Upgrading first CAS server to Update Rollup in mixed environment

Users trying access OWA in the mixed environment and getting "The mailbox you're trying to access isn't currently available. If the problem continues, contact your helpdesk."

In mixed Exchange environment (ie. OWA client access for Exchange 2007 users goes  Exchange 2010 CAS Servers -> Exchange 2007 CAS Servers -> Exchange 2007 User), Exchange 2010 server must have previous version of OWA in it’s OWA folder.

Upgrade Exchange 2007 CAS server to Update Rollup creates new folder of files (like UR12 for Exchange 2007 SP3 created the folder ‘8.3.342.1’) which did not exist on Exchange 2010 CAS servers.

That causes problems for Exchange 2007 users to login.

To fix – copy the folder to Exchange 2010 CAS Server OWA folder (from upgraded Exchange 2007 CAS Server OWA folder) and do iisreset on Exchange 2010 CAS server.

More here: http://exchangeserverpro.com/owa-error-mailbox-trying-access-not-currently-available/ (scroll down to the end).

Monitoring Exchange Functionality (OWA/ActiveSync) from Internet

Following is the way to test Exchange Health from Internet.  You will need the pc with Exchange Management Tools installed.

• 2 batch file to be run on the Task Scheduler every desired number of minutes - one batch (running Powershell Script) will be testing the Exchange Functionality; another (running vbs script) will be parsing the output file and send email to the phone of on-call person if the word "Failure" appears in the script.
• Note - credentials are supplied for the script in the secure way
• Powershell Script:

#Set-ExecutionPolicy

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy:Unrestricted

# specify acct used on Exchange 2010

$username = "TestAccount@yourdomain.com"

$password = cat C:\admin\securestring.txt | convertto-securestring

$cred = new-object -typename System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -argumentlist $username, $password

Test-OwaConnectivity -URL https://yourURL.yourdomain.com/owa -MailboxCredential $cred | Out-File c:\admin\emailtestresult.txt -Append -Encoding utf8

Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity -URL https://YourURL.yourdomain.com/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync -MailboxCredential $cred -LightMode | Out-File c:\admin\emailtestresult.txt -Append -Encoding utf8

• Note - there is a file  C:\admin\securestring.txt used as the encrypted password file; to generate it run the following:

read-host -assecurestring | convertfrom-securestring | out-file C:\admin\securestring.txt

and type the password of the account used.

• VBS Script:

Dim objFS

Dim objResult

Dim numEvent

Dim numAlert

numEvent = 0

numAlert = 0

Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

strFileIn = "c:\admin\emailtestresult.txt"

'Set inFile = objFS.OpenTextFile(strFileIn, ForReading)

Set inFile = objFS.OpenTextFile(strFileIn, 1, TristateTrue)

Do Until inFile.AtEndOfStream

                strLine = lTrim(inFile.ReadLine)

  

'if the word 'Failure' found in the result file - numAlert == 1

                If InStr(strLine,"Failure") > 0 Then

                                numAlert = 1

                End If

Loop

                If numAlert > 0 Then

                                Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")    

'send alert using blat

                                objResult = objShell.Run("blat " & strFileIn & " -subject ""Your friendly alert message is here"" -to yourphone@phonedomain.com")

                                Set objShell = Nothing

               

                End If

inFile.Close

• Create .bat file to run on the Task Scheduler
• For Powershell:

C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -command ". 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\bin\RemoteExchange.ps1'; Connect-ExchangeServer -auto; "PathToPSFile\PSFileName.ps1"

• For VBS Script:

cscript PathtoVBSFile\VBSFileName.vbs