HP Operations Smart Plug-in for Microsoft® Exchange Server

for HP Operations Manager for Windows®

Release Notes

Software version: 13.00 / December 2009

This document provides an overview of the changes made to HP Operations Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Exchange Server, 13.00 (Microsoft Exchange SPI) for HP Operations Manager for Windows versions 8.10 and 8.16. It contains important information not included in the manuals or in the online help.

In This Version
Documentation Updates
Installation Notes
Enhancements and Fixes
Known Problems, Limitations, and Workarounds
Documentation Errata
Local Language Support
Support
Legal Notices

In This Version

Version 13.00 of the Microsoft Exchange SPI includes enhancements and defect repairs. For more information, see"Enhancements and Fixes" section. For installing and using the product, print and read the HP Operations Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Exchange Server Installation and Configuration Guide, 13.00, and refer to the online help.

This version has the following updates:

• Support in a SAN environment

  The following configuration has been tested for compatibility with the current version of Microsoft Exchange SPI 13.00:
  Shared Disk: EVA5000 and FC HBA card.

• Microsoft Exchange 2003 not supported
• Support for HP Operations Manager i (HP OMi) 8.10

  For more information on how the SPIs work with HP OMi, see HP Operations Manager i 8.10 documentation.

• Monitoring and reporting enhancements for Transport Agents and Logs, MailFlow Latency, and Highest Growth Mailboxes
• Thresholds have been aligned with Microsoft recommendations
• Supports Windows 2008 cluster.

Documentation Updates

The first page of this release notes document contains the following identifying information:

• Version number, which indicates the software version.
• Publish date, which changes each time the document is updated.

To check for recent updates or to verify that you are using the most recent edition, visit the following URL: HP Software Product Manuals

1. In the Product list, click the product name.
2. In the Version list, click the version number.
3. In the OS list, click the OS type.
4. In the document list, click the document title.
5. To retrieve the document, click Open or Download.

To view the archived documents, click HP Operations Smart Plug-Ins (SPIs)

Installation Notes

For installation (and/or) upgrade and configuration: Print and read the HP Operations Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Exchange Server Installation and Configuration Guide located in the \Documentation\SPI Guides\ directory on the HP Operations Smart Plug-ins DVD. You can also find detailed information in the Microsoft Exchange Server SPI online help after you install the product.

Software anf Hardware Support

Before installing the Microsoft Exchange SPI, make sure that your system meets the following minimum requirements:

• Hardware
  • Intel/AMD Processors
• OS platform and compatibility
  • Windows 2003
  • Windows 2008
• Software
  • HP Operations Manager for Windows 8.10
• Disk space
  • Minimum 200 MB

Enhancements and Fixes

1. QCCR1A24422 : opcmsg template for Microsoft Exchange Server 11.50 is missing.

2. QCCR1A24429 : Exchange 2007 Top Mailbox Report reports incorrect Storage Limit.

3. QCCR1A39789 : Exchange 2007 Discovery policy cannot be opened from HP Operations Manager on Windows Console.

4. QCCR1A39891 : Microsoft Exchange Tracking Log collection should collect data for full day (previous day).

5. QCCR1A59706 : Microsoft Exchange SPI service map is not updating the severity levels.

6. QCCR1A61314 : Issues with EXSPI-8X Dc Replication Summary policy.

7. QCCR1A90209 : Problem with Top 20 Senders Exchange 2007 reports .

8. QCCR1A24424 : Policy Error for "EXSPI-8.X Edge Dc-SMTP Perf Inbound Cnn / Outbound Cnn" .

9. QCCR1A24425 : Reporter 3.8: SPI for Exchange 2007 - Report Problem.

10. QCCR1A30304 : EXSPI Service discovery runs with errors .

11. QCCR1A24436 : EXSPI 11 does not log all EX2007_MBDETAIL data to OVPA datasource.

12. QCCR1A24435 : PowerShell configuration utility tool not working from remote console .

13. QCCR1A30623 : Request to avoid additional steps when deploying EXSPI instrumentation to Exchange 2007 server .

14. QCCR1A89968 : Documentation missing for some Exchange 2007 reports .

15. QCCR1A24421 : "EXSPI-8.X Information Store Db Cache Size" uses inappropriate counter.

16. QCCR1A58992 : Documentation missing for EXSPI OV Topology Viewer tool in OMW 8.10 Remote Console

17. QCCR1A24402 : EXSPI-8.X Information Store Db using wrong performance counter "database"

18. QCCR1A24440 : Exchange SPI tracklog collection does not work

Known Problems, Limitations, and Workarounds

This release of the Microsoft Exchange SPI contains the following problems and limitations:

