4.8 CAS_Connectivity

Use this Knowledge Script to monitor the connectivity of Client Access server (CAS) services on Exchange Server 2007 and 2010: ActiveSync, Outlook Web Access, Outlook Web services, and the Autodiscover service. This script raises an event when a connectivity test fails and when response time exceeds the threshold you set.

This script is a member of the Exchange2007 recommended Knowledge Script Group. For more information, see Section 4.43, Recommended Knowledge Script Group.

NOTE:This Knowledge Script is available only for Exchange Server 2007 and 2010. For Exchange Server 2013, 2016, and 2019, see Section 4.20, MBS_ClientConnectivity.

4.8.1 Configuring Security Manager to Test Outlook Web Access Connectivity

Before you can run the CAS_Connectivity Knowledge Script to test Outlook Web Access connectivity using a custom URL, you need to configure Security Manager for the Client Access server where the job will run. You do not need to configure Security Manager if you are using an internal or external URL.

To configure AppManager Security Manager to test connectivity:

  1. On the Extensions menu in the Operator Console, click Security Manager.

  2. Select the Client Access server you want to test.

  3. On the Custom tab, click Add.

  4. In the Label field, type Exchange2007.

  5. In the Sub-label field, type MailboxCredentials

  6. In the Value 1 field, specify the mailbox name, which is also referred to as the user account, to be used in the test.

  7. In the Value 2 field, specify the password for the mailbox.

  8. Leave the Value 3 field blank.

  9. Select Extended application support to encrypt the password when it is stored in the repository.

  10. Click OK.

  11. Click Apply to save the Security Manager settings.

4.8.2 Running CAS_Connectivity on a Client Access Server

When you run the CAS_Connectivity Knowledge Script on a Client Access server, the script automatically creates a CAS test user mailbox on each Mailbox server in the Exchange deployment if those mailboxes do not already exist. In an Exchange deployment containing Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010 servers, if you run the CAS_Connectivity script on an Exchange 2010 Client Access Server, the script will not be able to create the mailboxes on Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers, and AppManager raises an error event about the problem. This is due to the issue that Microsoft does not support creating mailboxes across different version types. To resolve, you must manually create the CAS test user mailboxes on the Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers.

To create CAS test user mailboxes on an Exchange 2007 Mailbox Server:

  1. Log in to one of the Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers and open the Exchange Management Shell.

  2. Change directories to the Scripts directory under the Microsoft Exchange installation directory.

  3. Run the following command: Get-MailboxServer | .\New-TestCasConnectivityUser.ps1.

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to create the CAS test user mailbox on each Mailbox server.

4.8.3 Resource Objects

  • Exchange2007_ClientAccessServer

  • Exchange2010_ClientAccessServer

4.8.4 Default Schedule

By default, this script runs every 30 minutes.

4.8.5 Setting Parameter Values

Set the following parameters as needed:

Parameter

How to Set It

General Settings

Communicate only with Exchange Servers in the local domain?

Select Yes to test only Exchange Servers in the same domain as the server on which you run the CAS_Connectivity job.

When this option is unselected, certain tests for the Client Access server attempt to contact all Mailbox servers in your organization. These tests will fail if the Exchange accounts in one domain do not have access to other domains.

Leave this option unselected if you specify a Mailbox server in the Mailbox server to be used for connectivity tests parameter.

Ignore these Mailbox servers when testing CAS to MBS communications

Provide a comma-separated list of the hostnames of the Mailbox servers that you want to exclude from connectivity testing between the Client Access server and the Mailbox server.

Leave this option blank if you specify a Mailbox server in the Mailbox server to be used for connectivity tests parameter.

Mailbox server to be used for connectivity tests

By default, the CAS_Connectivity job tests connectivity to all Mailbox servers. Use this parameter to enable testing to one Mailbox server.

Enter the hostname of the computer that hosts the Mailbox server with which you want to check connectivity. The hostname need not be fully qualified unless DNS lookup does not resolve the simple name.

If you monitor Outlook web access connectivity and specify a custom URL, that custom URL will be used to test Outlook web access connectivity instead of this mailbox server.

Job failure event notification

Event severity when job fails

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which the CAS_Connectivity job fails. The default is 5.

Connectivity Test User Configuration

 

Use alternate test mailbox configured in Security Manager?

Select Yes to use the test mailbox that you have specified in the Security Manager. The default is No.

Create default test mailbox automatically?

Select Yes to create a default test mailbox automatically. The default is Yes.

Create non-existent test mailboxes every N job iterations (specify N)

Specify the number of job iterations for which the non-existent test mailboxes will be created on the Mailbox server. The default is 1.

Monitor ActiveSync Connectivity

Event Notification

Raise event if ActiveSync connectivity test fails?

