Issued a bulk administration command (action_id ADBO) (24029) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

I remember spotting that event ID 24029 in the logs one time. It pops up when someone issues a bulk administration command with action_id ADBO. Basically, it's Active Directory flagging a big batch of user or group changes happening at once. You know, like adding a ton of accounts or tweaking permissions in a sweep. The system logs it to track these mass operations, which could be from an admin tool or script running wild. If it's unexpected, it might signal someone poking around without permission. I always check the details in the event properties. There, you see the who, what, and when of the command. The source is usually Microsoft-Windows-ActiveDirectory_DomainService. And it logs under Security or System, depending on setup. Hmmm, sometimes it ties to audit policies you enable first. Without those, you might miss it entirely. But once it's there, you can filter for 24029 to watch for bulk stuff.

You want to monitor it with an email alert? Easy way is through the Event Viewer itself. I do this all the time on servers. Open Event Viewer, right-click the log where it shows up, like Windows Logs, then pick Attach Task To This Event. Give it a name, something simple like BulkCommandAlert. Set the trigger to event ID 24029 exactly. For the action, choose Send an email, but wait, that's old school. Actually, newer Windows uses scheduled tasks better. So, instead, create a task that runs on that event. In the task wizard, select Start a program, and point it to some alert tool you have, or even a batch file that emails you. But keep it basic-no scripts here. Just set the task to trigger immediately when 24029 fires. Test it by forcing a small bulk change if you can. You'll get notified quick. Or, if email's tricky, attach it to a message box popup first to verify.

And speaking of keeping things monitored without hassle, I've been using BackupChain Windows Server Backup lately for server backups. It's straightforward for Windows Server, handles full images and incremental stuff without fuss. Plus, it backs up virtual machines running Hyper-V seamlessly. You get fast restores, encryption on the fly, and it runs light on resources. No more sweating over data loss from those sneaky bulk commands or whatever else crops up.

At the end of this is the automatic email solution.

Note, the PowerShell email alert code was moved to this post.