The Microsoft Exchange Product Group has a pretty cool tool available online (in Beta) that I learned about at the E14 Airlift (don't worry, it's not for Exchange 14), called the Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer. This tool offers several tests that can be run against your Exchange infrastructure to see if things are configured correctly, including:
- MS Exchange ActiveSync Test, which simulates a mobile device connecting to Exchange Server
- MS Exchange ActiveSync Autodiscover Test, which simulates the steps a mobile device takes to connect to the AutoDiscover service
- MS Outlook 2007 Autodiscovery Connectivity Test, which simulates the steps Outlook 2007 takes to connect to the AutoDiscovery service
- MS Outlook 2003 RPC/HTTP Connectivity Test, which simulates the steps Outlook 2003 takes to connect to Exchange using RPC over HTTP
- Inbound SMTP Email Test, which simulates sending e-mail to your Exchange Server using SMTP
It's a pretty cool tool - you first choose one of the radio buttons, then simply click Next. You're then presented with fields where you enter your server name (obviously, use the Internet-facing name here) and your credentials (they do want a domain password, but they promise to not store it and to use SSL to encrypt it, as always YMMV, and use caution). There's also a challenge in the form of one of those annoyingly garbled strings of letters that are hard to see, but that keep automated systems from using the form. I hate these things and always mess up the first try, but understand why they're there.) Once you've filled out the forms and agreed to the terms of service, a simple click is all it takes to start the test. I just ran through the test, using 3Sharp as the target, and here's a snippet from our results (with some of the fields changed, which I've italicized. My goal is to show you what kind of results you'd see, not to show you everything we do here at 3Sharp):
Attempting to Resolve the host name server.3sharp.com in DNS.
Host successfully Resolved
Additional Details
IP(s) returned: 1.1.1.1
Testing TCP Port 443 on host server.3sharp.com to ensure it is listening/open.
The port was opened successfully.
Testing SSLCertificate for validity.
The certificate passed all validation requirements.
Additional Details
Subject: CN=server.3sharp.com, OU=Domain Control Validated, O=server.3sharp.com, Issuer SERIALNUMBER=12345678, CN=Go Daddy Secure Certification Authority, OU=http://certificates.godaddy.com/repository, O="GoDaddy.com, Inc.", L=Scottsdale, S=Arizona, C=US
Testing Http Authentication Methods for URL https://server.3sharp.com/Microsoft-Server-Activesync/
Http Authentication Methods are correct
Additional Details
Found all expected authentication methods and no disallowed methods Methods Found: Basic realm="server.3sharp.com"
Attempting an Activesync session with server
Errors were encountered while testing the ActiveSync session
Test Steps
Attempting to send OPTIONS command to server
Testing the OPTIONS command failed. See Additional Details for more info
Additional Details
A Web Exception occured because an HTTP 401 - Unauthorized response was received from IIS6
All in all, it's a pretty cool tool, and alleviates the need for you to get to a remote desktop to test your environment's connectivity. I was surprised I hadn't heard about it before, and thought I'd share this so more folks can try out the site!
The Microsoft MVP Global Summit takes place next week in Redmond, Washington (although the attendees will stay in Seattle proper and be bussed out to Redmond each day). This is an event I've always looked forward to, but won't be attending this year because I lost my status as an MVP this past October (turns out that you really do need to participate in the community - something I knew, but had let slide some the past few years). I was an MVP for Exchange Server from 1999 until 2008, though, and that's not a bad run.
So my intention is to step back up to the plate in terms of community contributions - which means updating this blog more regularly, answering questions in the Microsoft newsgroups and other venues, and getting back to writing more.
To my MVP friends who will be at the Summit, have a great time, and enjoy your time with the Product Group. The Exchange Product Group is incredibly open and responsive, and I'll miss having face time with them (I was fortunate enough to see many of them at the E14 Airlift a few weeks ago, but more is always better!)
A quick note of congratulations to my teammate Devin Ganger who recently passed the (grueling, I'm sure) lab to achieve Microsoft Certified Master status for Exchange Server 2007. This is a great achievement, and I'm thrilled for Devin!
Who, me? I have fantasies about becoming an MCM for Exchange, but the intensive three-week class keeps scaring me away - not because I don't think I could handle the technical aspect of the training, but more because it's hard on the family when I'm gone that long.
That said, if the opportunity arises to attend the training, I don't think I could turn it down. It's just too awesome to miss if you get the chance to go!