Cmdlet extension agents are new components in Exchange 2010 that are called by Exchange 2010 cmdlets, when they are run. It is used to extend the functionality of Exchange 2010 cmdlets by running a script or set of code after the Exchange cmdlet has run. For example, you can run a set of configurations after a new mailbox has been created, basically calling the scripting agent to run a code after the New-Mailbox cmdlet completes. Scripting agent is one of the seven cmdlet extension agents available in Exchange 2010 and is the one that is disabled by default.
Get-CmdletExtensionAgent will list all the seven agents. Run Get-CmdletExtensionAgent | ft name, priority, enabled –wrap –autosize to get a refined output.
I looked at the scripting agent as one of my client asked me ways to automate things to a certain extend. I will explain the process of using the scripting agent based on what I had been asked. My client wanted to make sure that all newly created mailboxes had the following configurations, without manually setting each.
- POP, IMAP, ActiveSync is disabled
- Outlook Anywhere is disabled
- Single Item Recovery is enabled
- Fields like Country, City, Street Address, Company in the user properties needs to be filled in automatically.
- Block users from using Outlook in online mode
- Set the company OWA Mailbox Policy
Scripting agent can be used to do what my client wanted and I set it up for them. The scripting agent, when enabled, looks for a file named “ScriptingAgentConfig.xml” within the BinCmdletExtensionAgents. By default, a “ScriptingAgentConfig.xml.sample” file exists in the same location which gives an idea of the code that needs to go in the xml file. Open the sample file using notepad and understand the basic syntax the xml file needs.
Below is the basic syntax you need for the config xml file, irrespective of what you are trying to achieve.
if($succeeded)
{ PowerShell cmdlets }
Below is the code that I used to achieve what my client wanted.
if($succeeded)
{
$mailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Alias”]
Set-CASMailbox $mailbox -ImapEnabled $false -POPEnabled $false –ActiveSyncEnabled $false –OWAMailboxPolicy “HEW OWA Policy” –MAPIBlockOutlookRpcHTTP $true –MAPIBlockOutlookNonCachedMode $true
Set-User -City ‘London’ -CountryOrRegion ‘United Kingdom’ -Company ‘How Exchange Works’ -Identity $mailbox
Set-Mailbox $mailbox -SingleItemRecoveryEnabled $true
}
The line explains that we want our code to run whenever a new-mailbox or enable-mailbox cmdlet runs successfully. Once one of the cmdlets (new-mailbox or enable-mailbox) runs successfully either via Shell, Console or custom applications, we are instructing the scripting agent to run a set of PowerShell cmdlets which all Exchange admins are familiar with. In our case, the cmdlets needed to run are Set-CASMailbox, Set-User and Set-Mailbox. We are storing the alias of the user to a variable ($mailbox) in our case to re-use in the commands below.
I copied the entire code below to notepad and saved it as ScriptingAgentConfig.xml inside BinCmdletExtensionAgents folder.
Next step is to enable the scripting agent. The agent should only be enabled once the ScriptingAgentConfig.xml is in place. Otherwise, all Exchange cmdlets except the “Get-noun” will throw errors. Run Enable-CmdletExtensionAgent “Scripting Agent” to enable the agent.
Time to test! I created a test mailbox and the scripting agent configured all the options my client wanted.
Now that you understand the power of scripting agent, you can automate tasks to make your life easier 
Replace “Name” in your script by “Alias” this way it will work. When creating a new mailbox with a new user -name is used, but with an existing user (command is enable-mailbox) -name is not used, but -identity. -alias is used in both options, so it’s better to use that instead.
Hi Rajith,
Great article but I had an issue when creating a new mailbox account.
I have only one command in ScriptingAgentConfig.xml file which set a retention policy. The command looks like this:
Set-Mailbox -Identity $Name -RetentionPolicy $retpolicy
and it is called in the section when condition If($succeeded) is true.
Very often when creating a new mailbox account from the PowerShell I got the warning that the account has not been found on my AD server. It says: “The operation couldn’t be performed because object ‘[user_name]’ couldn’t be found on ‘ad.mydomain.com’.
I can see that the account is created in AD but the retention policy is not applied.
Is it a know bug (I got Exch 2010 SP2 RU6) or can I do something so it will not happen again?
Mike
it took out the first part, reposting:
————————————————————–
if($succeeded) {
start-sleep -s 10
$newmailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Name”]
Get-mailbox $newmailbox | ForEach-Object {Set-MailboxFolderPermission $_”:\Calendar” -User default -AccessRights Reviewer}
}
————————————————————–
<Hello Rajith
I followed your steps but encontered the following issue once I tried to Enable a mailbox of and existing user using EMS or EMC,
When I use New-Mailbox cmdlet I don’t have any issue, the warning is just with the “Enable-Mailbox” cmdlet
This is my code .xml code:
if($succeeded) {
$newmailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Name”]
set-casmailbox $newmailbox -popenabled:$false -imapenabled:$false -activesyncenabled:$false
}
this is my warning:
WARNING: The cmdlet extension agent with the index 5 has thrown an exception in OnComplete(). The exception is:
Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningException: ScriptingAgent: Exception thrown while invoking scriptlet for
OnComplete API: Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Identity’ because it is null.. —>
System.Management.Automation.ParameterBindingValidationException: Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Identity’ because
it is null.
