SolarWinds ARM: Could not connect to Exchange. Please check your credentials.

Deltona

Hi there,

Just an FYI, if you run into an issue with your Exchange resource in Configuration, stating that ARM could not connect to Exchange. Please check your credentials, then check the logs for mention of PowerShell PSLanguageMode. If that is the case, then confirm whether the PSLanguageMode setting in IIS on the Exchange server has been reverted back to default. This will typically happen after applying an CU update. The seeting needs to be set to FullLanguag and IIS needs to be restarted.

bjoern-cusatum

Yes, this happens always after an CU installation since this is basically a new installation of Exchange, which includes a clean setup of the IIS which means all settings are reset.

This is also noted in the manual:
https://documentation.solarwinds.com/en/Success_Center/ARM/Content/prepare-exchange-scans.htm

A clear indicator for this problem can be found in the pnServer/armServer logfile. This is the error message to look for:

ExchangeRemotePowerShellConnector.testScript(): libPowerShellConnector.powershell.RunspaceNotAvailableException: Scripts not executable.

This is always the PSLanguageMode.

What most people tend to forget is the IIS restart/reset after changing this option. This is usally not feasible during working hours, but there's an easier solution: recycle the PowerShell application pool. This does not make the Exchange unavailable for users unlike an IIS restart/reset and has the same effect.