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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

Gathering Exchange Tracking Logs

Microsoft Exchange creates tracking log files to record all mail activity and usage. Each day, beginning at midnight UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), every inbound and outbound message for an Exchange server creates an entry (called an event) in an Exchange server’s tracking log. Each routing step from message submission to delivery to a local mailbox or external gateway is recorded as a separate event.

Typically, after 24 hours Microsoft Exchange closes the current log and opens a new log for the next day. The closed log is available for MessageStats to gather and process. When you schedule gatherings, consider that daily tracking logs are closed by default at midnight UTC each day.

During a gathering task, MessageStats determines which tracking logs must be gathered. MessageStats gathers the most recently closed tracking log on the Exchange servers, and any tracking log information that was not previously gathered. MessageStats automatically selects the tracking logs that have not yet been gathered.

 
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TIP: MessageStats gathers logs from Hub and Edge Transport servers. The tracking logs on Mailbox servers do not include all the information that is needed for reports. If your MessageStats gatherings are not processing any files, check to ensure that the tracking log path has been shared. You must manually share the tracking log folder.

When MessageStats gathers tracking logs, it searches for both compressed and uncompressed application logs in four locations:

 
 
Table 2. Possible locations of the Exchange message tracking log.
Location
Description

Tracking log share for a server

This is the default location of the Microsoft Exchange tracking logs.

If your Microsoft Exchange implementation does not use the default location, you can indicate the alternative path on the Tracking Logs tab of the Exchange Server Properties dialog box.

For information about this log share, see Setting an Exchange Server to Archive Tracking Logs .

Archive log share for a server

This is the location of the Microsoft Exchange archived tracking logs. Microsoft Exchange retains 7 days of tracking logs and purges all tracking logs older than 7 days to this location.

For information about this archive log path, see Setting an Exchange Server to Archive Tracking Logs .

Database share

This share indicates an alternate path for your Exchange database. Normally, MessageStats checks for Microsoft Exchange Server registry settings for the location of the Exchange Database location.

System-wide archive log path

This is the centralized location where you have manually moved or replicated archived tracking logs from one or more Microsoft Exchange servers.

For information about this log path, see Selecting a Tracking Log Archive Location .

MessageStats analyzes and processes the events from each tracking log and stores the appropriate information in the MessageStats database.

In addition, MessageStats allows you to gather tracking logs from an archive on the local server or a system-wide archive location. Archived tracking logs are usually older than seven days and can be gathered by creating a task with the appropriate date range to include the missing logs.

Lastly, MessageStats allows you to revisit a previously gathered tracking log to gather deleted information or additional audit information.

Sources of Exchange Object Information

Exchange object information does not come from the tracking logs. The information is available from the following locations:

•
Microsoft Exchange for information including mailboxes and user information, distribution groups, SMTP domains, SMTP namespaces, public folders, and mail contacts
•
Active Directory for information including mailboxes and user information, mail-enabled groups, SMTP domains, SMTP namespaces, public folders, and mail contacts
•
The File System for store and volume sizes
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PerfMon counters for server availability

Storing Data in the Database

You can use one of two database server implementations to store tracking log and Exchange object data:

•
For evaluation and test purposes, you can use SQL Server Express.
•
For production implementations, use full SQL Server.

You can also use a distributed database implementation. For information about distributed database implementations, contact Quest Support or Quest Professional Services.

Reporting on Data

When you have completed an initial gathering, you can view reports based on the gathered information using the web-based reporting component called MessageStats Reports.

MessageStats Reports provides a collection of preconfigured reports that let you view data across multiple levels of an Exchange organization. You can change relevant report parameters immediately using Quick Filters or use the Report Wizard to create customized reports based on any data available in your MessageStats database.

To access MessageStats Reports from the console, perform the following actions:

•
Select the MessageStats Reports node of the MessageStats treeview.
•
Launch the web site where MessageStats Reports resides using Internet Explorer or another browser.

For more information about accessing the MessageStats Reports, see Using the MessageStats Reports Console . For detailed information about viewing reports, using filters to select content for reports, setting up subscriptions for reports, and creating custom reports and custom graphs, see the MessageStats Reports User Guide.

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