Exchange 2007 brought with it a number of Exchange shell cmdlets that let you test Exchange functionality (scroll down to the end of this post for a list of the test cmdlets). But how do you test Exchange services are actually available and usable from the Internet?
Have you longed for an Exchange cmdlet like Test-ExchangeConnectivity which could test your Exchange services such as Outlook Anywhere, AutoDiscover, Exchange ActiveSync, and SMTP from outside your firewall?
Now there is! Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer is a web-based service that lets you test Exchange functionality and availability from the Internet. Best of all— it’s free!
Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer answers your Exchange operations questions, such as:
- Can my Exchange server receive inbound Internet/SMTP email?
- Can my Outlook Anywhere (aka “RPC over HTTP” in Exchange 2003) clients connect from outside the firewall?
- Can my mobile users connect using Exchange ActiveSync phones/devices?
- Does AutoDiscover work for Outlook 2007 clients?
- Does AutoDiscover work for Exchange ActiveSync clients?
- Are the certificates used for these services valid?
Head over to Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer at testexchangeconnectivity.com. More details, and a great video, in Announcing the release of Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer on the Exchange team blog.
Exchange 2007’s Built-In Test Cmdlets
Here’s a list of Exchange 2007 Test Cmdlets. Although these test cmdlets aren’t intended to replace full-fledged monitoring software or diagnostics systems, they do allow you to test a lot of Exchange functionality quickly and easily, without having to fire up a console or browser!
- Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity: Lets you test ActiveSync synchronization
- Test-EdgeSynchronization: Test EdgeSync status of subscribed Edge Transport servers, including whether a specified recipient is synchronized
- Test-ExchangeSearch: Test Exchange Search status/health for a specified server or individual mailbox.
- Test-ImapConnectivity: Test IMAP functionality on a Client Access Server
- Test-IPAllowListProvider: Test if an IP address is listed in an IP Allow List Provider (a DNS-based list, think of it as the opposite of an IP Block List Provider or RBL)
- Test-IPBlockListProvider: Test whether an IP address is listed in an IP Block List Provider (aka RBL)
- Test-Mailflow: Test mailflow, including mail submission, transport, and delivery, from the System Mailbox on an Exchange Server to another Exchange Server or specified email address
- Test-MAPIConnectivity: Test MAPI connectivity to an Exchange server or a specified mailbox. A MAPI logon is performed. This test will also create a mailbox in the MDB for those freshly created/enabled mailboxes that haven’t been logged on to.
- Test-OutlookWebServices: Test AutoDiscover configuration for Outlook 2007.
- Test-OwaConnectivity: Test connectivity to Outlook Web Access, including certificate validation.
- Test-PopConnectivity: Test POP3 connectivity for a specified Client Access Server
- Test-ReplicationHealth: Test the health of Continuous Replication
- Test-SenderId: Test SenderID status for a specified IP Address (the sending host) and domain.
- Test-ServiceHealth: Test the status of services set to start automatically.
- Test-SystemHealth:
- Test-WebServicesConnectivity:
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