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderBase.ValidateNullOrEmptyArgument(CommandParameterInternal parameter,
CompiledCommandParameter parameterMetadata, Type argumentType, Object parameterValue, Boolean recurseIntoCollections)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderBase.BindParameter(CommandParameterInternal parameter,
CompiledCommandParameter parameterMetadata, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindParameter(CommandParameterInternal argument,
MergedCompiledCommandParameter parameter, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindParameter(UInt32 parameterSets,
CommandParameterInternal argument, MergedCompiledCommandParameter parameter, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderController.BindPositionalParametersInSet(UInt32 validParameterSets,
Dictionary`2 nextPositionalParameters, CommandParameterInternal argument, ParameterBindingFlags flags,
ParameterBindingException& bindingException)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderController.BindPositionalParameters(Collection`1 unboundArguments,
UInt32 validParameterSets, UInt32 defaultParameterSet, Boolean ignoreArgumentsThatLookLikeParameters,
ParameterBindingException& outgoingBindingException)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindCommandLineParametersNoValidation(Collection`1
arguments)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindCommandLineParameters(Collection`1 arguments)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.BindCommandLineParameters(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.Prepare(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessorBase.DoPrepare(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.Start(Boolean incomingStream)
at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input, Hashtable
errorResults, Boolean enumerate)
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentHandler.OnComplete(Boolean succeeded, Exception e)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningLayer.OnComplete(Task task, Boolean succeeded, Exception exception)
Thanks a lot!!
this is mine and it works. this sets user’s default user on the calendar to reviewer. So everyone in the company can review that user’s calendar.
anyone know how to add a domain controller to the script so that the exchange server queries a specific DC where the object was created?
Took 3 months to find:
if($succeeded) {
start-sleep -s 10
$newmailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Name”]
Get-mailbox $newmailbox | ForEach-Object {Set-MailboxFolderPermission $_”:\Calendar” -User default -AccessRights Reviewer}
}
Hello Rajith
I followed your steps but encontered the following issue once I tried to Enable a mailbox of and existing user using EMS or EMC,
When I use New-Mailbox cmdlet I don’t have any issue, the warning is just with the “Enable-Mailbox” cmdlet
This is my code .xml code:
if($succeeded) {
$newmailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Name”]
set-casmailbox $newmailbox -popenabled:$false -imapenabled:$false -activesyncenabled:$false
}
this is my warning:
WARNING: The cmdlet extension agent with the index 5 has thrown an exception in OnComplete(). The exception is:
Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningException: ScriptingAgent: Exception thrown while invoking scriptlet for
OnComplete API: Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Identity’ because it is null.. —>
System.Management.Automation.ParameterBindingValidationException: Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Identity’ because
it is null.
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderBase.ValidateNullOrEmptyArgument(CommandParameterInternal parameter,
CompiledCommandParameter parameterMetadata, Type argumentType, Object parameterValue, Boolean recurseIntoCollections)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderBase.BindParameter(CommandParameterInternal parameter,
CompiledCommandParameter parameterMetadata, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindParameter(CommandParameterInternal argument,
MergedCompiledCommandParameter parameter, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindParameter(UInt32 parameterSets,
CommandParameterInternal argument, MergedCompiledCommandParameter parameter, ParameterBindingFlags flags)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderController.BindPositionalParametersInSet(UInt32 validParameterSets,
Dictionary`2 nextPositionalParameters, CommandParameterInternal argument, ParameterBindingFlags flags,
ParameterBindingException& bindingException)
at System.Management.Automation.ParameterBinderController.BindPositionalParameters(Collection`1 unboundArguments,
UInt32 validParameterSets, UInt32 defaultParameterSet, Boolean ignoreArgumentsThatLookLikeParameters,
ParameterBindingException& outgoingBindingException)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindCommandLineParametersNoValidation(Collection`1
arguments)
at System.Management.Automation.CmdletParameterBinderController.BindCommandLineParameters(Collection`1 arguments)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.BindCommandLineParameters(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.Prepare(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessorBase.DoPrepare(CommandParameterInternal[] parameters)
at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.Start(Boolean incomingStream)
at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input, Hashtable
errorResults, Boolean enumerate)
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentHandler.OnComplete(Boolean succeeded, Exception e)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningLayer.OnComplete(Task task, Boolean succeeded, Exception exception)
Thanks a lot!!
Hi,
I have tried to set calendar permissions to Reviewer default on new mailboxes, but I keep getting an error.
The script is:
if($succeeded) {
$newmailbox= $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters[“Name”]
Add-MailBoxFolderPermission -Identity $newmailbox”:\Calendar” -User Default -AccessRights Reviewer
}
But I receive this error:
Warning:
The cmdlet extension agent with the index 5 has thrown an exception in OnComplete(). The exception is: Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningException: ScriptingAgent: Exception thrown while invoking scriptlet for OnComplete API: An undefined executing user property is being used. Property Name :’executingUserid’.. —> Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Authorization.ExecutingUserPropertyNotFoundException: An undefined executing user property is being used. Property Name :’executingUserid’.
