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MessageStats 7.8 - Administrator Guide

What is MessageStats? MessageStats Information Sources Using the Console Interface Creating a Connection to Exchange Creating Gathering Tasks Default Gatherings Extending Gathering Tasks Configuring Audits Setting MessageStats Server Properties Setting Configuration Properties Setting Exchange Organization Properties Setting Exchange Server Properties Setting Task Execution Server Properties Setting Task Default Properties Compressing Tracking Log Files Using the MessageStats Reports Console Database Management Appendix A:Microsoft ASP.NET Configuration Issues Appendix B: Gathering Task Dependencies Appendix C:Troubleshooting Permission Problems

Regathering Exchange Tracking Logs

Regathering Exchange Tracking Logs

The Default gathering task, which normally is run daily, includes a task that gathers data from Exchange tracking logs. MessageStats also offers a separate Exchange Tracking Log Gathering Task that collects only Exchange tracking logs. You may want to use this gathering task for many reasons, including the following:

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Collecting tracking logs that were missed by regularly scheduled gathering tasks because a server was down
•
Collecting archived tracking logs that were not previously gathered
•
Collecting tracking logs that were deleted
•
Collecting additional information from tracking logs that were previously gathered.

For information about Exchange tracking logs, see Gathering Exchange Tracking Logs .

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To create a gathering task to reimport tracking logs
1
Select the appropriate Exchange source.
2
Right-click and select Create Task.
3
From the Template list, select Exchange Tracking Logs and click Next.
4
Within Date Range, select Custom and set the appropriate Start and End dates.
5
Click Next.
6
Complete the rest of the Create Task Wizard as required.
 
* 
IMPORTANT: Depending on the frequency with which you purge archived tracking logs, data may not be available in the archived logs. Ensure that you retain sufficient tracking logs to meet any future reimporting requirements.

Setting the Tracking Log Date Range

Setting the Tracking Log Date Range

Use the Tracking Log Date Range page to configure the date range properties when you are creating a Default Gathering task or a Exchange Tracking Log gathering task.

 
Table 9. Selecting the date range for tracking logs.
Option
Definition

Date Range

You can select Yesterday, Last 3 Days, Last Week, or Custom.

If you select the Yesterday, Last 3 Days, or Last Week date ranges, the start and end dates are automatically updated to reflect the date range you selected.

If you select the Custom date range, you must enter the start date and end date in the boxes.

Start Date

Click the arrow to select the Start Date from the calendar.

End Date

Click the arrow to select the End Date from the calendar.

Scenarios for Configuring Date Ranges

Exchange tracking logs provide all the message traffic content for MessageStats Reports. Typically, in a Default Gathering task, you require only one day of tracking logs and you would choose Yesterday. If you configure your Default Gathering to run regularly, the most current tracking logs are gathered and processed into the database.

There may be circumstances when you need more than just the most current tracking log. See the following table for examples of scenarios in which you might want to regather the tracking logs for a specific date range.

 
Table 10. Scenarios in which tracking logs are regathered
Scenario
Description
Procedure

Additional content is required from previously gathered logs

In this scenario, the user has interactively changed the configuration of audit information. A message subject, mailbox, or domain may have been added to the audit list and historical audit information is required. The logs have been previously gathered and processed, but new information is required from the logs.

MessageStats automatically retrieves data from the last seven days, regardless of whether the tracking logs are available on the Exchange server or in archive locations. If you want to reimport more than seven days of logs, ensure that the date range is appropriately set.
To gather additional data from previously gathered logs
1
Ensure that the mailboxes, domains, or message subjects have been added to the appropriate audit list.
2
Ensure that the Archive Log Directory Share Path on the Server Properties box is accurate.
3
Ensure that the logs you intend to gather exist in the archive log directory or the tracking log directory share.
4
Create a new task ensuring that you set the dates for the logs that you want to gather.

Archived logs have not been previously gathered

In this scenario, the user may have manually moved historical tracking logs from the Exchange server to the log archive.

MessageStats has never gathered or processed these logs, but the logs still exist in the archive.
To gather archived data for the first time
1
Ensure that the Archived tracking log share path on the Shares tab of the Server Properties dialog box is accurate.
2
Ensure that the logs you intend to gather exist in the archived tracking log share.
3
Create a task to gather the archived information, ensuring that you set the appropriate dates for the logs you want to gather.

Tracking logs were inadvertently deleted, and the content must be replaced in the database.

In this scenario, the user may have inadvertently deleted information using Database Management.

After the data is deleted, the user can gather the logs to replace the data.
To gather previously deleted data
1
Ensure that the Archived tracking log share path on the Shares tab of the Server Properties dialog box is accurate.
2
Ensure that the Tracking log share path on the Shares tab of the Server Properties dialog box is accurate.
3
Ensure that the logs you intend to gather exist in the archived tracking log share or the tracking log share.
4
Create a task to gather the deleted information, ensuring that you set the appropriate dates for the logs you want to gather.

 

Configuring Audits

•
About Audits
•
Transport-Level Audits
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Storage-Level Audits
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Managing Audited Information

About Audits

Through audits, you can collect a large amount of information that can be used to identify problems, misuse of resources, and system delivery issues. However, the cost of writing the increased volume of data to the database can be expensive. Perform periodic reviews of the audits that you have configured to ensure that they are providing sufficient information to justify the performance impact.

You can configure two types of audits:

•
Transport-level audits—including specific user mailboxes, usage of specific Internet domains, message subjects, and message delivery times. You select these items for audit through the property pages for a selected Exchange organization. For more information see Setting Properties for a Specific Exchange Organization .
•
Storage-level audits—including mailbox content and attachments and public folder content and attachments. You select items for audit when you create a gathering task using one of the Content and Attachments gathering task templates. For more information see Gathering Content and Attachment Information .
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