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Issue with Routing / SMTP

We just upgraded 2 MX2000 to MX 2003. One at Site1 "site1.overhere.all.com" & the other at Site2 "site2.overhere.all.com". They are a child domain of "all.com"

Mail flows from Parent to Site1 & from Site1 gets routed to Site2.

The build wasn't too bad (thanks to Sembee), but I have problems stopping the services. Site1's old MX is up but has all MX services & SMTP disabled. When I try to do that for Site2, all mail gets queued at Site1. This is really bizarre.

If I turn off the services on the old MX at Site  - I get this problems:

1. No mail between Site1 & Site2 (should I use smart host or not? - how do I config it ?)
2. All mail for Site1 gets queued at Site2

Please advise.
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Sembee
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Make sure that you do not have any smart hosts configured on the SMTP Virtual Servers of any machine.
If the servers are in separate routing groups, ensure that they can resolve each other using all combiantions... IP address, FQDN and Netbios name.
If you have adjusted the FQDN on the SMTP virtual server, ensure that name also resolves correctly internally.

Simon.
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titanax

ASKER

Hi Sembee...great to hear from you!

1. There are no smart hosts configured
2. When you mean resolve you mean nslookup?
3. FQDN points to itself on both servers
If you ping the other server, does the name resolve to an internal or an external IP address?

I don't understand what you mean by "FQDN points to itself on both servers".
The FQDN on the SMTP virtual server is what appears in the SMTP banner. You can see it when you telnet to port 25 of the server.
If that name doesn't resolve internally to the correct IP address of the Exchange server, then you can get problems.
It is often changed so that the server announces itself as its correct external name, so that reverse DNS etc all matches and ensures that email is delivered correctly. However it can cause a problem if not set correct internally. Use the Check DNS button to see if everything is working correctly.

Simon.
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ASKER

yup check dns workd; what i mean is the the FQDN are "site1.overhere.all.com" & "site1.overhere.all.com" respectively, incoming mail is via the parent MX which is located on another continent
Are you saying that the FQDN on both machines is the same? If so, that will cause a problem.

Simon.
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ASKER

sorry typo - 2nd machine "site2.overhere.all.com"
Are the servers in separate routing groups?
If so, are there routing group connectors in place?

Simon.
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ASKER

yes separate routing groups. Like I said this is a migration, so I checked all RGs & other main configs to ensure that the MX2003 are running the same things as the MX2000...So far they appear to be!
Did you recreate the routing group connectors, or are they the old ones with the new servers simply added to the list?

Simon.
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ASKER

the old ones with the new servers simply added to the list
I would recreate the routing group connectors then.
Ensure that you have the IP address specifically set on the SMTP virtual servers before you do.

Simon.
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ASKER

OK, do you have any advise on how I can manually recreate the RGs?
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Sembee
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