security
  • SMS Admins (or the group containing your users) should have the following permissions;
    • Execute Methods
    • Provider Write
    • Enable Account
    • Remote Enable

That should be enough for your console connectivity to return

Thanks,
SteveH

 

All the System Center 2012 code has hit MSDN and is available for download.

This includes

• Unified Installer
• Orchestrator
• Service Manager
• App Controller
• Virtual Machine Manager
• Data Protection Manager
• Configuration Manager
• Operations Manager

John Riseam

System Center Consultant

Risual

I was asked by an Exchange Administrator who was new to Exchange 2010 to see if I could set up a simple script that would check the state of the Exchange databases that may affect it failing over in the event of an outage.

The following script simply checks the state of each database copy and the state of the context index. This can be copied and pasted into a text file and saved as a PS1 file and run in an Exchange Management PowerShell window:

###############################################################

write-host "Mailbox Databases that are not healthy or mounted" -foregroundcolor yellow

$mounted = get-mailboxdatabase | Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus | Where-Object {$_.Status -ne "Healthy"}
$failed = $mounted | Where-Object {$_.Status -ne "Mounted"}

$failed | ForEach-Object {$db_count++}

$db_total = $db_count -1

If ($db_total -eq 0)
{
Write-Host `n
write-host "All database states are ok" -foregroundcolor green
Write-Host `n
}
ElseIf ($db_total -gt 0)
{
Write-Host `n
write-host "Databases need reseeding, mounting or resuming replication" -foregroundcolor red
$failed
Write-Host `n
}

Write-Host `n
Write-Host `n

write-host "Mailbox Databases that have unhealthy content indexes" -foregroundcolor yellow

$indexes = get-mailboxdatabase | Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus | Where-Object {$_.ContentIndexState -ne "Healthy"}

$indexes | ForEach-Object {$index_count++}

$index_total = $index_count -1

If ($index_total -eq 0)
{
Write-Host `n
write-host "All database indexes are ok" -foregroundcolor green
Write-Host `n
}
ElseIf ($index_total -gt 0)
{
Write-Host `n
write-host "Database context indexes are failed" -foregroundcolor red
$indexes
Write-Host `n
}

###############################################################

The script will simply output like this if there is no problems:

If there are any problems, it will list out the indexes or databases that are not reporting as they should be and you can take the corrective actions accordingly.

Cheers

Paul

Here is a quick and easy command line that can be used to bring up the Stored User Names and Passwords on Windows 7:

rundll32.exe keymgr.dll, KRShowKeyMgr

This is useful when the control panel item may have been removed by group policy.

Cheers

Paul

Please see below a handy PowerShell Script which will give you a health check on each individual Exchange server in your environment

The PowerShell Script will check the following

• That all Exchange Databases are Mounted
• Mapi Connectivity to all databases are working
• ActiveSync Connectivity to each CAS Server is working
• OWA Connectivity to each CAS server is working
• Mailflow to Each Database is working
• Main CAS Server Ports are open and working
• IMAP is working on each server
• POP3 is working on each server

Please note the test port function in the script is from the following http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/97119ed6-6fb2-446d-98d8-32d823867131

The Script will give an output like below but obviously with all other checks being there to.

 

Please save the below to a .PS1 file and run from the Exchange Management Shell.

######################Functions#################################################
function Test-Port{ 
<#   
.SYNOPSIS   
    Tests port on computer. 
   
.DESCRIPTION 
    Tests port on computer.
    
.PARAMETER computer 
    Name of server to test the port connection on.
     
.PARAMETER port 
    Port to test
      
.PARAMETER tcp 
    Use tcp port
     
.PARAMETER udp 
    Use udp port 
    
.PARAMETER UDPTimeOut
    Sets a timeout for UDP port query. (In milliseconds, Default is 1000) 
     
.PARAMETER TCPTimeOut
    Sets a timeout for TCP port query. (In milliseconds, Default is 1000)
                 
   To Do: 
        Add capability to run background jobs for each host to shorten the time to scan.         
    
.EXAMPLE   
    Test-Port -computer ‘server’ -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on server ‘server’ to see if it is listening 
   
.EXAMPLE   
    ‘server’ | Test-Port -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on server ‘server’ to see if it is listening
     
.EXAMPLE   
    Test-Port -computer @("server1","server2") -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on server1 and server2 to see if it is listening 
   
.EXAMPLE
    Test-Port -comp dc1 -port 17 -udp -UDPtimeout 10000
   
    Server   : dc1
    Port     : 17
    TypePort : UDP
    Open     : True
    
    Description
    ———–
    Queries port 17 (qotd) on the UDP port and returns whether port is open or not
      
.EXAMPLE   
    @("server1","server2") | Test-Port -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on server1 and server2 to see if it is listening 
     
.EXAMPLE   
    (Get-Content hosts.txt) | Test-Port -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on servers in host file to see if it is listening
    
.EXAMPLE   
    Test-Port -computer (Get-Content hosts.txt) -port 80 
    Checks port 80 on servers in host file to see if it is listening
       
.EXAMPLE   
    Test-Port -computer (Get-Content hosts.txt) -port @(1..59) 
    Checks a range of ports from 1-59 on all servers in the hosts.txt file     
           
