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Spotlight on Messaging

Email Diagnostics and Problem Resolution

Quest Spotlight® on Messaging provides real-time diagnostics and problem resolution for Microsoft Exchange Server, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS)/Lync Server from a single console. With Spotlight’s comprehensive view into your messaging infrastructure you can improve system performance, reduce costs and improve productivity.









Features

  • Diagnostic Console – Simplify troubleshooting and diagnosis with a comprehensive view of platform-specific diagnostics of your messaging components from a single interface. Bottlenecks are highlighted in yellow and red, enabling you to drill down for accurate problem resolution.
  • Management Console – See a high level view of the entire messaging organization at a glance including Exchange Server, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and Office Communications Server/Lync Server. You can also use the console to monitor specific areas of concern after fixes are implemented to verify the effects of changes.
  • Agentless Architecture – Rapidly deploy and collect diagnostic data with minimal impact on the environment.
  • Improved System Performance – Maximize the availability and responsiveness of messaging servers. Diagnosis is simple with the expert guidance built into the solution. All monitoring information is displayed 24x7 through a single console.

Sys Reqs

Before installing Spotlight on Messaging, ensure your system meets the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

NOTE: For the most up-to-date system requirements, see https://support.quest.com/SUPPORT/index?page=solution&id=SOL95504.

See the Spotlight on Messaging Deployment and Troubleshooting Guide for technical details on system requirements for each environment.

Platform

x86 or x64, running at a minimum speed of 2 GHz

Memory

2 GB

Hard Disk Space

300 MB on system drive for application. Historical reporting database requires additional space. For more information, see the Spotlight on Messaging Deployment and Troubleshooting Guide.

Management Console

  • Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later
  • Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) 6.0
  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0 or later (only required for Exchange 2010 with Database Availability Group and Lync 2010)

Diagnostic Services for all Environments

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later
  • Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) 6.0
  • Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.8

NOTE: MDAC 2.8 comes with your operating system. If MDAC is uninstalled, Spotlight on Messaging will not run.

Diagnostic Services for the Exchange 2000/2003 Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments
  • Exchange System Manager (ESM) 2003 Service Pack 1 or later

NOTE: ESM is supported on the following:

Windows XP 32 bit

Windows 2003 32 bit

Windows Vista 32 bit and 64 bit

Diagnostic Services for the Exchange 2007 Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments
  • Exchange Management Console (EMC) 2007 Service Pack 1 and Update Rollup 1 or later
  • Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaborative Data Objects (MAPI CDO) 1.2.1

NOTE: If your organization contains Exchange 2007 servers and Exchange 2000/2003 servers, you must install ESM and EMC. MAPI CDO is not required.

NOTE: If your organization contains Exchange 2007 servers and Exchange 2010 servers, you must install EMC 2007 Service Pack 2 or later.

NOTE: The Exchange Management Tools version installed on your Spotlight on Messaging computer must match the Exchange version installed on your Exchange server. For example, if you have Exchange 2007 Service Pack 2 installed on your Exchange Server, you must have Exchange Management Console 2007 Service Pack 2 installed on your Spotlight on Messaging computer.

NOTE: Microsoft Outlook should not be installed on the same computer where you have MAPI CDO installed. For more information, see the following Microsoft knowledgebase article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266418.

Diagnostic Services for the Exchange 2010 Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments
  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0 or later
  • Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaborative Data Objects (MAPI CDO) 1.2.1

Diagnostic Services for the BlackBerry Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments
  • Exchange System Manager (ESM) 2003 Service Pack 1 or later or Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaborative Data Objects (MAPI CDO) 1.2.1

Diagnostic Services for the OCS Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments

Diagnostic Services for the Lync Environment

  • see Diagnostic Services for all Environments
  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0 or later

Diagnostic Console for the Exchange 2000/2003 Environment

  • ESM 2003 Service Pack 1 or later
  • Common Files for Internet Information Services (IIS)
  • MSXML 6.0

Diagnostic Console for the Exchange 2007 Environment

  • EMC 2007 Service Pack 1 or later
  • MSXML 6.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later

Diagnostic Console for the Exchange 2010 Environment

  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0 or later
  • MSXML 6.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later

Diagnostic Console for the BlackBerry Environment

  • MSXML 6.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later

Diagnostic Console for the OCS Environment

  • MSXML 6.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later

Operating System

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Server Service Pack 2 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Server Service Pack 2 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (64 bit)
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or later (32 bit or 64 bit)

Database

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 4 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 4 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition Service Pack 3 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 or later
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition

NOTE: If you are installing the database on a remote computer, ensure remote connections are enabled on the SQL server, and you have sufficient permissions to create/modify the database.

Web Reports

For installing Web Reports, you need:

  • IIS 6.0 with the following enabled: Common Files, World Wide Web Services, ASP, ASP.NET

-OR-

  • IIS 7.0 or later with the following enabled: World Wide Web Services, Application Development Features, ASP, ASP.NET, Server-Side Includes, Security, and Windows Authentication

NOTE: If you are using Microsoft Windows 7, enable Default Document and Static Content in Common HTTP Features in IIS. If these IIS features are not enabled, Web Reports will not display.

For viewing Web Reports, you need:

  • Internet Explorer 7.0 or later

Rights and Privileges

Local Windows Administrator privileges are required on the computer where Spotlight on Messaging in installed

Videos

Screenshots

Simplify troubleshooting and diagnosis

Simplify troubleshooting and diagnosis

From the main console you can: set up discovery of the Exchange, BlackBerry and OCS environments, view the Topology and create Health Tests, launch Web Reports and the Diagnostic Console, adjust Global Settings.

Get platform specific diagnostics

Get platform specific diagnostics

Identify bottlenecks (yellow for warnings and red for outages) in your infrastructure. View Exchange and BlackBerry servers in one topology and the Office Communications Server separately.

Ensure your environment is running properly

Ensure your environment is running properly

Confirm messaging delivery, verify availability and test responsiveness with server health tests for Exchange, BlackBerry and OCS. A wizard makes the test creation process easy.

Get platform specific diagnostics

Get platform specific diagnostics

Diagnostic Consoles are available for all Exchange, BlackBerry and OCS servers and roles. The BlackBerry Diagnostic Console provides a real-time status of BES.

Stay in control of the environment

Stay in control of the environment

The Exchange CPU utilization report provides insight into the load on your Exchange servers.