Exchange 2010: Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup does not return all attributes of a DAG

When administrators run Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup they notice that certain fields within the output are not populated.  In some scenarios this leads administrators to attempt to change settings of the DAG or believe that there is an operational issues with the DAG. 

 

[PS] C:\Windows\system32>Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup DAG | fl

RunspaceId : 37b4f2b4-06b8-4e87-9252-968452ab3a28
Name : DAG
Servers : {DAG-4, DAG-3, DAG-2, DAG-1}
WitnessServer : mbx-1.domain.com
WitnessDirectory : c:\DAG-FSW
AlternateWitnessServer : mbx-2.domain.com
AlternateWitnessDirectory : c:\DAG-FSW
NetworkCompression : Enabled
NetworkEncryption : Enabled
DatacenterActivationMode : DagOnly
StoppedMailboxServers : {}
StartedMailboxServers : {DAG-1.domain.com, DAG-2.domain.com, DAG-3.domain.com, DAG-4.domain.com}
DatabaseAvailabilityGroupIpv4Addresses : {10.0.0.24}
DatabaseAvailabilityGroupIpAddresses : {10.0.0.24}
AllowCrossSiteRpcClientAccess : False
OperationalServers : PrimaryActiveManager :

ServersInMaintenance :
ThirdPartyReplication : Disabled
ReplicationPort : 0
NetworkNames : {}
WitnessShareInUse :
AdminDisplayName :
ExchangeVersion : 0.10 (14.0.100.0)
DistinguishedName : CN=DAG,CN=Database Availability Groups,CN=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIB
OHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange
,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=Domain,DC=com
Identity : DAG
Guid : 72c87136-6721-46e6-ac43-2ad5f6bd66d2
ObjectCategory : domain.com/Configuration/Schema/ms-Exch-MDB-Availability-Group
ObjectClass : {top, msExchMDBAvailabilityGroup}
WhenChanged : 10/13/2011 12:29:44 PM
WhenCreated : 9/19/2009 6:16:52 PM
WhenChangedUTC : 10/13/2011 4:29:44 PM
WhenCreatedUTC : 9/19/2009 10:16:52 PM
OrganizationId :
OriginatingServer : DC-2.domain.com
IsValid : True

The fields highlighted in red above cannot simply be read from Active Directory.  These fields require calls to cluster services and / or replication services running on each member of the DAG.  Depending on the number of members, network conditions, geographical locations of members, etc querying for these as a routine part of running the command could require additional time for the command to complete.  Administrators that desire this information can add the –status switch to get-databaseavailabilitygroup and the fields will be returned as part of the output.  Here is an example:

 

[PS] C:\Windows\system32>Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup DAG -Status | fl

RunspaceId : 37b4f2b4-06b8-4e87-9252-968452ab3a28
Name : DAG
Servers : {DAG-4, DAG-3, DAG-2, DAG-1}
WitnessServer : mbx-1.domain.com
WitnessDirectory : c:\DAG-FSW
AlternateWitnessServer : mbx-2.domain.com
AlternateWitnessDirectory : c:\DAG-FSW
NetworkCompression : Enabled
NetworkEncryption : Enabled
DatacenterActivationMode : DagOnly
StoppedMailboxServers : {}
StartedMailboxServers : {DAG-1.domain.com, DAG-2.domain.com, DAG-3.home.e-mcmichae
l.com, DAG-4.domain.com}
DatabaseAvailabilityGroupIpv4Addresses : {10.0.0.24}
DatabaseAvailabilityGroupIpAddresses : {10.0.0.24}
AllowCrossSiteRpcClientAccess : False
OperationalServers : {DAG-1, DAG-2, DAG-3, DAG-4}
PrimaryActiveManager : DAG-2
ServersInMaintenance : {DAG-4}

ThirdPartyReplication : Disabled

ReplicationPort : 64327
NetworkNames : {DAG-iSCSI, DAG-MAPI, DAG-REPL-A, DAG-REPL-B}
WitnessShareInUse : Primary
AdminDisplayName :
ExchangeVersion : 0.10 (14.0.100.0)
DistinguishedName : CN=DAG,CN=Database Availability Groups,CN=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIB
OHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange
,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domain,DC=com
Identity : DAG
Guid : 72c87136-6721-46e6-ac43-2ad5f6bd66d2
ObjectCategory : domain.com/Configuration/Schema/ms-Exch-MDB-Availability-Group
ObjectClass : {top, msExchMDBAvailabilityGroup}
WhenChanged : 10/13/2011 12:29:44 PM
WhenCreated : 9/19/2009 6:16:52 PM
WhenChangedUTC : 10/13/2011 4:29:44 PM
WhenCreatedUTC : 9/19/2009 10:16:52 PM
OrganizationId :
OriginatingServer : DC-2.domain.com
IsValid : True

In general the command without the –status switch should return the necessary day to day information regarding the configuration of the DAG.