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parkerv
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Notifications not being sent via email - Exchange 2010

I've looked high and low, read the manuals, and search the forums and I cannot seem to figure this one out. 
Environment:

Vcenter/vSpeher 4.1 - ESXi 4.1

vCenter OpMan 5.0

Exchange 2010 -1 Cas/HT Server, 1 mbx server
I have vCenter OpMan configured to notify my corporate email address when Health or Risk Alerts arise at the critical or Immediate level.  This is Set on the Object name: World for all Children checked.

In the Administration Console - http://<ipaddressofvApp>/admin I have configured smtp to point to my Exchange 2010 CAS and HT Server.  I am using the vcenter admin account which has it's own mailbox on the exchange server and is a member of the domain.

I have allowed the ip address of the vcenter and vapp to connect through an already configured receive connector in Ex2010.  No emails...ever.

Today I created a new Receive Connector specifically for vCenter OpMan and selected TLS security.  no Emails

SMTP is running on vCenter.  but I guess I'm just not sure which server sends these notifications..is it the Windows Server that i run vCenter on?  Is it the Quasi-linux servers that came with the OpMan Appliance?

I have viewed the tracking logs on the Ex2010 server and no emails have come to Exchange from the address i specified above.  What logs in vmware can I look at to help investigate this issue?  I see lots of general docs on how to configre these notifications, but they fail/fall short in telling you the important stuff like how to get them to actually work in your mail environment.

I don't think it should be complicated.  I purchased vCenter OpMan so I could see what is happening, and it's not uncommon to want notifications via email on these things.

I appreciate thoughts and time spent on this from anyone.

Tony

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gradinka
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please do the following

1) login to the UI-VM with admin user

2) execute "vcops-admin smtp del" in order to RESET the SMTP settings

3) set them again via CLI => vcops-admin set ...

- The log to look for email issues regarding to communication with SMTP server is the "analytics.log" on the "analytics-VM.

- the logs to look for configuration issues (e.g. while setting the settings) are on the "UI VM", /var/log/vmware -> admin.log, vcops-admin.log and vcops-admin.cmd.log

thanks!

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parkerv
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Wow, nobody has an answer for what would seem to be simple functionality?

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ysandfort
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EMails are sent out via the Analytics / UI VM of vCenter Operations Manager. Please ensure both can access the SMTP server and send emails. Usually this is based on blocked communication or wrong account information.

comdivision consulting GmbH (www.comdivision.com) is a germany based Solution Provider. We provide specialised knowledge and solutions around licensing, troubleshooting and performance tuning. Our team of award winning trainer's and consultant's which are happy to help you educate your users and customers. comdivision consulting is proud VMware partner of the Management & Zimbra Lighthouse program
parkerv
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Thanks for your reply, can you point me in the right direction for docs on how to do this?  I assume it's login to the Analytics server and UI server themselves and configure or verify settings?  I have only accessed the Admin web console, please let me know where the documentation is for setting this up.. 

Not to be pushy, but shouldn't this be in the quick start guide?  or on the first few pages of docs?  This isn't some weird, uncommon function I'm asking for here.

Once again, I appreciate your response.

Thanks

Tony

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ysandfort
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Two areas you need for setup:

1) https://vcops ip/admin login with admin account and then tab smtp/snmp setup the sending account information as well as email server

2) https://vcops ip login with admin account click on notification at the top and setup the basic email notification you want...

It shall be in the manual, not sure don't have one at hand...

There is also a web based training and a class room training for vCenter Operations Manager you might want to investigate...

Thanks

Yves

comdivision consulting GmbH (www.comdivision.com) is a germany based Solution Provider. We provide specialised knowledge and solutions around licensing, troubleshooting and performance tuning. Our team of award winning trainer's and consultant's which are happy to help you educate your users and customers. comdivision consulting is proud VMware partner of the Management & Zimbra Lighthouse program
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parkerv
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Thanks again, but I have already configured both of these areas.  they are verified and correct information.  I would love training, as I agree I would benefit from it, but this should be a simple day 1 getting started task and for some reason, despite setting up everything as per what instructions I have found, I've never received an email from vcops.

So, are there any logs in a directory location that I can see to help resolve this or find out at least a glue as to whats going on?  From the Exchange side, it's not even seeing the mail arrive at that server. 

Thanks

Tony

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ysandfort
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Hi,

you can download the diagnostic bundle from the admin ui.

If that doesn't help try a manual SMTP send from the command line of the two VMs, you can connect via SSH to them based on the root login defined on first login. Manual SMTP via telnet is something which is if you don't know how explained on the web, simply google for manual smtp telnet

comdivision consulting GmbH (www.comdivision.com) is a germany based Solution Provider. We provide specialised knowledge and solutions around licensing, troubleshooting and performance tuning. Our team of award winning trainer's and consultant's which are happy to help you educate your users and customers. comdivision consulting is proud VMware partner of the Management & Zimbra Lighthouse program
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GreatWhiteTec
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You shouldn't be pointing to your CAS server for email only your HT role. I am not sure if you are saying you are pointing to both of them as separate servers or one server has both roles. Point is, only point to HT.

