jefferybush
asked on
After GW 7 upgrade from GW 6.5, some messages are illegible on external mail clients
I manage a Windows 2003 network running Exchange 2003 for a division of another much larger company. They are a primarily Novell shop and run Groupwise for email. I know little of the Novell side of the house but am part of that organization so we are working on this problem together. Here is the scenario:
They upgraded their Groupwise email server from 6.5 to 7. While the version change went well, we are now experiencing problems with emails sent from GW to our Exchange server and clients running Outlook 2003. This is also happening to other businesses/customers/vendo
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.exchange.admin/browse_thread/thread/6323931bfbd2871f
Is this a problem with MIME somehow, or maybe a malformed header? I know that GW changed to UTF-8 as well. There are hot fixes we can apply to our Exchange server that assist with this but Im not sure it is the problem. Additionally, I don't want to fix something on our end and not have an avenue to test any attempted resolutions on the GW side. Remember , this is happening on external companies to our own and it's not like we can just call them up and say "fix your mail server".
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here is a message header from one of the emails:
From:
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:09 PM
Subject:
X-Mailer: Groupwise 6.5
Message-ID: <20071009T170836Z_AB900004
From: "Chelsie" <ChelsieS@groupwiseemail.c
Subject: RE: AP INVOICE
To: "Chris" <Chris@ourexchangeserver.c
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="____KNARURPLBSLF
Return-Path: ChelsieS@groupwiseemail.co
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Oct 2007 22:08:55.0835 (UTC) FILETIME=[FC069EB0:01C80AC
--____KNARURPLBSLFYKFKBBHS
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Language:
Content-Transfer-Encoding:
VGhhbmsgeW91IHNvIG11Y2ggZm
ciBuYW1lIHRvIGNvbWUgdG86KQ
dWx0eg0KQ0NDIEdyb3VwLCBJbm
MC02NjItMTYwNCBGYXgNCkNoZW
MC02NjItMTYwNCBGYXgNCkNoZW
aW5hIE9waGFuaW0iIDxjb3BoYW
aW5hIE9waGFuaW0iIDxjb3BoYW
Q2hlbHNpZVNAY2NjZ3JvdXBpbm
--____KNARURPLBSLFYKFKBBHS
Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="____OCWUZBXJOPTS
They upgraded their Groupwise email server from 6.5 to 7. While the version change went well, we are now experiencing problems with emails sent from GW to our Exchange server and clients running Outlook 2003. This is also happening to other businesses/customers/vendo
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.exchange.admin/browse_thread/thread/6323931bfbd2871f
Is this a problem with MIME somehow, or maybe a malformed header? I know that GW changed to UTF-8 as well. There are hot fixes we can apply to our Exchange server that assist with this but Im not sure it is the problem. Additionally, I don't want to fix something on our end and not have an avenue to test any attempted resolutions on the GW side. Remember , this is happening on external companies to our own and it's not like we can just call them up and say "fix your mail server".
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here is a message header from one of the emails:
From:
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:09 PM
Subject:
X-Mailer: Groupwise 6.5
Message-ID: <20071009T170836Z_AB900004
From: "Chelsie" <ChelsieS@groupwiseemail.c
Subject: RE: AP INVOICE
To: "Chris" <Chris@ourexchangeserver.c
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="____KNARURPLBSLF
Return-Path: ChelsieS@groupwiseemail.co
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Oct 2007 22:08:55.0835 (UTC) FILETIME=[FC069EB0:01C80AC
--____KNARURPLBSLFYKFKBBHS
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Language:
Content-Transfer-Encoding:
VGhhbmsgeW91IHNvIG11Y2ggZm
ciBuYW1lIHRvIGNvbWUgdG86KQ
dWx0eg0KQ0NDIEdyb3VwLCBJbm
MC02NjItMTYwNCBGYXgNCkNoZW
MC02NjItMTYwNCBGYXgNCkNoZW
aW5hIE9waGFuaW0iIDxjb3BoYW
aW5hIE9waGFuaW0iIDxjb3BoYW
Q2hlbHNpZVNAY2NjZ3JvdXBpbm
--____KNARURPLBSLFYKFKBBHS
Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="____OCWUZBXJOPTS
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Have them check the default views for the clients too. I recall there was something about replies to an HTML email get garbled if your default views don't match - if the default compose view is plain text but the default read view is html, or vice-versa. Don't remember, but it's worth recommending the corporate groupwise admins look into that.
They HAD to update their GWIA.
