Exchange 2003, GFI, Incoming Email Problem

Let me know if this helps:

E-mail Tester results for snip.org
Generated by www.DNSstuff.com


Getting MX record for snip.org (from local DNS server, may be cached)... Got it!

Host      Preference      IP(s) [Country]
snip.org.      0      x.x.x.210 [US]




Step 1:  Try connecting to the following mailserver:
         mail.snip.org. - x.x.x.210

Step 2:  If still unsuccessful, queue the E-mail for later delivery.




Note: if you enter an entire E-mail address (such as postmaster@snip.org), we will try to connect
to each mailserver to ensure that they are live and accept mail to the snip.org domain.

NOTE: This tool does NOT attempt to determine if an E-mail address exists!

Little more info:

E-mail Tester results for administrator@snip.org
Generated by www.DNSstuff.com


Getting MX record for snip.org (from local DNS server, may be cached)... Got it!

Host      Preference      IP(s) [Country]
mail.snip.org.      0      x.x.x.210 [US]




Step 1:  Try connecting to the following mailserver:
         mail.snip.org. - x.x.x.210

Step 2:  If still unsuccessful, queue the E-mail for later delivery.



Trying to connect to all mailservers:

   mail.snip.org. - x.xx.210  [Could not connect: Could not receive data: Operation timed out.]
  [Note that if your mailserver takes over 30 seconds to respond, our test will timeout, even though real mailservers will wait longer]



NOTE: This tool does NOT attempt to determine if an E-mail address exists!

brabbit565,

Try the telnet from inside your LAN first.

InteraX

if email test finds correct place to connect, i.e. your machine with smtp server; but then it can't connect, it means that your mailserver is blocked from outside internet. Is the machine with mailsever on the perimeter of your network, i.e. is it connected to internet interface? or you have another machine connected to internet, with firewall?

If the former, then open properties of your Default SMTP Server, go to tab "Access", click "connection", and see "which computer may access this virtual server".

I did some more testing and "I think" that the SMTP service SMTPSVC is giving me problems.  When I try to start it from services.msc I get "Could not start the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) service on Local Computer,  Error 1053:  The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.

My Setup is very simple,  It is a T1 line to  NIC1 on a SBS server that hosts everything, routing, exchange etc.  The server is on the edge.

I'm not sure how to repair this service,  Thanks in advance,

-J

see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/839174/

...also, remove smtp service and add it back in add/remove programs/windows features (or however it's in windows server). Actually, the article I provided in the previous post is unlikely to help.

vadimrapp1, since he's got an active installation of Exchange server I don't think it will let him uninstall the SMTP service.

I looked at my win2k/exchange2k, and smtp can be unchecked in windows components/iis.Hopefully it's the same in 2003.

If not, then repairing exchange installation might fix it.

Also, depending on the server this is on, system restore to the state before gfi installation might help.

Thanks,  Going to attempt to fix it again first thing tomorrow morning.  vadimrapp1,  How complex and or safe is it to "repair the exchange install"?

Right, we don't even know what kind of errors are being seen ... it's too premature to take drastic action yet.  I asked about event IDs a few posts back.

I run ME12 on my personal domain, but just in the standard configuration with it right on the Exchange 2003 server. Something to consider is that depending on the version, the author may need to get an upgrade if he's running Exchange 2003 SP2. I'd assume it is the lastest build given that he's just installing it, but you never know.

>  How complex and or safe is it to "repair the exchange install"?

it's not complex - either "change" exchange from add/remove programs, or run exchange setup. In both cases, if repair is supported by the installation, you will see it as an option (usually the options are "modify", "repair", and 'remove"). Repair, if implemented, is done by windows installer, so it's the same as if you reinstalled exchange.

btw, speaking of mailessentials - I abandoned it in favor of xwall, and never looked back.

Made some progress!  I removed smtp, rebooted, reinstalled smtp via add remove windows components as directed above, rebooted,  and the service started!!!!!    

