Manual directory synchronization with Exchange Server as directory synchronization requestor (148309)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
This article was previously published under Q148309
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SUMMARY

This article explains how to perform manual directory synchronization (dirsync) between Microsoft PC Mail postoffices and Exchange Server or Exchange 2000 Server as the dirsync requestor. This article assumes you have already configured directory synchronization.

MORE INFORMATION

I. Preparations before manual directory synchronization

You need to do the following:

  • For Exchange Server 4.0, enable the Pause button for Exchange Server directory synchronization in the Windows NT Server Registry. For Exchange Server 5.0 and later, the Pause button is enabled by default and does not require editing the registry.

  • Increase diagnostic logging to assist you in troubleshooting the manual dirsync process.

Configure Windows NT Server registry to enable the Pause button for the Exchange Directory Synchronization service

Note It is not necessary to add the PauseKicksDX registry entry to Exchange Server 5.0 or later as this functionality is already included.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
  1. Run Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
  2. Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, locate the following subkey:

    SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeDX

  3. Click Edit.
  4. Click Add Value.
  5. In the Value name box, type PauseKicksDX.
  6. In the Data type box, click REG_DWORD.
  7. Click OK.
  8. In the DWORD editor box, type: 1.
  9. Click OK.
  10. In Control Panel, double-click Services to stop and restart the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service in order for the service to recognize this value.

Increase diagnostic logging to assist you in troubleshooting the manual directory synchronization process

  1. Start the Exchange Server Administrator program for Exchange Server or Exchange System Manager for Exchange 2000.
  2. In the Container window, select the appropriate site Configuration and Connections container:
    1. Double-click the Microsoft Mail Connector.
    2. Click the Diagnostics Logging tab, click MSExchangePCMTA, and then set the Logging level to Maximum.

II. How to perform a manual directory synchronization

Note If the Microsoft Mail executables are run from a command prompt under Microsoft Windows NT, preface the commands with FORCEDOS. For example, the first command run for T1 would be:

forcedos reqmain -d<drive> -t

where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.

Note Commands must be run from the folder where the executable is located, or you receive the following error message:
FORCEDOS: Program file not found.
Most commonly, the Mailexe directory contains all the Microsoft Mail executable files.
  1. (T1) On every Microsoft Mail Postoffice involved in dirsync as a requestor, including the postoffice defined as the dirsync server, type the following command from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

    reqmain -d<drive> -t

    where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.

    This generates the outgoing dirsync mail messages and places them in the P1 directory.

  2. (T1) On every Exchange Server involved in dirsync as a requestor, in Control Panel, double-click Services, and then pause the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service. After you click Pause, you will receive the following error message, which you can ignore:
    Could not pause the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service on \\<server>. Error 2140: An internal Windows NT error occurred. Click on OK.
    The dirsync messages are delivered by the Microsoft Mail Connector to the Microsoft Mail dirsync server and queued in the System.mbg queue to await T2 events.
  3. Using the Event Viewer Application log, verify that the dirsync message has been transferred to the Microsoft Mail dirsync server. You should see the following two entries: 

          * Event ID: 4395
         Category: Sent
         Description: Mail sent from \\<Requestor Server>\MAILDAT$
               FROM:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
               TO:    <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM

      * Event ID: 4355
         Category: Moved In
         Description: Mail received on \\<Dirsync Server>\MAILDATA
               FROM:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
               TO:    <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM

    Note In Exchange 2000, the event ID 4355 and 4395 message From address has changed to "DXA" instead of "SYSTEM1."

    Note You can modify the polling frequency to check for mail every minute to ensure that mail is transferred quickly. To change the polling frequency, in the Exchange Administrator program for Exchange Server or the Exchange System Manager for Exchange 2000:
    1. In the Container window, click the appropriate site's Configuration and Connections container.
    2. Open the Microsoft Mail Connector, and then click the Connector MTAs property page.
    3. Click the appropriate Microsoft Mail Connector (PC) MTA Service, and then click Configure.
    4. Change the value of the Check for mail every __ minute option to 1.
    5. Be sure to stop and start the service for the change to take affect.
  4. (T2) On the Microsoft Mail dirsync server, type the following commands from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

    srvmain -r -d<drive>
    srvmain -t -d<drive>

    where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.

    The srvmain -r command receives and places updates in the Msttrans.glb file. The srvmain -t command reads the Srvconf.glb file, determines which updates need to be sent to each requestor, reads the Msttrans.glb file to create the updates, generates a mail message back to each requestor that sent a request to the server, and then places the outgoing mail in the P1 folder.
  5. Using the Event Viewer Application log, verify that the dirsync message has been transferred to the Exchange Requestor. You should see the following two entries:

          * Event ID: 4395
         Category: Moved Out
         Description: Mail sent from \\<Dirsync Server Server>\MAILDATA
               FROM: <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
               TO:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1

      * Event ID: 4355
         Category: Received
         Description: Mail received on \\<Requestor Server>\MAILDAT$
               FROM: <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
               TO:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1

    Note In Exchange 2000, the event ID 4355 and 4395 message From address has changed to "DXA" instead of "SYSTEM1."

  6. (T3) On every Exchange Server involved in dirsync as a requestor, the DXA Requestor dynamically applies the changes as soon as they arrive. The DXA Requestor does not need to be configured with a scheduled T3 time.
  7. (T3) On every Microsoft Mail postoffice involved in dirsync as a requestor, type the following commands from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

    reqmain -d<drive> -r
    import -d<drive> admin -p<password> -q -y
    rebuild -d<drive> -f

    where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database. The reqmain -r command receives the updates and moves them into the Srvtrans.glb file. The import command takes the Srvtrans.glb records and moves them into the temporary transaction files depending on what types of addresses they contain. Then the Import command moves the names into the .usr and .nme files. The -Q option tells Import to use the Srvtrans.glb file for the update, and the -Y option tells Import to run without asking for permission to continue. The rebuild -F command takes the network names, the .nme files, and the .usr files to build the global address list and the global address list index file. The -F option is the same as the -Y option for import.
This concludes the manual dirsync process.

REFERENCES

For more information on Microsoft Mail for PC Networks directory synchronization, please refer to the "Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)" document.

You can obtain this document from the following sources:
  • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

  • The Internet (Microsoft anonymous FTP server)

  • The Microsoft Network (MSN)

  • Microsoft Product Support Services
The following self-extracting file is available for download from the Microsoft anonymous FTP server: Wa0725.exe:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/mail/pcmail-public/WA0725/

For more information about how to obtain this document, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

96060 PC DirSync: Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)

For additional instructions on Exchange Server directory synchronization, please refer to Chapter 14 of the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator's Guide.

For more information about how to perform manual directory synchronization between Microsoft PC Mail, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

147464 Manual dirsync with Exchange Server as dirsync server

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/11/2006
Keywords:kbenv kberrmsg kbhowto KB148309
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