Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of bandoafernandez
bandoafernandez

asked on

Routing Connector Problems

Hello,
We have two exchange sites running exchange 5.5 servers, and I have installed Exchange 2003 servers in each site as the first step in our migration.  We have a few mailboxes moved over to each of the EX2003 servers to test, and all sems to be functional. However, when I look in the queues on each of the 2003 servers (in system manager) I see site connectors that are not functional.  Each server has a Site Connector (routing group connector) that says it is unable to bind to server in DNS.  I have tested name resolution for both servers to each other and there are no problems whatsoever.

I recently tried to make the new 2003 servers the bridgeheads in each site (using 5.5 administrator, not sure how to so it with exchange 2003 system manager, it is greyed out).  Once I made the change, mail started queuing up in each of these connectors and delivery was not occurring.  It doesn't seem like I can take our 5.5 servers offline unless I can figure this out.  I have gone over DNS settings repeatedly and cannot find any problems with it currently (although in the past there were).  I recently ran netdiag /v and found no DNS errors.

Also, for some reason there are two identical Site connectors in site 1 pointing to site 2 (showing in the queues), both are not functional.  I am unsure as to how to remove one of them.

Help?
Avatar of Maharajkp
Maharajkp

Let me see if I understood your topology correctly

Two Sites ... created in E5.5 and now you have E2k3 in each. You said you have RGC between these two sites, but actually you cannot make changes on these RGC through E5.5 Admin.

You might still be using your old E5.5 "Site Connector or X.400 Connector" ... as you said you cannot make changes though E2k3 System Admin.

But anyways, make sure what connector you are using.


for your DNS, I could say that nslookup by default uses UDP Queries and Exchange queries using TCP. You can force 'nslookup' to use TCP using command ... "set vc". Any further Queries after this settings would be TCP.

Use "winroute.exe" to troubleshoot Connector issues.
281382 How to Use the WinRoute Tool
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=281382

If you see multiple connectors ... probably your Routing Table is Fried. Winroute will reveal more.

One basic Question, do you see all your recipient from all the servers? ... what if you create new Mailbox on E2k3, is it available on GAL on other E2k3?
Avatar of bandoafernandez

ASKER

I can actually ONLY make changes on the site connectors through the 5.5 admin, not through the 2003 System Manager.  It appears that the RGC is merely an emulation of the 5.5 site connector, and only replicates changes that I make through the 5.5 administrator, that's it.  I can't edit anything through the 2003 administrator.

I do see all of our recipients from all servers.  New mailboxes created on Exchange 2k3 do show up on the GAL on all other servers (5.5 and 2k3).

I will check try winroute and see what happens. Thanks.
Also - should I be creating a new connector between sites using 2k3?  We are utilizing existing 5.5 site connectors.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Maharajkp
Maharajkp

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Ok I created the RGC using 2k3.  Now I should be able to delete the existing site connector in the 5.5 administrator, correct?  It will not allow me to do this, saying that it is the only connector between the 2 sites.  Does this mean that I have to delete the Directory replication connection between the two sites?  If so, should I create some other kind of directory rep connection using 2003 first?
Ah, it let me delete the old site connector... Will monitor now... But what of the Dir rep connector?
I figured it out.  Restarted the SMTP service and the duplicate queue disappeared.