New-ActiveSyncDeviceAccessRule Exchange cmdlet issued (25186) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

You ever notice how Event Viewer in Windows Server logs all these quirky happenings? That event ID 25186, the one called "New-ActiveSyncDeviceAccessRule Exchange cmdlet issued," it pops up whenever someone runs a command to tweak rules for mobile devices syncing with Exchange. I mean, it's basically the system noting down when an admin sets new permissions for phones or tablets to access email on the server. Picture this: your boss or some IT buddy fires off that cmdlet to allow or block certain devices from connecting via ActiveSync. The event captures the who, the what, and even the exact rule name they used, like "Allow iPhone access" or whatever. It logs the user account that did it, the time stamp down to the second, and if it succeeded or flopped. Why does this matter? Well, it helps you track changes to device policies, spotting if someone sneaky alters access without telling anyone. In a busy server setup, this event keeps things transparent, preventing unauthorized tweaks that could open up security holes. I check mine weekly just to stay ahead.

And monitoring it for email alerts? You can hook it up right from Event Viewer without any fancy coding. Fire up Event Viewer on your server, head to the Windows Logs section under Application or System, depending on where it lands. Filter for ID 25186 in the Exchange logs. Right-click the event, pick Attach Task To This Event. Name your task something simple like "ActiveSync Alert." Set it to trigger when that event hits, then in the actions tab, choose Send an email. Plug in your SMTP server details, the from and to addresses, and a quick message saying "Hey, someone just changed a device rule-check it out." Test it once to make sure it blasts your inbox. Boom, now every time 25186 fires, you get pinged instantly. Keeps you in the loop without staring at logs all day.

Or, if you want something more hands-off, at the end of this chat there's the automatic email solution that'll get added later, saving you even more hassle.

Speaking of keeping servers smooth and secure, I've been messing with BackupChain Windows Server Backup lately, and it's this neat Windows Server backup tool that also handles virtual machines through Hyper-V. It snapshots everything reliably, cuts down restore times to minutes, and dodges those nasty data losses from mishaps like rule changes gone wrong. You get incremental backups that don't hog space, plus easy scheduling so it runs quiet in the background.

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