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parkerv
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Please re-read my original post..... the CAS and HT server are the SAME Server......

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GreatWhiteTec
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Did you add Exchange with the IP address or FQDN? You need to use IP, or change the settings on the email plug-in if you want to use FQDN.

Have you tried upgrading to version 5.0.1? Version 5.0 does not support sending SSL or TLS email, and had a few email bugs as well.

http://www.vmware.com/support/vcops/doc/vcops-5-release-notes.html

THis may help to0 - http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=201202...

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parkerv
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I added the FQDN, so I went back yesterday and changed it to the IP Address, today it was back to the FQDN again.  Then I realized that I can change this to the IP Address all day, log out and back it and its been reset back to the FQDN... Now looking for the update...not easy to find on the vmware site. 

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parkerv
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http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=201202...

..is the 1st article I went to when things did not seem to be working.

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GreatWhiteTec
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I know that in vCOPS the alerts don't go out when the threshold is violated. To terst, schedule a report and see if you get the email.

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parkerv
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ahhhh...ok.... can someone please explain the logic/point of a monitoring tool that doesn't alert me via email or some other means when something is going wrong in my datacenter.....

"I know that in vCOPS the alerts don't go out when the threshold is violated"

I don't want to be spammed to death... like Insight does, but I want to know useful things, like oh I dunno, when I have 1 minute of storage left on a vital VM, or when the CPU is pegged on a host for the last hour.....

What am I missing here, and why do I feel like the clown in the room by wondering how to set this up??? 

Thanks

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parkerv
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I think what needs to happen here is training on my part, I admit that, and I am now starting to go through the Admin guide (not the quick start guide).  But really, as a suggestion to vmware.... and as an Administrator of a dozen other technologies in my datacenter.... when I read through a quick start guide, I would expect it to give me the basics of what I need to get up and running (properly) until I have the time to dig in a little more.  I agree that it's not always a perfect world or scenario and some troubleshooting is always going to be involved.... but why do I feel like this is an odd request? Sending me alerts when things are definitely going wrong should not be last page stuff.

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parkerv
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Updated to ver 5.0.1 Build: 677931

The SMTP/SNMP tab does not retain any of my settings.  I have put the IP Address in many, many times, also disabled encrypted connection - when I log off and back on the settings are returned to FQDN and encryption enabled (TLS).

I have editted the schedule of a report - any report - it runs to completion and provides a download of PDF or CSV, but no email comes to my inbox, despite me configuring my email address.

I have confirmed the SMTP Service is running and the account sending this report is an AD Domain user with a milbox and the password is correct. This account is also a local admin of the vCenter Server..

So,  I will start again at the top: what logs files, disgnostics tools can I use in VMware to see whats happening here???

Thanks

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ysandfort
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Only idea try manual SMTP from both consoles via telnet command... with the access data you have setup in the admin UI, beside that:

There seems to be something wrong in your setup and I guess the best is you take the Support link in the My VMware area and file a request.

Anything else is going forth and back and maybe you identified a bug, especially as it looks like your settings are not stored anyway, otherwise it would not switch back...

comdivision consulting GmbH (www.comdivision.com) is a germany based Solution Provider. We provide specialised knowledge and solutions around licensing, troubleshooting and performance tuning. Our team of award winning trainer's and consultant's which are happy to help you educate your users and customers. comdivision consulting is proud VMware partner of the Management & Zimbra Lighthouse program
gradinka
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please do the following

1) login to the UI-VM with admin user

2) execute "vcops-admin smtp del" in order to RESET the SMTP settings

3) set them again via CLI => vcops-admin set ...

- The log to look for email issues regarding to communication with SMTP server is the "analytics.log" on the "analytics-VM.

- the logs to look for configuration issues (e.g. while setting the settings) are on the "UI VM", /var/log/vmware -> admin.log, vcops-admin.log and vcops-admin.cmd.log

thanks!

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parkerv
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Sorry for the delayed response. I was away.  The procedure that gradinka suggested resolved the 'stuck' configuration, once it was cleared I ould put the IP instead of the FQDN which helped.  Thanks Gradinka!

However, I was still getting the error until I clued in that it is the ANALYTICS VM that is sending the messages, not the UI VM or the vCenter server.  So once I placed the Analytics VM IP address in my receive connector for Exchange 2010 i started getting reports and critical alerts as I configured.... Thanks VMware for being more specific on this... (sarcasm).

resolved.

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