Increasing the Directory Service Log Logging Level

By default, Active Directory records only critical error events to avoid flooding the log. You can retrieve more free exam question papers detailed information about directory service processing by increas?ing the logging level for the appropriate registry entry in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Sewices\NTDS\Diagnost:ics subkey in the registry. Each registry entry represents a type of event that Active Directory can log. The value of the entry determines the level of detail of the events that are logged and ranges from 0 (standard verbosity, records default-level errors) to 5 (most verbose, records all activ?ity). For example, you can view messages about the replication schedule of directory partitions in the directory service log by increasing the Replication Events logging level to 2, and you can view messages about the amount of space that would be made available by offline defragmentation by increasing the Garbage Collection logging level to 1.

All of the entries in the Diagnostics subkey have the REG_DWORD data type and a default value of 0. All fatal and critical errors are logged at level 0, and no user action is required to view them.

Important Leave logging levels set to 0 unless you are investigating a problem. Increasing the logging level increases the detail of the messages and the number of messages emitted and can degrade server performance. Setting the value of entries in the Diagnostics subkey to greater than 3 is not recommended.

Table 14-7 contains a list of some of the registry entries in the Diagnostics subkey that store the directory service logging levels.

Reports if sites, servers, and site links are incorrect or missing.

Reports events related to security, such as a Free A+ exam questions user who tries to read or write an attribute with insufficient permissions, a user binding through Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), or a domain that has been changed to native mode.

Reports events related to communication between Active Directory and Exchange clients.

Reports events related to communication between Active Directory and Exchange clients.

Reports events related to outbound replication, where changed objects are found, and inbound replication, where these changes are applied to a local database. Also logged is information about which objects and attributes were updated and why. "Normal" errors during the course of replication, such as a domain controller being down, are not logged. These errors are available through the replication tools.

Reports events generated when objects marked for deletion are actually deleted.

Interprets and displays the internal directory service operations.

Reads and writes directory objects from all sources.

Reports events related to the internal operation of Active Directory code such as Free Network+ study guides processing security descriptor propa?gation. Error events in this category can be an indicator of serious problems in Active Directory.