When I try to send email from the outside to my administrator account I get:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

    administrator@snip.org

Technical details of permanent failure:
PERM_FAILURE: SMTP Error (state 13): 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for administrator@snip.org

Looks like getting email's in / out is still a issue but I am getting extremely close

Thanks,
Jared

add @snip.org to default recipient policy in exchange system manager.

...see http://support.microsoft.com/?id=260973 for details.

Russ,

Can you confirm how many of the steps you listed apply to me?  Steps 1-6 under Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange 2000 Server?

Do I need to reinstall IIS? (Step 4)

Thanks,
Jared

AS ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACKUP OF YOUR EXCHANGE DATABASES. This means having an offline copy in another folder on another server.
You may be able to get away with just reinstalling Exchange. This should modify the new install of the SMTP service. This would be step 5.
If that does not work then follow all the steps.

Russ

Thanks Russ,  I went over to the server this morning and found that they have Microsoft Action Pack.  CD1 of SBS Premium is cracked.  Do you know if Microsoft offers ISO downloads or a way to recover without the cd on weekends?  On Monday I plan to call Microsoft supplemental parts.

-Jared

If they're running their business on an Action Pack version of the software, they're in violation of the licensing agreement - https://partner.microsoft.com/us/40016470

They need to buy a legal copy of SBS 2003 Premium.

Will71,

From what I understand the organization is legally allowed to buy and use the action pack.  

if you have legal license, you can easily find the media on warez websites and purchase it for some $10; or find it using filesharing program; then install using your key.

They are willing to pay for replacement media,  I looked a little on eBay,  But I think I think I need to find the same disc,  I looked on ebay for "small business server Action pack Disk 1" and "Microsoft Action pack" and did not get any good hits.  I might just wait until Monday to call Microsoft.

When you call Microsoft on Monday, ask for clarification on the licensing. It's pretty clear on the link I put in my last post IMHO that you are able to use Action Pack software for internal use, but you are NOT allowed to use it for "production" apps. They give the example of being allowed to host an internal intranet on Action Pack software, but not being allowed to have a public facing website using it. I'd think using Action Pack software for your production Exchange environment that communicates with the outside world would definitely fall under the catagory of the latter.

I have real world experience with this as well, I worked for a company that about a year before I was hired had to pay Microsoft $500,000 for running their production Exchange and Internet facing SQL apps off of MSDN copies. They thought their partner status got them around having to pay proper licensing, but Microsoft obviously felt otherwise.

> I'd think using Action Pack software for your production Exchange environment that communicates with the outside world would definitely fall under the catagory of the latter.

I doubt if this is legally valid. Between exchange and internet, there's smtp server, which is not part of exchange, and with windows. That's what is "public facing".

I found a CD and reinstalled exchange per Microsoft's directions.  I still am having some problems with the inbound and outbound mail,  when attempting to email administrator@snip.org from gmail I get

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

    administrator@snip.org

Technical details of permanent failure:
PERM_FAILURE: SMTP Error (state 13): 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for administrator@snip.org

When I log into OWA,  and attempt to send an email to gmail,  The email just vanishes with no errors,  But never makes it to gmail.  This seems like a config problem??  any idea's?

Thanks again,
Jared

re. incoming email: is @snip.org in recipient policy?

re. outgoing email: any indication in the log of smtp that it tried to send it?

When telnetting into the MX record for snip.org, I do not get an Exchange banner.
Is there anything that is between Exchange and the internet that would be ansering?
What firewall do you have?

Double check your public MX and A records for your domain. If SNIP.ORG is your domain then make sure they are pointing to the right place.

I looked in the event logs and found:

Under Application:
Product: Exchange
Source:MSExchangeTransport
Version: 6.5.5940.0
Component: Microsoft Exchange Transport
Message: Because the Exchange MTA is disabled, the store driver cannot deliver the message recipient:text to the recipient recipient

Under the System tab I see a lot of events:
Source: SMTPSVC
Event: 4000, 4006 and 4007

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996138.aspx

by the way, perhaps at least one of the tools from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/bb288481.aspx would actually shoot your trouble.