#>  
[cmdletbinding( 
    DefaultParameterSetName = '', 
    ConfirmImpact = 'low' 
)] 
    Param( 
        [Parameter( 
            Mandatory = $True, 
            Position = 0, 
            ParameterSetName = '', 
            ValueFromPipeline = $True)] 
            [array]$computer, 
        [Parameter( 
            Position = 1, 
            Mandatory = $True, 
            ParameterSetName = '')] 
            [array]$port, 
        [Parameter( 
            Mandatory = $False, 
            ParameterSetName = '')] 
            [int]$TCPtimeout=1000, 
        [Parameter( 
            Mandatory = $False, 
            ParameterSetName = '')] 
            [int]$UDPtimeout=1000,            
        [Parameter( 
            Mandatory = $False, 
            ParameterSetName = '')] 
            [switch]$TCP, 
        [Parameter( 
            Mandatory = $False, 
            ParameterSetName = '')] 
            [switch]$UDP                                   
        ) 
    Begin { 
        If (!$tcp -AND !$udp) {$tcp = $True} 
        #Typically you never do this, but in this case I felt it was for the benefit of the function 
        #as any errors will be noted in the output of the report         
        $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue" 
        $report = @() 
    } 
    Process {    
        ForEach ($c in $computer) { 
            ForEach ($p in $port) { 
                If ($tcp) {   
                    #Create temporary holder  
                    $temp = "" | Select Server, Port, TypePort, Open, Notes 
                    #Create object for connecting to port on computer 
                    $tcpobject = new-Object system.Net.Sockets.TcpClient 
                    #Connect to remote machine’s port               
                    $connect = $tcpobject.BeginConnect($c,$p,$null,$null) 
                    #Configure a timeout before quitting 
                    $wait = $connect.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne($TCPtimeout,$false) 
                    #If timeout 
                    If(!$wait) { 
                        #Close connection 
                        $tcpobject.Close() 
                        Write-Verbose "Connection Timeout" 
                        #Build report 
                        $temp.Server = $c 
                        $temp.Port = $p 
                        $temp.TypePort = "TCP" 
                        $temp.Open = "False" 
                        $temp.Notes = "Connection to Port Timed Out" 
                    } Else { 
                        $error.Clear() 
                        $tcpobject.EndConnect($connect) | out-Null 
                        #If error 
                        If($error[0]){ 
                            #Begin making error more readable in report 
                            [string]$string = ($error[0].exception).message 
                            $message = (($string.split(":")[1]).replace(‘"’,"")).TrimStart() 
                            $failed = $true 
                        } 
                        #Close connection     
                        $tcpobject.Close() 
                        #If unable to query port to due failure 
                        If($failed){ 
                            #Build report 
                            $temp.Server = $c 
                            $temp.Port = $p 
                            $temp.TypePort = "TCP" 
                            $temp.Open = "False" 
                            $temp.Notes = "$message" 
                        } Else{ 
                            #Build report 
                            $temp.Server = $c 
                            $temp.Port = $p 
                            $temp.TypePort = "TCP" 
                            $temp.Open = "True"   
                            $temp.Notes = "" 
                        } 
                    }    
                    #Reset failed value 
                    $failed = $Null     
                    #Merge temp array with report             
                    $report += $temp 
                }     
                If ($udp) { 
                    #Create temporary holder  
                    $temp = "" | Select Server, Port, TypePort, Open, Notes                                    
                    #Create object for connecting to port on computer 
                    $udpobject = new-Object system.Net.Sockets.Udpclient
                    #Set a timeout on receiving message
                    $udpobject.client.ReceiveTimeout = $UDPTimeout
                    #Connect to remote machine’s port               
                    Write-Verbose "Making UDP connection to remote server"
                    $udpobject.Connect("$c",$p)
                    #Sends a message to the host to which you have connected.
                    Write-Verbose "Sending message to remote host"
                    $a = new-object system.text.asciiencoding
                    $byte = $a.GetBytes("$(Get-Date)")
                    [void]$udpobject.Send($byte,$byte.length)
                    #IPEndPoint object will allow us to read datagrams sent from any source. 
                    Write-Verbose "Creating remote endpoint"
                    $remoteendpoint = New-Object system.net.ipendpoint([system.net.ipaddress]::Any,0)
                    Try {
                        #Blocks until a message returns on this socket from a remote host.
                        Write-Verbose "Waiting for message return"
                        $receivebytes = $udpobject.Receive([ref]$remoteendpoint)
                        [string]$returndata = $a.GetString($receivebytes)
                        If ($returndata) {
                           Write-Verbose "Connection Successful" 
                            #Build report 
                            $temp.Server = $c 
                            $temp.Port = $p 
                            $temp.TypePort = "UDP" 
                            $temp.Open = "True" 
                            $temp.Notes = $returndata  
                            $udpobject.close()  
                        }                      
                    } Catch {
                        If ($Error[0].ToString() -match "bRespond after a period of timeb") {
                            #Close connection 
                            $udpobject.Close() 
                            #Make sure that the host is online and not a false positive that it is open
                            If (Test-Connection -comp $c -count 1 -quiet) {
                                Write-Verbose "Connection Open" 
                                #Build report 
                                $temp.Server = $c 
                                $temp.Port = $p 
                                $temp.TypePort = "UDP" 
                                $temp.Open = "True" 
                                $temp.Notes = ""
                            } Else {
                                <#
                                It is possible that the host is not online or that the host is online, 
                                but ICMP is blocked by a firewall and this port is actually open.
                                #>
                                Write-Verbose "Host maybe unavailable" 
                                #Build report 
                                $temp.Server = $c 
                                $temp.Port = $p 
                                $temp.TypePort = "UDP" 
                                $temp.Open = "False" 
                                $temp.Notes = "Unable to verify if port is open or if host is unavailable."                                
                            }                        
                        } ElseIf ($Error[0].ToString() -match "forcibly closed by the remote host" ) {
                            #Close connection 
                            $udpobject.Close() 
                            Write-Verbose "Connection Timeout" 
                            #Build report 
                            $temp.Server = $c 
                            $temp.Port = $p 
                            $temp.TypePort = "UDP" 
                            $temp.Open = "False" 
                            $temp.Notes = "Connection to Port Timed Out"                        
                        } Else {                     
                            $udpobject.close()
                        }
                    }    
                    #Merge temp array with report             
                    $report += $temp 
                }                                 
            } 
        }                 
    } 
    End { 
        #Generate Report 
        $report
    }
}