(1) Limitation: Operations Topology Viewer Tool

• Collection of Exchange Data takes a long time: On the Connect to Forest dialog is the Advanced Exchange Data Collection checkbox. If your credentials do not have the privilege rights to access the Exchange server's WMI Control Security properties, Topology Viewer's request for the server's membership information will be denied. This security access is different than the permissions granted through the AD Users and Computer accounts. The denial takes time to timeout in WMI, depending on your network setup (sometimes 2 minutes per server). Since the request is performed on EACH Exchange server in the forest, the process can slow down the data collection process. To verify if you are being denied access to membership data, see the OVTV_OvTVExCollectorErrorLog.txt file. For details on interpreting the warning messages and for information on which WMI access privileges are required for advanced Exchange data collection, see the instructions in the Microsoft Exchange SPI Configuration Guide.
• Other reasons the collection of Exchange Data is slow or the collection of the Exchange data failed:
  1. You don't have the access rights to collect data. Check the OVTV_OvTVExCollectorErrorLog.txt file and see if you received any failed connections warning.
  2. If you have hundreds of servers, whether the connection is over a LAN or WAN, the process can take a long time. 
  3. There could be a problem with your network.
• Connection object errors are not appearing in the Operations Topology Viewer tree: The Operations Topology Viewer does not show connection object errors in the tree.
• Operations Topology Viewer stops responding when collecting Exchange data on a malfunctioning Microsoft Exchange Windows cluster: Operations Topology Viewer stops responding when WMI queries against an Exchange server on a malfunctioning Microsoft Windows cluster, and does not time out.

Possible Reason for the problem: Topology Viewer is blocked in its attempts to collect Exchange data, but fails to complete and stops responding at 75% complete because of a malfunctioning Windows cluster.

Workaround: In the Add Forest dialog, do not check the Advanced Exchange Data Collection.

(2) Limitation: The 'Policy ID' error during SPI upgrade

While upgrading the SPI to the version 13.00 on an HPOM 8.10 server, approximately 81 warning messages are sent to the HPOM message browser indicating that the older version of the policy has the same ID as the new version of the policy.

Workaround: Ignore these messages after you upgrade the Microsoft Exchange SPI to this version.

(3) Limitation: Microsoft Exchange SPI metrics have a limit beyond which values cannot be stored in HP Performance Agent classes

The following tables mentions the list of the Microsoft Exchange SPI metrics with maximum value that they can store in the HP Performance Agent Class .

Table 1: Metrics capable of storing the maximum value till 2147483647

Table 2: Metrics capable of storing the maximum value till 21474836.47

Table 3: Metrics capable of storing the maximum value till 2147483.647

Workaround: None

(4) Limitation: If, in a record, one of the Microsoft Exchange SPI metrics exceeds limit (as mentioned in the above tables), the entire record does not get logged into the Microsoft Exchange SPI HP Performance Agent class.
For example, if the record to be logged is "Mementos1~1098~Failure~6723419876540987654~1.5~True", then, this entire record will not be logged into the Microsoft Exchange SPI HP Performance Agent Class, as the 4th metric exceeds limit.

Workaround: None

(5) Limitation: EXSPI Configuration Utility can only load the latest version of the EXSPI-8X SPIMetaData Versioning policy. Earlier versions of the policy cannot be loaded.

Workaround: None

(6) Limitation: The EXSPI-8X SPIMetaData Versioning policy cannot be loaded and modified through the EXSPI Configuration Utility from the HP Operations Manager for Windows remote console.

Workaround: Use the local SPIMetaData.xml file from the EXSPI Configuration Utility to change the Microsoft Exchange SPI collections on an HP Operations Manager for Windows remote Console; update the EXSPI-8X SPIMetaData Versioning policy" with modifed contents and re-deploy the policy to all the managed nodes.

Documentation Errata

The following is the doc errata:

HP Operations Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Exchange Server Installation and Configuration Guide - Section Installing and Upgrading Microsoft Exchange SPI Prerequisites to Install Microsoft Exchange SPI -

Install the hotfix available at the following location for all managed Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 nodes with Windows Server 2008 - x64:

http://quixy.deu.hp.com/hotfix/d.php?P=ovoagent&N=QCCR1A97866_+Not+able+to+start+a+binary+with+embedded+manifest+using+tool&V=A.08.60  

Local Language Support

The Microsoft Exchange SPI is available in Japanese (ja) language.

Note that the Japanese versions of the Microsoft Exchange SPI are compatible with both:

• English-based HP Operations agents and
• English-based operating systems

Support

You can visit the HP Software Support web site at: HP Software Support Online

This web site provides contact information and details about the products, services, and support that HP offers.

HP Software online software support provides customer self-solve capabilities. It provides a fast and efficient way to access interactive technical support tools needed to manage your business. As a valued support customer, you can benefit by being able to do the following:

• Search for knowledge documents of interest
• Submit and track progress on support cases
• Submit enhancement requests online
• Download software patches
• Manage a support contract
• Look up HP support contacts
• Review information about available services
• Enter discussions with other software customers
• Research and register for software training

Refer to the following Support Matrix (SUMA) link for the supported HP Operations Manager, application servers, HP Performance Agent, HP Performance Manager, and HP Reporter version: HP Support matrices

To register for an HP Passport ID, go to: HP Passport Registration.

Legal Notices

©Copyright 2002-2005, 2007-2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under vendor's standard commercial license.

The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

The Microsoft Exchange SPI does not use any Open Source or Third Party components.

Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.