Script to export the Exchange 2010 SMTP logs into an easy to "read and work with" Excel file:

1.  Load Exchange Management Shell:

add-pssnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.E2010

2.  Export message tracking results to CSV:

get-messagetrackinglog -resultsize unlimited -Sender "user@sender.com" -MessageSubject "This is where the subject goes" | Select Sender,{$_.Recipients},{$_.RecipientStatus},MessageSubject,TimeStamp, EventId, Source, SourceContext,MessageId,InternalMessageId,ClientIP,ClientHostName,ServerIP,ServerHostName,ConnectorId,TotalBytes,RecipientCount,RelatedRecipientAddress,Reference,ReturnPath,MessageInfo | Export-Csv .\MessageTrackingLog.csv 

Last updated  June 13th, 2013 by Steven Jordan.

This is an update to a previous post on how to mark a tape as "free".  Because of limitations with the DPM GUI a Power Shell script must be run to free the tapes associated with protection groups.

I ran into a problem specifying the location of the tape when using the previous script.  The PS script below sidesteps the location problem.

N. B. Here is the correct format to run the script:

PS C:\scripts> .\free2.ps1 -dpmservername dpserver01 -LibraryName "Hewlett Packard DAT72 drive"

Here is the script:

    param ([string] $DPMServerName, [string] $LibraryName)
    if(("-?","-help") -contains $args[0])
    {
        Write-Host "Usage: ForceFree-Tape.ps1 [[-DPMServerName] ] [-LibraryName]  
        Write-Host "Example: Force-FreeTape.ps1 -Dpmservername SDPM01 -LibraryName   My library
        exit 0
    }
    if (!$DPMServerName)
    {
        $DPMServerName = Read-Host "DPM server name: "
        if (!$DPMServerName)
        {
            Write-Error "Dpm server name not specified."
            exit 1
        }
    }
    if (!$LibraryName)
    {
        $LibraryName = Read-Host "Library name: "
        if (!$LibraryName)
        {
            Write-Error "Library name not specified."
            exit 1
        }
    }
    
    
    if (!(Connect-DPMServer $DPMServerName))
    {
        Write-Error "Failed to connect To DPM server $DPMServerName"
        exit 1
    }
    $library = Get-DPMLibrary $DPMServerName | where {$_.UserFriendlyName -eq $LibraryName}
    write-host "Getting library..."
    if (!$library)
    {
        Write-Error "Failed to find library with user friendly name $LibraryName"
        exit 1
    }
    foreach ($media in @(Get-Tape -DPMLibrary $library))
    {
    write-host "Getting media..."
    
            if ($media -is [Microsoft.Internal.EnterpriseStorage.Dls.UI.ObjectModel.LibraryManagement.ArchiveMedia])
            {
                foreach ($rp in @(Get-RecoveryPoint -Tape $media))
                {
      write-host "Getting recovery point..."
                    Get-RecoveryPoint -Datasource $rp.Datasource | Out-Null
                    Write-Verbose "Removing recovery point created at $($rp.RepresentedPointInTime) for tape in $($media.Location)."
                    write-host "Force removing recovery point..."
      Remove-RecoveryPoint -RecoveryPoint $rp -ForceDeletion -Confirm:$false
                }
                Write-Verbose "Setting tape in $($media.Location) as free."
         write-host "Setting tape as free..."
                Set-Tape -Tape $media -Free
            }
            else
            {
                Write-Error "The tape in $($media.Location) is a cleaner tape."
            }
       
    
    }

*I posted an update to this script here.

Problem:  I wanted to use a DAT 72 tape that previously had data written to it.  When trying to free the tape I received the following error:

The selected tapes cannot be erased because they belong to protection groups

Solution:  The tape cannot be released via DPM 2010 GUI.  I found the following PowerShell script that allowed me to use the tape:

}if (!(Connect-DPMServer $DPMServerName))
{Write-Error "Failed to connect To DPM server $DPMServerName"exit 1
}

$library = @(Get-DPMLibrary $DPMServerName )if ($library.count -eq 0)
{Write-Error "Failed to find library with user friendly name $LibraryName"exit 1
}

if (!$LibraryName)
{$library | foreach {$_.userfriendlyname}$LibraryName = Read-Host "Library name (cut & paste from above): "if (!$LibraryName)
{

Write-Error "Library name not specified."exit 1
}
}

if (!$TapeLocationList)
{$tmp = Read-Host "Tape location: "$TapeLocationList=$tmp.split(",")write-host "Processing this slot list..."$TapeLocationListif (!$TapeLocationList)
{Write-Error "Tape location not specified."exit 1
}
}

foreach ($media in @(Get-Tape -DPMLibrary $library))
{if ($TapeLocationList -contains $media.Location)
{if ($media -is [Microsoft.Internal.EnterpriseStorage.Dls.UI.ObjectModel.LibraryManagement.ArchiveMedia])
{foreach ($rp in @(Get-RecoveryPoint -Tape $media))
{Get-RecoveryPoint -Datasource $rp.Datasource | Out-NullWrite-Verbose "Removing recovery point created at $($rp.RepresentedPointInTime) for tape in $($media.Location)."Remove-RecoveryPoint -RecoveryPoint $rp -ForceDeletion -Confirm:$false}

Write-Verbose "Setting tape in $($media.Location) as free."Set-Tape -Tape $media -Free}else{Write-Error "The tape in $($media.Location) is a cleaner tape."}
}
}

A common issue that pops up is deciding which service account to use for a specific application or service .  What is the best practice for creating and using service accounts to operate Windows services and applications?

Microsoft has resolved this issue with the MSA (Managed Service Account) in Windows 2008 R2.  


     1.  Create the MSA in AD using the AD nodule for PowerShell:

          New-ADServiceAccount -Name [MSA account name] -Enabled $true

   2. Associate the MSA to a computer:

          Add-ADComputerServiceAccount -Identity [AD Computer Account] -ServiceAccount

     3.  Install the MSA on the associated computer:


          Install-ADServiceAccount -Identity [MSA Account]

     4.   Associate the new MSA with the service.

          Services.MSC → Edit Service Properties
           → Edit "Log On" Tab.

     * Use domain\MSA format
     * Do no enter a password.
   

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548356(WS.10).aspx


http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2009/09/10/managed-service-accounts-understanding-implementing-best-practices-and-troubleshooting.aspx

1. Associate the DPM server:
  $pg = Get-ProtectionGroup


2. Start the consistency check:

foreach ($pgi in $pg) { $ds = get-datasource $pgi; foreach ($dsi in $ds) { if ($dsi.State -eq 'Invalid') { Start-DatasourceConsistencyCheck $dsi | out-null; $dsi.ProductionServerName + " :: " + $dsi.DisplayPath } } }
Reference:  http://www.avianwaves.com/Blog/default.aspx?id=195