############################Variables########################################
$Yes = "Green"
$No = "Red"

 

#######################################Script################################
"`n"
Write-Host "Exchange Checks"
Write-Host "________________________________"
"`n"

# Check to make sure all databases are mounted

$MountedDB = get-mailboxdatabase -status
Write-Host "Databases Mounted"
"`n"
$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($DB in $MountedDB)
{Write-host $DB.Name =  -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Mounted -ne $true)
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test Mapi Connectivity to each Database

$MAPI = get-mailboxdatabase | Test-MapiConnectivity
Write-Host "Mapi Connectivity "
"`n"

$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $Mapi)
{Write-host $db.Database =  -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Result.value -ne "Success")
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

 

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test ActiveSync Connectivity to each Server

$AS = Get-ClientAccessServer |   Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity
 
Write-Host "ActiveSync Connectivity" 
"`n"
$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $AS)
{Write-Host $DB.ClientAccessServerShortName – -NoNewline;
write-host " " -NoNewline;
Write-Host  $DB.Scenario = -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Result.value -ne "Success")
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

 

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test OWA Connectivity to each Server

$OWA = Get-ClientAccessServer  |Test-OwaConnectivity

 
Write-Host "OWA Connectivity"
"`n"
$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $OWA)
{Write-Host $DB.ClientAccessServerShortName =  -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Result.Value -ne "Success")
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

 

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test Mailflow on each Database

Write-Host "Mail flow "
"`n"
$Mbx = Get-MailboxDatabase

$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $MBX)
{Write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$TF = Test-mailflow -Targetdatabase $db.name
if ($TF.testmailflowresult -ne "Success")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test CAS Ports

Write-Host "CAS Ports Open "
$Mbx = Get-ClientAccessServer

$Status = "Yes"
"`n"
Write-host "Port 80"
"`n"
Foreach ($db in $MBX)

{write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$P= Test-Port -Computer $db.name -port 80 -tcp
if ( $P.open -ne "True")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
Write-host "Port 443"

Foreach ($db in $MBX)

{write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$P= Test-Port -Computer $db.name -port 443 -tcp
if ( $P.open -ne "True")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"

Write-host "Port 60001"

Foreach ($db in $MBX)

{write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$P= Test-Port -Computer $db.name -port 60001 -tcp
if ( $P.open -ne "True")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"

Write-host "Port 143"

Foreach ($db in $MBX)

{write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$P= Test-Port -Computer $db.name -port 143 -tcp
if ( $P.open -ne "True")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"

Write-host "Port 110"

Foreach ($db in $MBX)

{write-host $DB.name = -NoNewline;
$P= Test-Port -Computer $db.name -port 110 -tcp
if ( $P.open -ne "True")
{$Status = "No"}

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"
############################################################################

# Test IMAP Connectivity to each Server

$IMAP = Get-ClientAccessServer |  Test-IMAPConnectivity
 
Write-Host "IMAP Connectivity " 
"`n"
$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $IMAP)
{write-host $DB.ClientAccessServerShortName = -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Result.value -ne "Success")
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

 

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}
"`n"
"`n"

############################################################################

# Test POP3 Connectivity to each Server

$POP3 = Get-ClientAccessServer  |  Test-POPConnectivity
 
Write-Host "POP3 Connectivity  "
"`n"
$Status = "Yes"
Foreach ($db in $POP3)
{write-host $DB.ClientAccessServerShortName = -NoNewline;
If ($DB.Result.value -ne "Success")
{ $Status = ‘No’
}

 

if ($status -eq "Yes")
{Write-host -Foregroundcolor $Yes " Yes"
}

else
{Write-Host -ForegroundColor $No " No"}
}

"`n"
"`n"