Lesson 4: Maintaining Virtual Servers


This lesson looks at the procedures for viewing connected users on a virtual server and terminating connections. The lesson also discusses diagnostic logging. Chapter 14, "Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2003," discusses detailed troubleshooting procedures. Also, Chapter 13, "Monitoring Microsoft Exchange Server 2003," describes diagnostic logging in more detail.

start example

After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Start, stop, pause, and restart a virtual server

  • View all connected users on a virtual server

  • Disconnect a single user connection or all user connections

  • Set the level for diagnostic logging

  • View the events generated by diagnostic logging

Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes

end example

Virtual Server Status

You can stop, start, pause, and restart an Internet protocol virtual server by right-clicking the appropriate server in the console pane of Exchange System Manager and clicking the appropriate command. If the virtual server is paused, then clicking on Pause again will restart it. If all options are unavailable, then the server is disabled. This happens, for example, if a POP3 virtual server has just been created and has not been configured. If a virtual server cannot be started, then either the required protocol service is not running or the server does not have a unique combination of TCP port and IP address.

You can determine the status of a virtual server by examining the console pane in Exchange System Manager. If the virtual server is running, the server's folder displays an open mailbox in the console tree. If the virtual server is stopped, the console displays a red circle with a white X inside it. If the virtual server is paused, the console displays a white circle with two black bars inside it. If the server is disabled, there is no symbol inside the white circle.

Viewing Connected Users and Terminating Connections

If you pause a virtual server, you do not disconnect any currently connected users, but no additional users can connect until you restart the server. If you stop a virtual server, then this disconnects all user sessions. You can also terminate selected user connections without disturbing other connections. Before you stop or pause a virtual server, or carry out any reconfiguration, you should view the list of connected users. It is good practice to pause a server and wait for users to disconnect before you make any changes, or to send messages to connected users warning them that they will be disconnected after a specified time period.

Diagnostic Logging

You can use diagnostic logging to record significant events relating to authentication, connections, and client actions. The Windows Server 2003 event log on the Exchange server that hosts the virtual server records the diagnostic logging events. You set the level of logging on the host server (not on the protocol virtual server). The default logging level is None. This logging level records critical and error events only.

Practice: Viewing and Managing Connected Users on an IMAP4 Virtual Server

In this practice, you view the list of connected users on an IMAP4 virtual server. The procedure also describes how to disconnect a single user and how you can disconnect all users without stopping the virtual server. This practice describes the procedure on an IMAP4 virtual server. The same procedure can be used on any Internet protocol virtual servers except for HTTP virtual servers.

Exercise 1: Viewing and Managing Connected Users on an IMAP4 Virtual Server

To view and manage connections on an IMAP4 virtual server, perform the following steps:

  1. Open Exchange System Manager.

  2. Navigate to Administrative Groups\First Administrative Group\Servers\Server01 \Protocols\IMAP4.

  3. Double-click IMAP4_server1.

  4. To populate the details pane with information about connected users, click Current Sessions in the console tree.

  5. To disconnect a single user, right-click the user in the details pane, and then click Terminate. If no users are currently connected, then you cannot perform this step.

  6. To disconnect all users, right-click anywhere on the details pane, and then click Terminate All.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and then try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the "Questions and Answers" section at the end of this chapter.

  1. What symbol indicates that a virtual server is stopped, and what symbol indicates that it is paused?

  2. When would you pause a virtual server rather than stopping it?

  3. What diagnostic logging level logs high-level events by logging a single entry for each major task performed by the service?

    1. None

    2. Minimum

    3. Medium

    4. Maximum

Lesson Summary

  • You can start, stop, pause, and restart a virtual server by right-clicking it in Exchange System Manager and then clicking the appropriate command.

  • You can view connected sessions, disconnect any session, and disconnect all sessions.

  • You can set the level of diagnostic logging by using Exchange System Manager and view the results of this logging by using Event Viewer.




MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-284(c) Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003)
MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-284): Implementing and Managing MicrosoftВ® Exchange Server 2003 (Pro-Certification)
ISBN: 0735618992
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 221

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