Test-ImapConnectivity

This cmdlet is available only in on-premises Exchange.

Use the Test-ImapConnectivity cmdlet to verify that connectivity to the Microsoft Exchange IMAP4 service is working as expected.

Note: This cmdlet works best in Exchange 2010. In later versions of Exchange, the functionality of this cmdlet has been replaced by Managed Availability. For the best results, use the Invoke-MonitoringProbe cmdlet and specify the relevant active monitor probe instead of using this cmdlet.

For information about the parameter sets in the Syntax section below, see Exchange cmdlet syntax.

Syntax

Test-ImapConnectivity
    [[-ClientAccessServer] <ServerIdParameter>]
    [-Confirm]
    [-ConnectionType <ProtocolConnectionType>]
    [-DomainController <Fqdn>]
    [-LightMode]
    [-MailboxCredential <PSCredential>]
    [-MailboxServer <ServerIdParameter>]
    [-MonitoringContext]
    [-PerConnectionTimeout <Int32>]
    [-PortClientAccessServer <Int32>]
    [-ResetTestAccountCredentials]
    [-Timeout <UInt32>]
    [-TrustAnySSLCertificate]
    [-WhatIf]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Test-ImapConnectivity cmdlet tests IMAP4 connectivity by connecting to the specified mailbox, the specified Exchange server, or all Exchange servers that are available in the local Active Directory site.

The first time you use this cmdlet, you might be required to create a test user. To create a test user, run the following command:

& $env:ExchangeInstallPath\Scripts\New-TestCasConnectivityUser.ps1

The test results are displayed on-screen. The cmdlet returns the following information.

  • CasServer: The Exchange server that the client connected to.
  • LocalSite: The name of the local Active Directory site.
  • Scenario: The operations that are tested. Test IMAP4 Connectivity connects to the server using the IMAP4 protocol, searches for the test message and deletes it along with any messages that are older than 24 hours.
  • Result: The values returned are typically Success, Skipped or Failure.
  • Latency(MS): The time required to complete the test in milliseconds.
  • Error: Any error messages that were encountered.

You can write the results to a file by piping the output to ConvertTo-Html and Set-Content. For example: Test-IMAPConnectivity -ClientAccessServer MBX01 | ConvertTo-Html | Set-Content -Path "C:\My Documents\IMAP Test.html".

You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although this topic lists all parameters for the cmdlet, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To find the permissions required to run any cmdlet or parameter in your organization, see Find the permissions required to run any Exchange cmdlet.

Note: In Exchange 2013 or later, when you run this command to test a single mailbox on an Exchange server that isn't hosting the active mailbox database copy for the mailbox, you might see the following error message:

Unable to create MailboxSession object to access the mailbox [user@contoso.com]. Detailed error information: [Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Storage.WrongServerException]: The user and the mailbox are in different Active Directory sites. Inner error [Microsoft.Mapi.MapiExceptionMailboxInTransit]: MapiExceptionMailboxInTransit: Detected site violation (hr=0x0, ec=1292)

When you receive this error, run the command again on the server that's hosting the active mailbox database copy to verify that IMAP works for the mailbox.

Examples

Example 1

Test-ImapConnectivity -ClientAccessServer Contoso12 -MailboxCredential (Get-Credential contoso\kweku)

This example tests the client IMAP4 connectivity for the server named Contoso12 by using the credentials for the user contoso\kweku.

Example 2

Test-ImapConnectivity -ClientAccessServer Contoso12

This example tests the client IMAP4 connectivity of the server named Contoso12 and tests all Exchange mailboxes.

Parameters

-ClientAccessServer

The ClientAccessServer parameter specifies the Exchange server to test. This server has the Client Access server role installed, and is responsible for accepting client connections.

You can use any value that uniquely identifies the server. For example:

  • Name
  • Distinguished name (DN)
  • ExchangeLegacyDN
  • GUID
Type:ServerIdParameter
Position:1
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-Confirm

The Confirm switch specifies whether to show or hide the confirmation prompt. How this switch affects the cmdlet depends on if the cmdlet requires confirmation before proceeding.