GroupWise 7 *required* an update of all GroupWise system components at the same time. In many previous versions of GroupWise, it was possible to run a back-level Post Office or Gateway (like GWIA) as long as the Domain (MTA) was upgraded first. Not so when moving from GroupWise <7 to GroupWise 7. A GroupWise v6.5 GWIA would not be able to operate in a GroupWise 7 Domain.
My experience is that Exchange does a really lousy job with MIME in general. Probably has something to do with Redmond's general disdain for standards they didn't write. GroupWise, for whatever reason, seems to be more than a little sensitive to MIME anomalies (deviations from standards).
I'd try ShineOn's suggestion to try setting the Default Read View in GroupWise to Plain Text instead of HTML. Even more effective would be to have the Exchange environment switch to Plain Text as their default Compose mode. I never understood why people need to send E-Mail using green text on a purple background with animated dancing hippos in pink tutus as a message border.
GroupWise 7 *required* an update of all GroupWise system components at the same time. In many previous versions of GroupWise, it was possible to run a back-level Post Office or Gateway (like GWIA) as long as the Domain (MTA) was upgraded first. Not so when moving from GroupWise <7 to GroupWise 7. A GroupWise v6.5 GWIA would not be able to operate in a GroupWise 7 Domain.
My experience is that Exchange does a really lousy job with MIME in general. Probably has something to do with Redmond's general disdain for standards they didn't write. GroupWise, for whatever reason, seems to be more than a little sensitive to MIME anomalies (deviations from standards).
I'd try ShineOn's suggestion to try setting the Default Read View in GroupWise to Plain Text instead of HTML. Even more effective would be to have the Exchange environment switch to Plain Text as their default Compose mode. I never understood why people need to send E-Mail using green text on a purple background with animated dancing hippos in pink tutus as a message border.
I remember someone else on e-e asked about garbled messages from GroupWise a couple of months back. The curious thing was they had the problem with their Ex 2003/Outlook 2003 reading the emails, but the same emails sent to a hotmail account would be perfectly readable.
That tells me:
1) Microsoft doesn't use Exchange for their Hotmail service
2) It's probably not a problem with GroupWise, but as PsiCop said, a problem with Exchange. Problem with that is, there are too damn many people that have swallowed the blue pill, so because they can send between themselves OK they assume it's a GroupWise issue and not a problem with Exchange - even though it's only Exchange that seems to have this issue with email from GroupWise.
Hmm. If I had a tinfoil hat, I might think it's another example of M$ breaking compatibility in order to undermine the competition. Could that be? Naaah, those folx at Redmond are just a bunch of nice guys. ;^)
That tells me:
1) Microsoft doesn't use Exchange for their Hotmail service
2) It's probably not a problem with GroupWise, but as PsiCop said, a problem with Exchange. Problem with that is, there are too damn many people that have swallowed the blue pill, so because they can send between themselves OK they assume it's a GroupWise issue and not a problem with Exchange - even though it's only Exchange that seems to have this issue with email from GroupWise.
Hmm. If I had a tinfoil hat, I might think it's another example of M$ breaking compatibility in order to undermine the competition. Could that be? Naaah, those folx at Redmond are just a bunch of nice guys. ;^)
ASKER
Thanks, PSI and Shine. Just to clarify, this problem is happening to Outlook clients within the Novell network who are using it to access GW, not just going through an Exchange server. They will be updating the GWIA tomorrow to see if it resolves the problem. I will keep you updated.
Jeff
Jeff
ASKER
BTW, the GW7 server is running with 6.5 mailer. Does this mean the MTA wasn't updated either?
Jeff
Jeff
ASKER
Psi and Shineon-
This turned out to be a problem with GW clients on the Novell network running outdated client versions. Once all the clients were updated to version 7 of GW, we have had no more issues.
Thanks again for your help.
Jeff
This turned out to be a problem with GW clients on the Novell network running outdated client versions. Once all the clients were updated to version 7 of GW, we have had no more issues.
Thanks again for your help.
Jeff
ASKER
This turned out to be a problem with GW clients on the Novell network running outdated client versions. Once all the clients were updated to version 7 of GW, we have had no more issues.
Thanks again for your help.
Jeff
Thanks again for your help.
Jeff
ASKER
I know that the Exchange server can be patched to rectify the Base64 and I already have the hot fix from MS. However, since our division is part of the same organization and some of our external customers/clients/business
At any rate, I will pass this information along. Again, I thank you for your response and will let you know the outcome.
Jeff