XFOR: PAB Addresses Invalid After Converting to DirSync Server (181952)

SYMPTOMS

Exchange users who send messages to Microsoft Mail custom recipients selected from their personal address book (PAB) may receive non-delivery reports (NDRs). The NDR includes the following:

   Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.

      Subject:   <subject>
      Sent:   <date / time>

   The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

      <recipient> on <date / Time>
            The recipient name is not recognized
            MSEXCH:MSExchangeMTA:<Site>:<Server name>

In addition, the event viewer may log the following errors:

   Event ID:   2245
   Source:   MSExchangeMTA
   Type:   Warning
   Category:   Directory Access

   Directory operation (ds_read) failed with problem DS_E_NO_SUCH_OBJECT.
   Attribute . Directory Name (string):
   /O=<org>/OU=<site>/CN=<container>/CN=<MS MAIL PO>/CN=<USERDN>.
   [RD Server DISP:ROUTER 10 114] (8)

   Event ID:   142
   Source:   MsExchangeMTA
   Type:   Warning
   Category:   X400 Service

   The MTA was unable to route to recipient
   DN:/o=<org>/ou=<site>/cn=<container>/cn=<MS Mail PO>/cn=<Recipient
   DN>[ASCII 167]. The message (MTS-ID): <X400 address>, recipient:
   DN:/o=<org>/ou=<site>/cn=<container>/cn=<MS MailPO>/cn=<recipient
   DN>[ASCII 167], recipient number 1. Check the routing table for a
   possible incorrect routing configuration. [MTA DISP:ROUTER 10 119] (12)

   Event ID:   290
   Source:   MSExchangeMTA
   Type:   Warning
   Category:   X400 Service

   A non-delivery report (reason code unable-to-transfer and diagnostic
   code unrecognized-OR-name) is being generated for message <X400
   address>. It was originally destined for
   DN:/o=<org>/ou=<site>/cn=<container>/cn=<MS Mail
   PO>/cn=<recipient DN>[ASCII 167] (recipient number 1), and was to be
   redirected to . [MTA DISP:RESULT 16 136] (12)

CAUSE

This problem may occur after the Exchange Server computer is converted from a dirsync requestor to a dirsync server. When the first dirsync process was run, all MS Mail custom recipients participating in it were given a Distinguished Name (DN). This DN consists of the user name followed by a hexadecimal number; for example, AdminAB57B22C. This DN is used to uniquely identify each user within Exchange. When Exchange users place custom recipients in their PAB, the custom recipient's DN is also copied.

If the Exchange Server computer is converted from a dirsync requestor to a dirsync server, the custom recipients are recreated in the Exchange global address list (GAL) during dirsync, and each custom recipient is a given new DN. The custom recipient addresses in the Exchange user's PAB are not automatically updated and still contain the old DN. The custom recipient Net/PO/Alias names will appear the same; however, the hexadecimal number immediately following the name will be different.

When the Exchange user addresses messages to these custom recipients via the PAB, the Exchange MTA reviews the X400 address. Because the DN hexadecimal numbers are different, the MTA does not find a matching object in the directory, an NDR is returned to the sender, and the above events are logged in the event log.

RESOLUTION

After the Exchange Server computer is converted to the dirsync server and dirsync has occurred, all Exchange users should remove all custom recipients from their PAB, select those custom recipients again from the Exchange global address list (GAL), and add them again to the PAB. The Exchange users can also manually enter the MS Mail users into the PAB instead of selecting them from the GAL.

MORE INFORMATION

A similar situation will arise in the global address list (GAL) and distribution lists (DL) when you remove the dirsync requestor object. All custom recipients will be deleted from the Exchange GAL and from all DLs. After the Exchange Server computer is converted to a dirsync server and dirsync has occurred, custom recipients will be recreated. Custom recipients, however, will not be recreated in the distribution list and must be added manually.