How to Modify Logging Settings for MSExchangeTransport

 

To help determine the root of a transport issue, view events for MSExchangeTransport. If you experience problems with Exchange Server message flow, immediately increase the logging levels that relate to MSExchangeTransport. Logging levels control the amount of data that is logged in the application log. The more events that are logged, the more transport-related events that you can view in the application log; therefore, you have a better chance of determining the cause of the message flow problem. The SMTP log file is located in the Exchsrvr\ Server_name .log folder.

As discussed in "Understanding the SMTP Queues" in Troubleshooting Mail Flow and SMTP, issues with specific routing and transport components can cause messages to accumulate in a queue. If you are having problems with a specific queue, increase the logging levels for the component affecting the queue.

Before You Begin

Before you perform the procedure in this topic, read Troubleshooting Mail Flow and SMTP.

The following permissions are required to perform this procedure:

  • Member of the local administrators group and a member of a group that has had the Exchange Administrators role applied at the administrative group level

Procedure

To modify logging settings for MSExchangeTransport

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.

  2. In the console tree, expand Servers, right-click <Server Name>, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Diagnostics Logging tab.

  4. Under Services, click MSExchangeTransport.

  5. Under Categories, click the category for which you want to configure the logging level:

    • Select Routing Engine/Service to troubleshoot routing issues. Increase the logging level for this component if messages are accumulating in the Messages waiting to be routed SMTP queue.

    • Select Categorizer to troubleshoot problems with address resolution in Active Directory, distribution list expansion, and other categorizer issues. Increase the logging level for this component if messages are accumulating in the Messages awaiting directory lookup SMTP queue.

    • Select Connection Manager to troubleshoot issues with dial-up and virtual private network connectivity through Connection Manager.

    • Select Queuing Engine to troubleshoot problems with the queuing engine. Increase the logging level for this component if you are experiencing mail flow problems, and mail is not accumulating in any of the queues.

    • Select Exchange Store Driver to troubleshoot issues with the Exchange store driver. Increase the logging level for this component if messages are accumulating in the local delivery SMTP queue, the X.400 queues, or if you have problems receiving mail from Exchange 5.x servers or other mail systems.

    • Select SMTP Protocol to troubleshoot general SMTP issues. Increase the logging level for this component if messages are accumulating in the Remote delivery SMTP queue to determine if SMTP errors are causing the bottleneck.

    • Select NTFS store driver to troubleshoot issues with the NTFS store driver. Increase the logging level for this category if messages are accumulating in the Queue folder of your SMTP virtual server and are being processed slowly or not being processed at all.

    • Under Logging level, click None, Minimum, Medium, or Maximum. Click Maximum for troubleshooting purposes.

    Warning

    If you increase the logging levels for Exchange services, you will experience some performance degradation. It is recommended that you increase the size of the application log to contain all the data that is produced. If you do not increase the size of the application log, you will receive frequent reminders that the application log is full.