System Health Monitoring
Applies To: Windows Essential Business Server
This section describes the monitoring of system health in Windows EBS. The monitoring data for system health appears on the Health Monitor page on the System Health tab in the Administration Console.
The Windows EBS management pack in System Center Essentials contains rules (also called health indicators) that monitor critical services and components for the following three network workloads that are installed on the servers for Windows EBS:
Log on to domain. Authentication and licensing services that enable users to access network resources.
Send and receive e-mail. Services for Exchange Server on the Security Server and the Messaging Server.
Internet services. The Microsoft Firewall service on the Security Server, and services on the Messaging Server that enable Remote Web Workplace and Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access.
The health indicators are described in more detail later in this section, in Health indicators.
Health status
The results pane indicates the health of each network workload. You can expand the workload groups to view the status of each indicator.
For each health indicator, the results pane and the details pane show information about the indicator and whether there is an active critical alert, as follows:
Normal. The indicator does not have an active critical alert.
Critical. The indicator has an active critical alert.
No data. The Windows EBS Administration Console does not have current information for the indicator.
Tasks to resolve alerts
If a health indicator has a status of Critical, the following information about the alert appears in the details pane:
The Description of the alert, and the Alert Time.
A recommended Action to resolve the alert in most cases. For example, you may need to restart a particular service on the Management Server, the Security Server, or the Messaging Server.
The following tasks on the System Health page can help you investigate and resolve a critical alert:
| Task | Details |
|---|---|
Start Event Viewer |
Starts Event Viewer on the server for the selected health indicator. |
Start Services console |
Starts the Services console on the server for the selected health indicator. |
Connect to server |
Starts Remote Desktop Connection to connect to the server for the selected health indicator (on the Security Server or the Messaging Server). |
Note
The alert status is not refreshed on the Health Monitor page until the next time that the indicator is checked in System Center Essentials. This time is determined by the Refresh Interval for the indicator. So after you resolve an alert, the alert status does not change immediately.
Health indicators
The following table describes the health indicators that appear on the Health Monitor page.
| Workload | Indicator | Description | Refresh Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
Log on to domain |
Active Directory Domain Services role status on the Management Server |
The Primary Domain Controller and the Domain Naming Master roles for Active Directory Domain Services must be assigned to the Management Server to comply with the licensing terms for Windows EBS. If these roles are not assigned, the Management Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
240 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Active Directory Domain Services status on the Management Server |
If Active Directory Domain Services is not running on the Management Server, users may be unable to log on to the domain. |
5 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Active Directory Domain Services status on the Messaging Server |
If Active Directory Domain Services is not running on the Messaging Server, users may be unable to log on to the domain. |
5 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Domain controller role status on the Management Server |
The Management Server must be a domain controller to comply with the licensing terms for Windows EBS. If the Management Server is not a domain controller, it automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
240 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Domain controller role status on the Messaging Server |
The Messaging Server must be a domain controller to comply with the licensing terms for Windows EBS. If the Messaging Server is not a domain controller, it automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
240 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Domain membership status of the Messaging Server |
The Messaging Server must be a member of the same domain as the Management Server to comply with the licensing terms for Windows EBS. If it is not in the same domain, the Messaging Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
120 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Domain membership status of the Security Server |
The Security Server must be a member of the same domain as the Management Server to comply with the licensing terms for Windows EBS. If it is not in the same domain, the Security Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
120 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Forest trust relationships status |
The licensing terms for Windows EBS require that there is a single Active Directory forest. The forest must not have a trust relationship with an external forest or domain. If it does, the Management Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
240 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Kerberos Key Distribution Center service status on the Management Server |
On domain controllers, the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service enables users to log on to the network by using the Kerberos authentication protocol. If the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service is not running on the Management Server, users may be unable to log on to the domain. |
5 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Kerberos Key Distribution Center service status on the Messaging Server |
On domain controllers, the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service enables users to log on to the network by using the Kerberos authentication protocol. If the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service is not running on the Messaging Server, users may be unable to log on to the domain. |
5 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Management Server network adapter configuration |
If the network name, IP address, or subnet mask of the Management Server is changed from the initially configured value, users may be unable to log on to the domain. |
5 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Number of additional servers in the domain |
The licensing terms for Windows EBS require that the three servers for Windows EBS are used in their intended roles in Windows EBS. If there are more servers for Windows EBS in the domain, the Management Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
360 minutes |
Log on to domain |
Windows Essential Business Server licensing environment status |
The Server Infrastructure License Service provides server level role management and license compliance services in Windows EBS. If checks for license compliance cannot be performed on the servers for Windows EBS, the Management Server automatically shuts down 28 days after the condition is first detected, unless corrective action is taken. |
240 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Messaging Server network adapter configuration |
If the network name, IP address, or subnet mask of the Messaging Server is changed from the initially configured value, users may lose access to e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service provides Active Directory topology information to Exchange Server. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange ADAM service status on the Security Server |
Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) is used to store configuration data and recipient data on the Security Server, which has the Edge Transport role. The Microsoft Exchange ADAM service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange File Distribution service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange File Distribution service is used to distribute offline address book and custom Unified Messaging prompts. This service is dependent on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology and Workstation services. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Information Store service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service manages Exchange Server databases and provides data storage for messaging clients. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Mail Submission service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Mail Submission service is used to notify a Hub Transport server, which is located in Active Directory site for the Mailbox server, that messages are ready for retrieval from a sender's Outbox. This service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Assistants service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Assistants service provides functionality for Calendar Attendant, Resource Booking Attendant, Out of Office Assistant, and Managed Folder Mailbox Assistant. This service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Service Host service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Service Host service configures the remote procedure call (RPC) virtual directory in Internet Information Services (IIS) and the registry data for ValidPorts, NSPI Interface Protocol Sequences, and AllowAnonymous for Outlook Anywhere. This service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service provides monitoring, maintenance, and directory lookup services for Exchange Server. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Transport service status on the Messaging Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Transport service provides a Simple Message Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server and transport stack. This service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Send and receive e-mail |
Microsoft Exchange Transport service status on the Security Server |
The Microsoft Exchange Transport service provides a Simple Message Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server and transport stack. This service is depends the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. This service is required for Exchange Server to provide e-mail services. |
5 minutes |
Internet services |
Microsoft Firewall service status on the Security Server. |
The Microsoft Firewall service on the Security Server helps protect your network. If the service is not running, Forefront TMG closes your Internet connection to help protect your network. |
5 minutes |
Internet services |
Security Server internal network adapter configuration |
If the network name, IP address, or subnet mask of the Security Server is changed from the initially configured value, users may lose access to the Internet. |
5 minutes |
Internet services |
Terminal Services Gateway service status on the Messaging Server |
The Terminal Services Gateway service status on the Messaging Server is required for providing Remote Web Workplace services, such as remote access, to computers. |
5 minutes |
Internet services |
World Wide Web Publishing Service status on the Messaging Server |
The World Wide Web Publishing Service status on the Messaging Server is required for providing remote Web services, such as Outlook Web Access. |
5 minutes |