Exchange Mail Retrieval Test

This test monitors the usage of POP3 and IMAP protocols via an Exchange server.

Target of the test : An Exchange server 2000/2003

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for every Exchange server being monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameters Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed.

Host

The IP address of the machine where the Exchange Server is installed.

Port

The port number through which the Exchange server communicates.

IsPassive

If the value chosen is Yes, then the Exchange server under consideration is a passive server in an Exchange cluster. No alerts will be generated if the server is not running. Measures will be reported as “Not applicable’ by the agent if the server is not up.
Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Current POP3 connections

This measure shows the number of current POP3 connections to the server.

Number

A high value for this measure indicates that a large number of POP3 clients are connected to the Exchange server.

This measure helps the administrator in planning or upgrading the following parameters:

  • The server’s memory requirements
  • Control of unnecessary traffic on the mail server
  • The server’s processing capabilities

Current IMAP connections

This measure shows the number of current IMAP connections to the server.

Number

A high value for this measure indicates that a large number of IMAP clients are connected to the Exchange server.

This measure helps the administrator in planning or upgrading the following parameters:

  • The server’s memory requirements
  • Control of unnecessary traffic on the mail server
  • The server’s processing capabilities

POP3 authentication failures

This measure shows the number of POP3 authentication failures since the last measurement.

 

Number

A high value for this measure indicates that either the Exchange server is down or invalid/erroneous user credentials are being used during authentication resulting in a failure.

IMAP authentication failures

This measure shows the number of IMAP authentication failures since the last measurement.

Number

A high value for this measure indicates that either the Exchange server is down or invalid/erroneous user credentials are being used during authentication resulting in a failure.