Select Yes to raise an event if AppManager cannot check connectivity to ActiveSync. The default is Yes.

Event severity when ActiveSync connectivity test fails

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which AppManager cannot check connectivity to ActiveSync. The default is 5.

Raise event if response time exceeds threshold?

Select Yes to raise an event if the amount of time it takes to connect to ActiveSync exceeds the threshold you set. The default is Yes.

Threshold - Maximum response time for connectivity test

Set how long AppManager should wait for connectivity with ActiveSync before raising an event. The default is 10000 milliseconds.

Event severity when response time exceeds threshold

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which the time it takes to connect to ActiveSync exceeds the threshold that you set. The default is 15.

Data Collection

Collect data for ActiveSync response time?

Select Yes to collect data for charts and reports. When enabled, data collection returns the average response time for connecting to ActiveSync. The default is No.

Monitor Outlook Web Access Connectivity

Allow unsecure (http) communication?

Select Yes if you want to allow unsecure communication using http instead of https when testing the Web access connectivity. The default is No.

URL type to be used for connectivity test

Select whether you want to use an internal URL, an external URL, or a custom URL for the connectivity test. If you select a custom URL, configure the credentials in Security Manager before you run a job. The default type is Internal.

Custom URL to be used for connectivity test

Specify the URL you want to use for the connectivity test. The default is blank.

Event Notification

Raise event if Outlook Web Access connectivity test fails?

Select Yes to raise an event if AppManager cannot check connectivity to Outlook Web Access (OWA). The default is Yes.

Event severity when Outlook Web Access connectivity test fails

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which AppManager cannot check connectivity to OWA. The default is 5.

Raise event if response time exceeds threshold?

Select Yes to raise an event if the amount of time it takes to connect to Outlook Web Access exceeds the threshold you set. The default is Yes.

Threshold - Maximum response time for connectivity test

Set how long AppManager should wait to confirm connectivity with OWA before raising an event. The default is 10000 milliseconds.

Event severity when response time exceeds threshold

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which the time it takes to connect to OWA exceeds the threshold that you set. The default is 15.

Data Collection

Collect data for Outlook Web Access response time?

Select Yes to collect data for charts and reports. When enabled, data collection returns the average response time for connecting to OWA. The default is No.

Monitor Outlook Web Services Connectivity

Use SSL (HTTPS) for connectivity test?

Select Yes to use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to test connectivity to Outlook Web services. The default is No.

If you select Yes, AppManager will use only SSL to test connectivity. If you clear the option, AppManager will first use SSL to test connectivity. If that attempt fails, AppManager will then try to test connectivity without using SSL.

Event Notification

Raise event if Outlook Web services connectivity test fails?

Select Yes to raise an event if AppManager cannot check connectivity to Outlook Web services. The default is Yes.

Event severity when Outlook Web services connectivity test fails

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which AppManager cannot check connectivity to Outlook Web services. The default is 5.

Raise event if response time exceeds threshold?

Select Yes to raise an event if the amount of time it takes to connect to Outlook Web services exceeds the threshold you set. The default is Yes.

Threshold - Maximum response time for connectivity test

Set how long AppManager should wait to confirm connectivity with Outlook Web services before raising an event. The default is 10000 milliseconds.

Event severity when response time exceeds threshold

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which the time taken for testing connectivity to Outlook Web services exceeds the threshold that you set. The default is 15.

Data Collection

Collect data for Outlook Web services response time?

Select Yes to collect data for charts and reports. When enabled, data collection returns the average response time for connecting to Outlook Web services. The default is No.

Monitor Autodiscover Service Connectivity

Event Notification

Raise event if Autodiscover service connectivity test fails?

Select Yes to raise an event if AppManager cannot check connectivity to the Autodiscover service. The default is Yes.

The Autodiscover service allows Outlook 2007 clients and mobile devices to be recognized when they connect to the Client Access server.

Event severity when Autodiscover service connectivity test fails

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which AppManager cannot check connectivity to the Autodiscover service. The default is 5.

Raise event if response time exceeds threshold?

Select Yes to raise an event if the amount of time it takes to connect to the Autodiscover service exceeds the threshold you set. The default is Yes.

Threshold - Maximum response time for connectivity test

Set how long AppManager should wait to confirm connectivity with the Autodiscover service before raising an event. The default is 10000 milliseconds.

Event severity when response time exceeds threshold

Set the severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of an event in which the time taken for testing connectivity to the Autodiscover service exceeds the threshold that you set. The default is 15.

Data Collection

Collect data for Autodiscover service response time?

Select Yes to collect data for charts and reports. When enabled, data collection returns the average response time for connecting to the Autodiscover service. The default is No.