How to troubleshoot for Exchange Server 2003 transport issues (821910)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
For a Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server version of this article, see 257265.

IN THIS TASK

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to use basic troubleshooting utilities with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 transport components to investigate transport issues. The most common issues involve mail flow. You can use these utilities to investigate the issue before you open a support incident.

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Diagnostics Logging

You can use Diagnostics Logging to determine the cause of a transport issue. To turn on Diagnostics Logging on the MSExchangeTransport service, follow these steps:
  1. Start Exchange System Manager.
  2. Expand Servers, right-click Your_ Server_Name, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Diagnostics Logging tab, and then click MSExchangeTransport under Services.
  4. Under Categories, click the category that you want to log.
  5. Under Logging Level, click the appropriate logging level for the issue that you are investigating:
    • None
    • Minimum
    • Medium
    • Maximum
  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each category that you want to log.
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Queue Viewer

You can use the Queue Viewer tool to maintain and to administer your organization's messaging queues. It can help you to identify and to isolate mail flow issues. Queue Viewer is available on all Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual servers, with Microsoft Message Transfer Agent (X.400), and with all Microsoft Exchange connectors that are installed. To access the queues, follow these steps:
  1. Start Exchange System Manager.
  2. Open the folder in the following location to find the queue that you want to administer:

    Servers\Your_ Server_Name\Queues

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Protocol Logging

You can use protocol logging to track incoming commands that an SMTP virtual server receives from SMTP clients and to track outgoing commands.

There are 4 types of protocol logs:
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) Log File Format
  • NCSA Common Log File Format
  • ODBC Log File Format
  • W3C Extended Log File Format
The default SMTP protocol log format is the W3C Extended Log File Format. You can use this log to select the information that you want to track. To turn on W3C logging, follow these steps:
  1. Start Exchange System Manager.
  2. Expand Servers\Your_ Server_Name\Protocols\SMTP.
  3. Right-click SMTP Virtual Server, and then click Properties.
  4. On the General tab, click to select the Enable Logging check box.
  5. In the Active Log Format list, click W3C Extended Log File Format.
  6. Click Properties.
  7. On the General Properties tab, click the log schedule that you want to use under New log schedule.
  8. In the Log file directory box, type the path where you want to keep the log files.
  9. Click the Advanced tab, and then click to select the check box next to each extended logging option in the Extended logging options list that you want to track.
  10. Click Apply, and then click OK to close Logging Properties.
  11. Click Apply, and then click OK to save your settings and close SMTP Virtual Server Properties.
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Message Tracking

You can use the Exchange Server 2003 Message Tracking Center to search for all types of messages, including system messages, public folder messages, and e-mail messages. This can be useful when you think a particular message is absent, or if you want to track the status of a message.

Note To successfully track messages, you must grant read access to the share at \\Your_Server_Name\Your_Server_Name.log to the users who will perform message tracking.

To turn on message tracking on a particular server, follow these steps:
  1. Start Exchange System Manager.
  2. Expand Servers, right-click the server that you want to use message tracking on, and then click Properties.
  3. On the General tab, click to select the Enable message tracking check box.

    This option logs information about the sender, the time the message was sent or received, the message size and priority, and the message recipients.
  4. In the Exchange System Manager dialog box, click OK.
  5. To record the subject of any message sent to, from, or through the server, click to select the Enable Subject Logging and Display check box.


To track a message by using the Exchange Server 2003 Message Tracking Center, follow these steps:
  1. Start Exchange System Manager.
  2. In the console tree, expand Tools, and then click Message Tracking Center.
  3. In the Server box, type the name of the server that is running Exchange 2003.

    To browse a list of available servers, click Server, click a server, and then click Add. You can search for a message that was sent from or delivered to a particular server that is running Exchange. You are only required to specify the server name.

For example, to search for a message to a specific user, type the user's alias. If you do not know the user's e-mail address, click Recipients to search for the user in the Active Directory directory service. There are many other search options that are available in the Message Tracking Center.

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Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:3/19/2006
Keywords:kbtshoot kbHOWTOmaster kbhowto KB821910 kbAudITPRO
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