Accidental Exchange 2007 Failover
Hello Guys, I am using Exchange 2007 for our email messaging solution. On the different network we have another Exchange 2007 installed whos only purpose is to host Mitel Pbx public folders thats it. These two networks are completely separate but they can communicate with each other. Yesterday, my primary exchange server was unable to send mails (intended for external domains) but was working fine for local users. I check the Message Tracking and discovered that all the mails are going to other exchange server instance (Mitel) and checked the Exchange (Mitel) and its que was overloaded with all the undelivered emails. This Exchange (Mitel) is used locally to store public folders and it cannot send mails outside. My question is that, Why this failover occured, Why the Exchange (Mitel) took over for external email sending. I also discovered a public connector in exchange (Mitel) that should have delivered the emails outside but it couldn't. I solved the problem by rebooting the main exchange and then when it came back I rebooted the Exchange (Mitel) one and it seemed to work fine. But in the process I lost all the mails in Que of Exchange (Mitel). This all process doesn't make any sense to me. Any help will be highly appreciated. Thanks
August 18th, 2011 11:56am

On Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:56:36 +0000, trueUser wrote: >I am using Exchange 2007 for our email messaging solution. On the different network we have another Exchange 2007 installed whos only purpose is to host Mitel Pbx public folders thats it. These two networks are completely separate but they can communicate with each other. Yesterday, my primary exchange server was unable to send mails (intended for external domains) but was working fine for local users. I check the Message Tracking and discovered that all the mails are going to other exchange server instance (Mitel) and checked the Exchange (Mitel) and its que was overloaded with all the undelivered emails. This Exchange (Mitel) is used locally to store public folders and it cannot send mails outside. Then why is it included as a "Source sever" on your Send Connector? >My question is that, Why this failover occured, There's no "failover". You've listed both machines as capable of delivering e-mail to the Internet. >Why the Exchange (Mitel) took over for external email sending. Becasue you said it was capable of doing so. >I also discovered a public connector in exchange (Mitel) that should have delivered the emails outside but it couldn't. So it's a firewall confioguration problem? The 2nd server isn't permitted to use port 25/tcp for outbound connections? If that's true then remove the 2nd server fro your Send Connector (or allow it to use port 25/tcp for outbound connections) >I solved the problem by rebooting the main exchange and then when it came back I rebooted the Exchange (Mitel) one and it seemed to work fine. But in the process I lost all the mails in Que of Exchange (Mitel). That solved nothing. >This all process doesn't make any sense to me. Any help will be highly appreciated. See above. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
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August 19th, 2011 1:00am

Hello Rich, Thanks for your reply, Mitel-Exchange has send connector as internet which you advice that it needs to be disabled so the emails could not be accepted anymore for main (Exchange) server. I am fairly new in Exchange Technology has taken over role from some one else so struggling with already deployed network. I have both servers defined in EMC>>Server Configuration>>Hub Transport>>Receive Connectors (is this usual), another thing i realized that when i create a mail box in main server a same account is also created in Mitel-Exchange. I checked the firewalls both servers has unrestricted access (outbound) to internet. Only the Mitel-Exchange does not have public interface while the main server do. I know I have lost many emails in the process but the previous administator told us this solution.
August 19th, 2011 12:48pm

On Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:48:51 +0000, trueUser wrote: >Mitel-Exchange has send connector as internet which you advice that it needs to be disabled so the emails could not be accepted anymore for main (Exchange) server. Servers don't "have" a Send Connector. A Send Connector may include a hub transport server as a "Source Server". So all you have to do is either remove the "Mitel-Exchange" server from your Send Connector, or delete the extra Send Connector that has as "Mitel-Exchange" as its only Source Server. >I am fairly new in Exchange Technology has taken over role from some one else so struggling with already deployed network. > >I have both servers defined in EMC>>Server Configuration>>Hub Transport>>Receive Connectors (is this usual), Yes, each server has, by default, two Receive Connectors. One that's labeled "Default" and on that's labeled "Client". Leave them alone. Your problem hasn't anything to do with those Receive Connectors. >another thing i realized that when i create a mail box in main server a same account is also created in Mitel-Exchange. "Accounts" (i.e. User objects) are created only in the Active Directory. Each User object may be assigned only one mailbox. What you're describing sounds to me like you have two Active Directory forests, each with their own Exchange organization. Is this your situation? If it is, then forget what I said about Send Connectors. When you look at the Exchange Management Console, do you see both servers? >I checked the firewalls both servers has unrestricted access (outbound) to internet. Only the Mitel-Exchange does not have public interface while the main server do. > >I know I have lost many emails in the process but the previous administator told us this solution. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
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August 20th, 2011 6:12am

On Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:48:51 +0000, trueUser wrote: >Mitel-Exchange has send connector as internet which you advice that it needs to be disabled so the emails could not be accepted anymore for main (Exchange) server. Servers don't "have" a Send Connector. A Send Connector may include a hub transport server as a "Source Server". So all you have to do is either remove the "Mitel-Exchange" server from your Send Connector, or delete the extra Send Connector that has as "Mitel-Exchange" as its only Source Server. >I am fairly new in Exchange Technology has taken over role from some one else so struggling with already deployed network. > >I have both servers defined in EMC>>Server Configuration>>Hub Transport>>Receive Connectors (is this usual), Yes, each server has, by default, two Receive Connectors. One that's labeled "Default" and on that's labeled "Client". Leave them alone. Your problem hasn't anything to do with those Receive Connectors. >another thing i realized that when i create a mail box in main server a same account is also created in Mitel-Exchange. "Accounts" (i.e. User objects) are created only in the Active Directory. Each User object may be assigned only one mailbox. What you're describing sounds to me like you have two Active Directory forests, each with their own Exchange organization. Is this your situation? If it is, then forget what I said about Send Connectors. When you look at the Exchange Management Console, do you see both servers? >I checked the firewalls both servers has unrestricted access (outbound) to internet. Only the Mitel-Exchange does not have public interface while the main server do. > >I know I have lost many emails in the process but the previous administator told us this solution. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP Please confirm as per rich and let us know"Abhi" "Exchange Specialist" ------------- Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.
August 20th, 2011 10:43am

