EMC, EMS or Owa Startup Issues in Exchange 2010 (Resolve)

Exchange Server 2010 came with multiple revived features including advanced management tools. In Exchange 2010, all the management is done by Remote PowerShell and it differs from the previous versions in that it is largely dependent on IIS. The Remote PowerShell sends the requests through HTTP protocol and uses the Internet Information Services (IIS) for the connection mechanism. Windows Remote Management (WinRM) Service and the Web Services for Management (WSMan) protocol work collaboratively with IIS to initiate connection.

This article is aimed at dealing with the numerous issues encountered while working with Exchange 2010 Management tools, that are, Exchange Management Console and Exchange Management Shell. It further elaborates on troubleshooting Exchange 2010 Management Tools startup issues.
When you click to start Exchange Management Shell, a session of Remote PowerShell opens. PowerShell connects with the use of IIS to the nearest Exchange Server 2010 through WinRM which runs checks for authentication. It further creates remote session and provides cmdlts that can be gained access to through Role Based Access Control (RBAC).

Common Errors Exhibited By Exchange Management Tools:

It sometimes occurs that while trying to open Exchange Management Tools, an error is exhibited. Let us get acquainted with some of the most common factors leading to these errors and the methods in which they can be troubleshooted.
#Error 1:

When you attempt to start Exchange Management Console or Exchange Management Shell, the connection to the remote server failed, displaying the above mentioned error message.
This issue might occur if one of the following conditions is true.

• The Kerbauth module is improperly configured with IIS.
• The user does not have the status Remote PowerShell Enabled.
• The WSMan module is missing from modules section of ApplicationHost.config file.

The Karbauth must be listed in IIS Manager as a Native module in PowerShell virtual directory. Also, it is important to ensure that the user has the status remote PowerShell Enabled by running the command: (Get-User- <username>).RemotePowerShellEnabled. In case of a ‘False’ response, it is concluded that the user is does not have Remote PowerShell Enabled. Hence, in order to enable it, the user should run the following command:
Set-User <username> -RemotePowerShellEnabled $True
#Error 2:

This type of error message is prompt usually while running multiple websites or setting up a redirect requiring SSL on the Default Website. It may also occur if another website is created to redirect back to the website that is SSL enabled. The cause of the error is that the HTTP binding on Default Web Site in IIS is either invalid or is invalid.
However, this error can be resolved by following the given steps:

• Open IIS Manager & go to Default Web Site.
• Right click on Default Web Site.
• Select Edit Bindings option.
• If binding for HTTP exists, clear host name value.
• If binding for HTTP does not exist, create new binding without host name and All Unassigned value for IP address.
• Now, restart IIS.

#Error 3:

This error is caused if one of the following conditions is true:

• ExchangeInstallPath variable is missing.
• Path of PowerShell virtual directory is modified.

Steps to resolve this error are as follows:

• Ensure that the ExchangeInstallPath variable is set correct.
• Open System, in Control Panel, click on Advanced System Settings, then on Advanced tab click Environment Variables, in System Variables box, locate ExchangeInstallPath variable. The value should be: C:\ Program Files\ Microsoft\ Exchange Server\ V14\

#Error 4:

This error occurs if the following conditions are true:

• MSExchangePowrShellAppPool application is not running or experiencing issues.
• User does not have the status: RemotePowerShell Enabled
• WinRM is not configured correctly on the server.

However, these issues can be resolved by one of the below discussed methods:

• Ensure that MSExchangePowrShellAppPool is running and try recycling it. Then check in case of any errors in the event logs.
• Also, make sure that the user has RemotePowerShell Enabled status. To do that first start the Exchange Management Shell with the use of an enabled account and run the following: (Get-User <username>).RemotePowerShellEnabled.

In case of a False response, run the following command for enabling the user.
Set-User <username> -RemotePowerShellEnabled $True

• Ensure that WinRM is configured on the server correctly by using following steps:
• Click Start, search and run WinRM Quick Config.
• When both tests are passed, search cmd. In the command window, run the command: WinRM enumerate winrm/config/listener
• Now, ensure that listener exists for HTTP protocol on 5985 port and is listening on all the addresses.

The above mentioned errors are some of the frequent and common errors exhibited by the Exchange 2010 server management tools during startup. The steps defined to resolve each of these errors is sure to help you in troubleshooting Exchange 2010 Management Tools startup issues with ultimate ease.