Site collection information management policy changed (55) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

You ever notice how Windows Server logs all these little changes in the Event Viewer? That event ID 55, the one saying "Site collection information management policy changed," pops up when someone tweaks the rules for how a SharePoint site collection handles its info. I mean, it's like the server noting that the policy for managing documents or retention got altered. Could be a user with admin rights doing it, or maybe an automated process. Happens in the SharePoint farm, tied to the usage and health data service. You see it under the Application log, source from SharePoint Foundation. Details in the event include the site collection URL, who made the change, and the old versus new policy settings. Why care? If you're running a setup where compliance matters, this flags potential risks like unauthorized tweaks that could mess with data retention. Or it just helps you track who's fiddling with policies. I check mine weekly to stay ahead.

Monitoring it for email alerts isn't tough if you stick to the basics. Open Event Viewer on your server. Right-click the Custom Views folder. Create a new one filtering for ID 55 in the Application log. Save that view. Now, to get alerts, set up a scheduled task through Task Scheduler, but trigger it from Event Viewer. In the view, go to Action, attach a task to the event. Pick what happens when ID 55 fires, like running a batch file that sends an email via your SMTP setup. You configure the task to email you directly with the event details. Test it by forcing a policy change in SharePoint. I do this on my test box all the time. Keeps things simple without diving into code.

And speaking of keeping your server humming without surprises, you might want to look into tools that handle backups seamlessly. BackupChain Windows Server Backup fits right in here as a solid Windows Server backup option, and it extends to virtual machines with Hyper-V too. I like how it snapshots everything quickly, encrypts data on the fly, and restores bare-metal style if things go south. No more sweating over lost policies or site data.

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