EXBPA Run Local Monitor

Summary

Exchange BPA local monitor: This monitor checks if the any problems are return by the Exchange Best Practices run on the local system.

Causes

The Microsoft Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer (ExBPA) is an automated health check and troubleshooting tool. Written in C#, it collects configuration settings and performs network and protocol tests in an Exchange topology.

The tool sends the results to an XML output file. Rules are then applied to the values in the output file. When you view the output file, any differences from the rules or any problems are highlighted.

The ExBPA tool can examine the Active Directory directory service, the registry, the Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase, System Monitor tool data, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and files to retrieve configuration information.

Resolutions

System requirements Check list:

• You must install Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 on the computer where you want to install the ExBPA tool.

• IIS Common Files must be installed on the computer on which you will install the ExBPA tool. If IIS is installed, the IIS management snap-in is installed, or Exchange System Manager is installed, IIS Common Files are installed automatically. To add the IIS Common Files on a Windows XP-based computer, follow these steps:

  • Click Start, click Run, type appwiz.cpl in the Open box, and then click OK.

  • Click Add/Remove Windows Components.

  • Click Internet Information Services (IIS), and then click Details.

    Note:

    Do not click to select the check box that is next to Internet Information Services (IIS).

  • Click to select the Common Files check box, and then click OK.

  • Click Next, and then click Finish.

  Note:

  If the IIS Common Files are not installed, the ExBPA tool will experience errors when it tries to access metabase properties.

• The Windows Management Instrumentation service must be running on the domain controllers, on the global catalog servers, and on the Exchange servers.

• The Microsoft Exchange Management service must be running on all computers that are running Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server or Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.

• You must have read and write permissions to the folder where you install and run the ExBPA tool.

Permissions and account configuration:

Make sure that the account that is used to run the tool has the appropriate credentials to access the Active Directory and all servers that are included in the scan.

• The account must have administrator permissions on the domain controllers. Administrator permissions are required to enumerate Active Directory information and to call the WMI providers on domain controllers and the global catalog servers.

• The account must be a member of the Local Administrators group on each Exchange server. The account must have local administrator permissions to call the WMI providers and to access the registry and the metabase.

• The account must have at least Exchange View Only Administrator delegated permissions at the Exchange organization level.

Configuration

IntervalSeconds: Default 864000 sec (=1 day).

SyncTime - Allows to define a fixed time to run: Default 00:00 (midnight).