  • Destructive cmdlets (for example, Remove-* cmdlets) have a built-in pause that forces you to acknowledge the command before proceeding. For these cmdlets, you can skip the confirmation prompt by using this exact syntax: -Confirm:$false.
  • Most other cmdlets (for example, New-* and Set-* cmdlets) don't have a built-in pause. For these cmdlets, specifying the Confirm switch without a value introduces a pause that forces you acknowledge the command before proceeding.
Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:cf
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-ConnectionType

The ConnectionType parameter specifies the type of connection that's used to connect to the IMAP4 service. Valid values are:

  • Plaintext
  • Ssl
  • Tls
Type:ProtocolConnectionType
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-DomainController

The DomainController parameter specifies the domain controller that's used by this cmdlet to read data from or write data to Active Directory. You identify the domain controller by its fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, dc01.contoso.com.

Type:Fqdn
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-LightMode

The LightMode switch tells the command to perform only a test logon to the server by using the IMAP4 protocol. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

If you don't use this switch, the command also tests sending and receiving a message using the IMAP4 protocol.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-MailboxCredential

The MailboxCredential parameter specifies the mailbox credential to use for a single mailbox test.

A value for this parameter requires the Get-Credential cmdlet. To pause this command and receive a prompt for credentials, use the value (Get-Credential). Or, before you run this command, store the credentials in a variable (for example, $cred = Get-Credential) and then use the variable name ($cred) for this parameter. For more information, see Get-Credential.

Type:PSCredential
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-MailboxServer

The MailboxServer parameter specifies the Exchange Mailbox server that you want to test. This parameter identifies the backend server that accepts proxied connections from the frontend server where clients connect.

You can use any value that uniquely identifies the server. For example:

  • Name
  • Distinguished name (DN)
  • ExchangeLegacyDN
  • GUID

If you don't use this parameter, connections to all Mailbox servers in the local Active Directory site are tested.

Type:ServerIdParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-MonitoringContext

The MonitoringContext switch includes the associated monitoring events and performance counters in the results. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

Typically, you include the monitoring events and performance counters in the results when the output is passed to Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM).

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-PerConnectionTimeout

The PerConnectionTimeout parameter specifies the amount of time, in seconds, to wait per connection for the test operation to finish. Valid values are between 0 and 120 seconds. The default value is 120 seconds.

We recommend that you configure this parameter with a value of 5 seconds or more.

Type:Int32
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-PortClientAccessServer

The PortClientAccessServer parameter specifies the port to use to connect to the Client Access server. The default port is 143 for IMAP4. The valid range is from 0 through 65,535.

Type:Int32
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-ResetTestAccountCredentials

The ResetTestAccountCredentials switch resets the password for the test account that's used to run this command. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

The password for the test account is typically reset every seven days. Use this switch to force a password reset any time it's required for security reasons.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-Timeout

The Timeout parameter specifies the amount of time, in seconds, to wait for the test operation to finish. Valid values are between 0 and 3600 seconds (1 hour). The default value is 180 seconds (3 minutes).

We recommend that you configure this parameter with a value of 5 seconds or more.

Type:UInt32
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-TrustAnySSLCertificate

The TrustAnySSLCertificate switch allows Exchange to accept certificates from untrusted certification authorities (CAs). You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

This switch is useful for testing internal URLs, because a URL that has an associated certificate is typically an external URL. This switch lets the task check an internal URL without generating an error when the certificate doesn't match the URL.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-WhatIf

The WhatIf switch simulates the actions of the command. You can use this switch to view the changes that would occur without actually applying those changes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:wi
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

Inputs

Input types

To see the input types that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Input Type field for a cmdlet is blank, the cmdlet doesn't accept input data.

Outputs

Output types

To see the return types, which are also known as output types, that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Output Type field is blank, the cmdlet doesn't return data.