XCON: Destination Bridgehead Server for Routing Group Connector May be Ignored in Mixed Mode (283836)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
This article was previously published under Q283836

SYMPTOMS

If you use a Routing Group connector to connect Exchange 2000 servers with a routing group that contains both Exchange 2000 servers and Exchange Server 5.5 computers, you need to take special care. If the destination bridgehead servers of the Routing Group connector include both Exchange 2000 servers and Exchange Server 5.5 computers, messages flow by means of remote procedure call (RPC) to Exchange Server 5.5 computers only. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is only used if all of the designated target bridgehead servers of the connector are Exchange 2000 servers. The following scenario is an example of this situation:

routing group 1<-----------------Routing Group connector--------------->routing group 2

Routing group 1 contains only Exchange 2000 servers. Routing group 2 contains a mixture of Exchange 2000 servers and Exchange Server 5.5 computers. A Routing Group connector connects these two routing groups.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

301378 XGEN: How to Obtain the Latest Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack

The latest Exchange 2000 Server service pack includes a change to the message transfer agent (MTA) that allows load balancing across both Exchange 2000 and Exchange Server 5.5 bridgehead servers.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem:
  1. Designate only Exchange 2000 servers as destination bridgeheads servers.
  2. Add a second Routing Group connector with a higher cost. Make sure that only Exchange 2000 servers are chosen as the local and remote bridgehead servers.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1.

MORE INFORMATION

In a scenario in which there are 50 remote Exchange 2000 bridgehead servers, if you add just one bridgehead server that is an Exchange Server 5.5 computer, the other 50 Exchange 2000 bridgehead servers do not receive mail across the Routing Group connector.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/25/2005
Keywords:kbbug kbfix KB283836
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