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 How to Configure Protocol Logging
Exchange 2007
How to Configure Protocol Logging

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Topic Last Modified: 2007-06-07

This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell to configure protocol logging in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

Protocol logging records the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) conversations that occur between e-mail servers as part of message delivery. These SMTP conversations occur on Send connectors and Receive connectors that are configured on Exchange 2007 servers that have the Hub Transport server role or the Edge Transport server role installed. You can use protocol logging to diagnose mail flow problems.

By default, protocol logging is disabled on all Send connectors and Receive connectors. Protocol logging is enabled or disabled on a per-connector basis. Other protocol logging options are set on a per-connector type basis for the whole server. All the Receive connectors on a Hub Transport server or an Edge Transport server share the same protocol log files and protocol log options. These protocol log files and protocol log options are separate from the Send connector protocol log files and protocol log options that are on the same server. By default, Exchange 2007 uses circular logging to limit the protocol logs based on file size and file age to help control the hard disk space that is used by the protocol log files.

To perform the following procedures, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Exchange Organization Administrator role

To perform the following procedures on a computer that has the Edge Transport server role installed, you must log on by using an account that is a member of the local Administrators group on that computer.

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Bb124531.note(en-us,EXCHG.80).gifNote:
Do not modify the Send connectors that are located on an Edge Transport server that is subscribed to the Exchange organization by using the Edge Subscription process. Instead, modify the Send connectors on the Hub Transport server. The change will be replicated to the Edge Transport server when synchronization next occurs.

By default, protocol logging is disabled on all Receive connectors. Protocol logging can be enabled or disabled individually on each Receive connector.

  1. Open the Exchange Management Console, and perform one of the following steps:

    • To modify an existing Receive connector on an Edge Transport server, in the console tree, select Edge Transport, and then, in the work pane, click the Receive Connectors tab.
    • To modify an existing Receive connector on a Hub Transport server, expand Server Configuration in the console tree, and select Hub Transport. In the result pane, select the server that has the Receive connector that you want to modify, and then click the Receive Connectors tab.

  2. In the work pane, select the Receive connector to modify.

  3. Under the name of the Receive connector in the action pane, click Properties to open the Properties page.

  4. Click the General tab and use the drop-down box next to Protocol logging level to enable or disable protocol logging. None disables protocol logging, and Verbose enables protocol logging.

  5. After you make your protocol logging selection, click Apply to save changes and remain in the Properties page, or click OK to save changes and exit the Properties page.

By default, protocol logging is disabled on all Send connectors. Protocol logging can be enabled or disabled individually on each Send connector.

  1. Open the Exchange Management Console, and perform one of the following steps:

    • To enable or disable protocol logging for an existing Send connector on an Edge Transport server, in the console tree, select Edge Transport.
    • To enable or disable protocol logging for an existing Send connector on a Hub Transport server, expand Organization Configuration in the console tree, and select Hub Transport.

  2. In the work pane, click the Send Connectors tab, and select the Send connector to modify.

  3. Under the name of the Send connector in the action pane, click Properties to open the Properties page.

  4. Click the General tab and use the drop-down box next to Protocol logging level to enable or disable protocol logging. None disables protocol logging, and Verbose enables protocol logging.

  5. After you make your protocol logging selection, click Apply to save changes and remain in the Properties page, or click OK to save changes and exit the Properties page.

A special Send connector named the intra-organization Send connector exists on every Hub Transport server. This connector is implicitly created, invisible, and requires no management. The intra-organization Send connector is used to relay messages to the following destinations:

  • To other Hub Transport servers in the Exchange organization
  • To Exchange Server 2003 servers in the Exchange organization
  • To Edge Transport servers in the Exchange organization

By default, protocol logging for the intra-organization Send connector is disabled. You can enable or disable protocol logging for the intra-organization Send connector by using the Set-TransportServer cmdlet.

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -IntraOrgProtocolLoggingLevel <Verbose | None>

    For example, if you want to enable protocol logging for the intra-organization Send connector on a Hub Transport server named "Exchange01", run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer "Exchange01" -IntraOrgProtocolLoggingLevel Verbose

By default, the Receive connector protocol log files are located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\TransportRoles\Logs\ProtocolLog\SmtpReceive. The directory must be local to the Exchange 2007 computer.

Bb124531.note(en-us,EXCHG.80).gifNote:
You can configure the location of the Receive connector protocol log files by using the Exchange Management Console only in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

  1. Open the Exchange Management Console. Perform one of the following steps:

    • On a computer that has the Edge Transport server role installed, select Edge Transport, and then in the action pane, click the Properties link that is directly under the server name.
    • On a computer that has the Hub Transport server role installed, in the console tree, expand Server Configuration, and select Hub Transport. In the action pane, click the Properties link that is directly under the server name.