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.StoreTasks.SetTenantXsoObjectWithFolderIdentityTaskBase`1.PrepareMailboxUser()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.StoreTasks.SetMailboxFolderPermissionBase.CreateSession()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.DataAccessTask`1.InternalStateReset()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetObjectTaskBase`2.InternalStateReset()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetTenantADTaskBase`3.InternalStateReset()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.StoreTasks.SetTenantXsoObjectWithFolderIdentityTaskBase`1.InternalStateReset()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ProcessRecord()
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.ProcessRecord()
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentHandler.OnComplete(Boolean succeeded, Exception e)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningLayer.OnComplete(Task task, Boolean succeeded, Exception exception)
Hi Henrik,
Did you copy/paste from the post? If so, please try typing it fresh.
Change you code to “Set-MailboxFolderPermission” instead of “Add-MailBoxFolderPermission”. That worked for me.
Thanks Steve.
Rajith,
Do I need to enable the scripting agent and copy the .xml file to ALL my Exchange servers, or just my MBX servers? I have 2 CAS servers and 4 MBX servers.
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Jim,
You need to have it on all to have a consistent experience.
Thanks,
Rajith.
Glad to know that it is sorted out.
Thanks Jakobi for the update.
Hi again Rajith!
It seems my issues stemmed from our 2003 env. that I migrated from a month ago, I removed the CN=Servers container from the old first administrative group due to public folder issues, and that seems to have solved this issue as well because when I created a new users just now everything went without a hitch!
Thanks for a great blog and because you take time to answer comments :)
/Jakob
Awesome! This did it for me as well, also related to an old Exchange 2003 migration. Once I removed the now useless CN=Servers container from the first administrative group container, my script error disappeared and is now working nicely.
Glad to help DG
Actually that was an existing user, but I have also tried to create a new one but with the same error.
In both cases the mailbox is created, just not with the settings I put in the .xml
I found this just now: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/nl-NL/exchange2010/thread/4bbcd86f-d3fa-44ea-8279-f44f8d750ca5 and thought I might try it out.
/Jakob
Hi Jakobi,
In your error message above """ The operation couldn't be performed because object 'hlinda' couldn't be found on 'dc2.domain.local'""""""
What is hlinda? A new mailbox user you created?
Hi!
Thanks for the reply, I have three servers, two MB (DAG) and one CAS/HUB.
When I check if agent is enabled with EMS on each server it is listed as enabled, but I ran cmdlet to enable it anyways.
Got the same error when creating a new user after that thou, the .xml has been placed on all three.
Thanks!
Hi Jakobi,
If you have more than one server running Exchange 2010, you'll need to enable the extension agent on each, and create the .xml file.
Does this apply to you?
Hi!
I've used more or less the same code as you did, but I get an exception when creating a mailbox:
Warning:
The cmdlet extension agent with the index 5 has thrown an exception in OnComplete(). The exception is: Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningException: ScriptingAgent: Exception thrown while invoking scriptlet for OnComplete API: The operation couldn't be performed because object 'username' couldn't be found on 'dc2.domain.local'.. —> Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException: The operation couldn't be performed because object 'hlinda' couldn't be found on 'dc2.domain.local'.
The code:
if($succeeded)
{
$mailbox = $provisioningHandler.UserSpecifiedParameters["Alias"]
Set-User -City 'Stockholm' -CountryOrRegion 'Sweden' -Company 'Company Inc' -Identity $mailbox
Set-Mailbox $mailbox -SingleItemRecoveryEnabled $true
}
If I do the commands manually they work.
Oh, and thanks for an excellent blog!
Thanks Deepak.
Thanks Rajith, very useful feature but not been advertised/promoted/blogged by many. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Vojin,
Can you copy paste your code here?
If you have more than one Exchange 2010 server, then all servers need to have the same xml file. Easiest will be to copy & paste in all servers.
I'm getting error on each command after I used exactly same code:
WARNING: An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance
of an object.
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-CmdletExtensionAgent], NullReferenceException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.NullReferenceException,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.ProvisioningAgentTasks.GetCm
dletExtensionAgent
I got the same problem as you. I started from an empty SciptingAgentConfig.xml, then copy/pasted code from above. I then got that Watson error each time I ran a cmdlet, ANY cmdlet, not just New-Maibox. I also got the same Watson error if I copy/pasted the code from Pat Richard’s post.
So I instead started from the ScriptingAgentConfig.xml.sample file, copy/pasted the FILE into ScriptingAgentconfig.xml (the FILE, not the contents!). I then deleted sections i did not need, and modified what I needed. No more Watson error!
Pat
Looks like some formatting is removed in copy/paste.
Thanks for sharing the fix Pat.
This is really handy. Looking forward to finishing our Exchange 2003 -> 2010 migration and putting stuff like this into use.
I'm guessing that this needs to be done on each machine that you're running EMS from, right?