Thanks Rich, you have been very helpful, I will answer your last point first, When I open EMC i can see two entries, EMC>>Server Configuration Main Exchange Server (Role: Hub Transport, Client Access, Mailbox) PBX-Exchange (Role: Hub Transport, Mail box) Both Servers has one send connector each and there source is set to 'Name of Our Domain Controller where main exchange exists' Thanks for all you help
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August 20th, 2011 7:55pm

On Sat, 20 Aug 2011 16:55:29 +0000, trueUser wrote: >you have been very helpful, > >I will answer your last point first, > >When I open EMC i can see two entries, > >EMC>>Server Configuration > >Main Exchange Server (Role: Hub Transport, Client Access, Mailbox) > >PBX-Exchange (Role: Hub Transport, Mail box) What happened to "Mitel-Exchange"? Is that "PBX-Exchange"? >Both Servers has one send connector each and there source is set to 'Name of Our Domain Controller where main exchange exists' If "PBX/Mitel-Exchange" isn't supposed to be sending e-mail out of the organization then there's no need to have it as a "Source Server" in any Send Connector. Since you have two Send Connectors (each of which, presumably, has a single server in its "Source Server" tab) you should remove the Send Connectot that has only the "PBX/Mitel-Eachange" server in the Source Server tab. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 20th, 2011 11:02pm

Thanks Rich, yes PBX-Exchange is Mitel-Exchange. Is there any way, I can take a snap shot or export my exchange settings and email it to you so that it gives us a better view. I check both the source server settings and it does not have "PBX/Mitel-Eachange" in there. Thanks
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August 20th, 2011 11:34pm

On Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:34:08 +0000, trueUser wrote: >yes PBX-Exchange is Mitel-Exchange. > >Is there any way, I can take a snap shot or export my exchange settings and email it to you so that it gives us a better view. > >I check both the source server settings and it does not have "PBX/Mitel-Eachange" in there. Well, no, I wouldn't expect to finf *that* name in there -- I made it up, just like you made up the name "Mitel-Exchange". What DO you see for Source Servers on those two Send Connectors? --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 21st, 2011 12:04am

Rich, source server contains the name of the machine on which exchange is installed. Thanks
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August 21st, 2011 12:34am

On Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:34:47 +0000, trueUser wrote: >source server contains the name of the machine on which exchange is installed. So remove whatever send connector is using the PBX server in its Source Computer. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 21st, 2011 5:22am

Hi, Please open EMC, expand to Organization Configuration->Hub Transport, in Send connectors tab, right click your send connector which is responsible for routing the Internet messages and click Properties. In Source Server, make sure that there is only the primary exchange server is in the list.
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August 23rd, 2011 5:34am

Hello Rich & Gen, Thanks for the replies, I can see only my exchange servers name in 'source server' Thanks
August 24th, 2011 11:17am

Hello Rich & Gen, Thanks for the replies, I can see only my exchange servers name in 'source server' Thanks please mark as answer if issue is resolved"Abhi" "Exchange Specialist" ------------- Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.
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August 24th, 2011 11:21am

Hello Abhi, its not resolved yet. Thanks
August 24th, 2011 11:28am

Hello Rich & Gen, Thanks for the replies, I can see only my exchange servers name in 'source server' Thanks Do you mean only one exchange server name in 'source server'?
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August 24th, 2011 12:22pm

yes, i can see only one source server there. thanks
August 24th, 2011 5:26pm

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:28:35 +0000, trueUser wrote: >its not resolved yet. Have you removed the Send Connector yet? --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
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August 25th, 2011 12:48am

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:26:16 +0000, trueUser wrote: >yes, i can see only one source server there. But you have two Send Connectors, right? Is the same source server in both of them? If not, REMOVE the Send Connector that uses only the PBX machine. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 25th, 2011 12:49am

Hello Rich, Thanks for the reply. I have two send connectors (one each in main exchange and other in PBX Exchange) and they contain same source server. Thanks
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August 25th, 2011 11:53am

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:53:15 +0000, trueUser wrote: > > >Hello Rich, > >Thanks for the reply. > > > >I have two send connectors (one each in main exchange and other in PBX Exchange) and they contain same source server. I guess I'm not understanding your situation. A Send Connector is an organization-wide object. It isn't part of any server, no matter how you named them. If you have two Send Connectors then just delete one of them. Make sure the only Send Connector you have in the Exchange Organization has only your "main Exchange" server in the "Source Computer" tab. On the other hand, a Receive Connector is specific to a Hub Transport server. But we're not talking about Receive Connectors. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 26th, 2011 5:12am

Hello Rich, Thanks for the reply, So you want me to remove the 'Second Connector' from PBX Exchange as it is not the main exchange server. Regards,
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August 26th, 2011 12:19pm

On Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:19:57 +0000, trueUser wrote: >So you want me to remove the 'Second Connector' from PBX Exchange as it is not the main exchange server. If that isn't yet abundantly clear, yes. But you don't remove it from a server, you remove it from the Exchange organization (of which you say you have only one). --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
August 27th, 2011 6:31pm

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