Exchange Server Logging Best Practices

Exchange Server Logging Best Practices

Summary: When it comes to transaction logs in Exchange Server, it is important to properly store and manage them to avoid any issues. In this post, we will discuss some best practices for properly managing Exchange Server transaction logs. We will also recommend to keep an Exchange recovery tool in hand to recover from any transaction log and database-related issues.

Transaction logs play an important role in Exchange Server as they record all the changes/transactions performed on a database. Transaction logs act as a buffer, along with the memory of the server, to hold temporary data until this data is committed to the database. One missing or corrupted transaction log will lead to the Dirty Shutdown state of the database. So, you need to be careful when it comes to the management, storage, and protection of logs in Exchange Server. In this post, we will be discussing some best practices and useful tips that can help you in properly managing the transaction logs in Exchange Server 2019 and other versions.

Best Practices for Exchange Server Transaction Logs

Here are some best practices you can follow for better management of transaction logs in Exchange Server.

1 – Audit Logging

Audit logging is an important feature in the Exchange Server and Active Directory. This ensures that any changes on the server are recorded. Apart from auditing, this helps in investigating the cause of an issue.

2 – Monitor Event Logs

If you have a busy server with audit logs enabled, the log files in the Event Viewer, Exchange Server, and the IIS Server grow drastically. You must export and purge the logs with either a monitoring tool or scripting to ensure that these are not consuming a lot of space. You can also attach (through APIs) the logs to the monitoring tool. In case an anomaly occurs, it can be detected immediately.

3 – Use Dedicated Drive for Logs

With transaction logs, you need to have fast read and write operation. So, to store the transaction logs, it is recommended to have RAID 10 setup with a minimum of 4 hard drives. RAID 10 provides mirroring and offers 4x read speed and 2x write speed. Also, you need to consider the type of hard drives.

For example, you can use Serial Attached Storage (SAS) drive, which can reach up to 120 IOPS. Alternatively, you can go for Solid State Drives (SSD), which can provide 550 MB/s speed. Since the transaction logs are high access files, it would be best to store them in a separate drive, possibly SAN data store.

4 – Move Log Files to a Dedicated Disk

It’s a common practice not to have the databases and logs on the boot drive. You need to also separate the databases from the logs. It’s a good practice to have them separate even at the hardware level. If you have a SAN, it would be wise to keep them on separate containers or disk groups. If you have already prepared the infrastructure, you can move the logs of the databases. To move the database log, you can use the Move-DatabasePath PowerShell command. However, before moving the log, you need to ensure that the current log path and the new log path have ample space available for the process to complete. Also, it’s important to perform this operation during maintenance window as the database will be momentarily unmounted.

5 – Implement Circular Logging

To prevent the transaction logs from taking a lot of space, you can implement circular logging. But it’s not recommended. This option allows the Exchange Server to automatically purge and circulate the transaction logs. However, if something happens, you will only be able to recover from the last full backup. To set the Circular Logging, you can use the Set-MailboxDatabase command with CircularLoggingEnabled parameter.

6 – Secure Log Files

Log files contain sensitive information. So, it’s important to follow strict security practices. You can restrict access to log files to prevent unauthorized access.

7 – Regularly Update and Patch the Server

Keep your Exchange Server up-to-date by installing the latest patches and updates (as and when available). Updates often include improvements to logging and can address known issues.

8 – Keep Track of Log Files Growth

Ensure that the databases are properly maintained. Large mailboxes and databases can contribute to log files growth. You can archive or delete old emails and keep a check on mailbox sizes.

9 – Proper Database Availability Group (DAG) Configuration

In a DAG setup, log files are used to replicate changes between database copies. Therefore, it is important to have a proper DAG configuration for log management.

Read More about Exchange Database Availability Group.

10 – Plan for Backup and Recovery

Properly configured backups not only protect data but also facilitate truncation of transaction logs, preventing them from filling up the disk. So, it is recommended to have a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy that includes transaction log backups.

To Conclude

Above, we have discussed some common best practices to keep and maintain the logs. These are not only for performance but also to protect the server from unwanted issues or failures. Apart from these, it’s also important to be prepared for the inevitable by keeping the right tools in hand to recover from disaster as soon as possible with no data loss and with the peace of mind. This is where the Exchange database recovery tools like Stellar Repair for Exchange can come in handy. In case of corruption, missing transaction logs, orphaned databases, or infected server, this tool helps you to recover your databases. It can save the recovered data to PST and other file formats, and also export directly