FAQ - Exchange Server Software Updates Dashboard

APPLIES TO: 2016 2019 Subscription Edition

Note

This documentation is for a preview program that might not be available to everyone.

QUESTION: Where can I find the Exchange Server Software Updates report?
ANSWER: The Exchange Server Software Updates report can be found on the Microsoft 365 admin center under Health > Software Updates > Exchange Server tab.

QUESTION: Why do I not see the Exchange Server tab with my tenant?
ANSWER: Reports are created only for Only tenants for whom a report could be created will see the Exchange Server tab on the Software Updates page.

QUESTION: How are the Software Updates reports produced?
ANSWER: The reports are based on data curated using signals from multiple sources. Sources include Microsoft online transport service processing logs, data previously approved by customers to send to Microsoft, and publicly available datasets such as DNS records. Those inputs are merged to construct this view, and is intended to assist you in managing your Exchange servers. The transport receive header data is key to our ability to include server(s) in the report. If there's low or no mail flow from a server, it will not be included in the report.

QUESTION: Are you accessing my on-premises servers in this process?
ANSWER: No. This process doesn't access your on-premises servers.

QUESTION: What factors determine if a server is included?
ANSWER: Internet mail flow to or through Microsoft cloud services drives the insight analysis process. We attempt to associate the server with a Microsoft customer via the email and server domain. One of the key markers used to associate servers with tenants is the list of accepted domains. Servers involved with delivery whose FQDN is part of an accepted domain for a tenant will be associated with that tenant. The report reflects servers associated with a Microsoft 365 tenant and its accepted domains, not a specific Exchange organization. This automated analysis also considers other characteristics to achieve a high level of confidence that the server association is accurate.

QUESTION: What information about servers is provided in the report?
ANSWER: The report focuses on counts of servers by version and build, including indications of whether those servers are running the latest Cumulative Updates and Security Updates. The admin user can drill down to the server level.

QUESTION: Why are some of my servers not represented or show incorrect information?
ANSWER: There can be several reasons for incorrect information. If a server isn't sending email that transits the Microsoft cloud, the analysis of the insights won't have any awareness of it. The process maintains a table of servers that have been "seen" within the past 14 days. This process reduces oscillation and presents a more complete list to the customer. However, this process isn't perfect. Servers age out of the table and could be removed from the server list until email from it's seen again. Similarly, this behavior could explain the insight data about a server becoming stale. Particular server and network configurations can also result in naming or attribution issues. Another reason for incorrect information is that the process excludes servers from reporting when the customer association step doesn't meet the high confidence bar.

QUESTION: Is there a feedback mechanism to point out situations where the insights are incorrect?
ANSWER: Yes. Use the "Give Feedback" button on the page, explain the issue, and include a screen snapshot.

QUESTION: Why are you providing these insights when they potentially aren't perfect?
ANSWER: These reports intend to provide Exchange admins with as many tools as possible to help further their understanding of their Exchange Server environment. These reports fill a gap today as they highlight the overall servicing "health" of an environment. We believe that the overall value of this capability outweighs the potential negatives. This health concept will continue to be developed and included in a future update to Exchange 2019.

QUESTION: I updated my servers today and don't see these changes reflected in the report. How often is the data updated?
ANSWER: The reports are updated daily, but there's a time lag involved with the data that drives this process. In general, there's a 24 to 36 hour lag in the data. There's a "data freshness" date on the report headers to indicate its last updated date.

QUESTION: There was a new server update released today; when will it be reflected in the reports?
ANSWER: Refer to the above question about data updates. There's a lag in the data and processing. Generally, we strive to have the new update properly reflected in reporting within 24-36 hours of release.