Summary: In this post, we have compiled five top Exchange server monitoring tools. We have listed each software’s key features and pros and cons that can help you pick the most suitable option as per your needs.
Microsoft Exchange is an email server solution that is used by many organizations. It is vital that the Exchange server works properly and available all the time for seamless user experience and uninterrupted workflow in the organization. In this aspect, it becomes important for administrators to regularly monitor the Exchange server so as to ensure that it is in good health and performs properly. If the server doesn’t perform well, it can impact the organization’s mission-critical tasks and hamper the productivity.
There are are many built-in mechanisms in Microsoft Exchange to check server activities. However, an automated Exchange monitor tool can be of great help in tracking and monitoring all these activities in a hassle-free way. You have a wide range of top Exchange server monitoring tools to choose from. So, it is difficult to pick the best Exchange server monitor tool that can meet your requirements. Here, we have mentioned top 5 Exchange monitoring tools, detailing their features, strengths and limitations, so as to help you in selection.
Following are the top Exchange monitoring tools:
Stellar Reporter & Auditor for Exchange Server is an advanced Exchange monitor tool that allows you to fetch and analyze almost every Exchange server parameter. It has a simple but resourceful UI that helps generate custom reports and gain insights into the server. So, it is the best Exchange server monitor tool for administrators who seek simplicity and quality in Exchange monitoring. The application can generate 142 different reports on almost every aspect of Exchange server. It also supports multiple Exchange servers on the same network.
You can use Stellar Reporter & Auditor software to:
Free Trial: 60 days
| Pros | Cons |
| 142 different reports | Limited UI customization options |
| User-friendly interface and controls | |
| Remote Exchange monitoring | |
| Advanced Exchange scanning and task scheduling | |
| Real-time surveillance of modifications & activities | |
| Exports reports to different formats – CSV, PDF, XLSX, & HTML |
ManageEngine OpManager is a network monitoring solution you can deploy to monitor Exchange server performance. It offers an intuitive user interface and a wide range of pre-defined reports. You can create custom reports as well. The software is available for both Windows and Linux.
You can use ManageEngine OpManager to:
Free Trial: 30 days
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive UI | Irregular software updates |
| Easy troubleshooting of issues | Network knowledge required |
| Physical and virtual server monitoring | |
| Customizable dashboard |
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is one of the top Exchange server monitoring tools you can use. You can use it as an Exchange server health monitor and Exchange event log monitor. The application is easy to set up and offers excellent visibility of entire Exchange infrastructure.
You can use SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor to:
Free Trial: 30 days
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly customizable | Setting up alerts and baselines is tedious |
| Creates granular alerts for each trigger | No option to simplify data and reports |
| Supports custom server monitoring with WMI, SNMP, and PowerShell scripts | |
| Centralized IT asset inventory management |
Nagios XI is a comprehensive enterprise server and network monitoring application. You can use it as an Exchange event log monitor and to analyze server performance metrics, applications, and services. This utility supports third-party add-ons and allows you to customize the GUI as well.
With Nagios XI tool, you can:
Free Trial: 30 days
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly customizable | Poor UI |
| Offers agentless and agent monitoring | Difficult to set up |
| Good cost-value balance | |
| SNTP Protocol use is excellent | |
| Extensive plugin directory |
If you seek a reliable and user-friendly application to monitor Exchange server performance, you can pick Foglight for Exchange. This Exchange monitoring tool allows you to identify and resolve server load issues, schedule diagnostic reports, classify top users to pinpoint load issues, and more.
With Foglight for Exchange, you can:
Free Trial: 30 days
| Pros | Cons |
| Neat and refined dashboard | No APM capabilities |
| Setting up alerts is simple | Complex GUI |
| Supports custom scripts | Poor responsive time on some occasions |
| VMWare Monitoring | |
| Remote monitoring for Windows and Linux |
To ensure proper working and good health of your MS Exchange server, you must regularly monitor Exchange server performance. Managing mailboxes, data stores, and users on Exchange server can be a challenging task. For quick and automated tracking of such activities, you can use an advanced Exchange monitoring software. However, it’s difficult to find an Exchange server monitoring tool that is suitable for your particular requirements. To make this decision easier, we’ve mentioned the top Exchange server monitoring tools in this post. You can install the free trial version of these software to explore their features and test their functionality.
Abhinav Sethi is a Senior Writer at Stellar. He writes articles, blog posts, knowledge-bases, case studies, etc. for different technologies. He also has a keen interest in digital forensics and helps forward-thinking companies fight different threats with apt solutions.