  2. In the Properties page, click the Log Settings tab.

  3. In the Protocol log section, click Browse next to Receive connector protocol log file path.

  4. In the Browse for folder window, browse to the new location where you want to store the Receive connector protocol log files. If you want to create a new folder, select a parent folder, click Make New Folder, and then type the name of the new folder. After you make your folder selection, click OK to close the Browse for folder window.

  5. Click Apply to save changes and remain in the Properties page, or click OK to save changes and exit the Properties page.

By default, the maximum size for each protocol log file is 10 MB. All Receive connectors on the server share the same protocol log files, and all Send connectors on the server share the same protocol log files. When a protocol log file reaches its maximum size, Exchange 2007 opens a new protocol log file. This process continues until either of the following conditions is true:

  • The protocol log directory reaches its specified maximum size. For more information about how to change the maximum size of the protocol log directory, see "Configuring the Maximum Size of the Protocol Log Directory" later in this topic.
  • A protocol log file reaches its specified maximum age. For more information about how to change the maximum age for a protocol log file, see "Configuring the Maximum Age for the Protocol Log Files" later in this topic.

After the maximum size or age limit is reached, circular logging deletes the oldest protocol log files.

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxFileSize <FileSize>

    For example, to set the maximum size of Receive connector protocol log files to 20 MB on an Exchange 2007 computer named Exchange01, run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer Exchange01 -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxFileSize 20MB

Configuring the Maximum Size of the Protocol Log Directory

By default, the maximum size for the whole protocol log directory is 250 MB. All Receive connectors on the server share the same protocol log directory, and all Send connectors on the server share the same protocol log directory. Circular logging deletes the oldest protocol log files when either of the following conditions is true:

  • The protocol log directory reaches its specified maximum size.
  • A protocol log file reaches its specified maximum age.
Bb124531.note(en-us,EXCHG.80).gifNote:
By default, the transport logging process has a logging level value of 0 (Lowest). If you want Microsoft Exchange to write an event log entry when circular logging removes a log file, you must change the logging level value of the transport logging process to 5 (Maximum) or 7 (Expert). For more information, see How to Change Logging Levels for Exchange Processes.

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize <DirectorySize>

    For example, to set the maximum size of the Receive connector protocol log directory to 400 MB on an Exchange 2007 computer named Exchange01, run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer Exchange01 -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize 400MB

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -SendProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize <DirectorySize>

    For example, to set the maximum size of the Send connector protocol log directory to 400 MB on an Exchange 2007 computer named Exchange01, run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer Exchange01 -SendProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize 400MB

When you enter a value for either parameter, qualify the value with one of the following units:

  • B (bytes)
  • KB (kilobytes)
  • MB (megabytes)
  • GB (gigabytes)
  • TB (terabytes)

Unqualified values are treated as bytes. The value of the ReceiveProtocolLogMaxFileSize parameter must be less than or equal to the value of the ReceiveProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize parameter. The value of the SendProtocolLogMaxFileSize parameter must be less than or equal to the value of the SendProtocolLogMaxDirectorySize parameter. The valid input range for any of these parameters is 1 to 9223372036854775807 bytes.

Configuring the Maximum Age for the Protocol Log Files

By default, the maximum age for any protocol log file is 30 days. All Receive connectors on the server share the same protocol log files, and all Send connectors on the server share the same protocol log files. Circular logging deletes the oldest protocol log files if either of the following conditions is true:

  • The protocol log directory reaches its specified maximum size.
  • A protocol log file reaches its specified maximum age.
Bb124531.note(en-us,EXCHG.80).gifNote:
By default, the transport logging process has a logging level value of 0 (Lowest). If you want Microsoft Exchange to write an event log entry when circular logging removes a log file, you must change the logging level value of the transport logging process to 5 (Maximum) or 7 (Expert). For more information, see How to Change Logging Levels for Exchange Processes.

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxAge <Age>

    For example, to set the age limit of the Receive connector protocol log files to 45 days on an Exchange 2007 computer named Exchange01, run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer Exchange01 -ReceiveProtocolLogMaxAge 45.00:00:00

  • Run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer <Identity> -SendProtocolLogMaxAge <Age>

    For example, to set the age limit of the Send connector protocol log files to 45 days on an Exchange 2007 computer named Exchange01, run the following command:

    Set-TransportServer Exchange01 -SendProtocolLogMaxAge 45.00:00:00

To specify an age value, enter the value as a time span: dd.hh:mm:ss, where d = days, h = hours, m = minutes, and s = seconds. The valid input range for this parameter is 00:00:00 to 24855.03:14:07. Setting the value of the ReceiveProtocolLogMaxAge parameter or the SendProtocolLogMaxAge parameter to 00:00:00 prevents the automatic removal of protocol log files because of their age.

For detailed syntax and parameter information about each command, see the following topics:

For more information about protocol logging, see Managing Protocol Logging

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