leeareanetworks
asked on
Can't stop Exchange 2003 Public Folder Replication
I've has SBS 2003 with Exchange SP2 running on our OLDSERVER for sometime. We've built up quite a bit of data and SBS isn't going to fill our needs anymore. I've purchased the Transition Pack and a new server. Currently I have Windows 2003 Standard Server SP2 loaded on the new server and added as a Domain Controller. I've moved the GC and other roles over tho the NEWSERVER. All events were clean and everything looked great, so I installed Exchange 2003, then Exchange SP2 on the server. In the Exchange System Manager everything seemed to show up right, both servers were there, etc.
So I moved to the next step of moving the Public Folders from OLDSERVER to NEWSERVER. I read the best way to do that was to add NEWSERVER to the replication, wait for everything to replicate, then remove OLDSERVER. This seemed to be a BIG mistake! Mail started building up in the "Messages Pending Submission" immediatley. I thought it would go away, but after 5 hours there were 40,000+ messages in there. It just continued to go down hill from there. This is a working environment and I don't have 3 weeks (or however long it will take to replicate 60GB of Public Folder Data) of network downtime. I've already had 1 day of downtime and that was too much.
To fix the problem I choose to Stop Replication, then dismounted the Public Folder Store, I helped the process along by removing a lot of email in the Queue. It took sometime but the Queues are back to normal and everything is working like it should (minus the Public Folders which are still dismounted)
I tempted to mount the public folder store again, remove NEWSERVER from replication, and wait to see if mail stopped building up in the Queue. It didn't. There were thousands of messages in the Queue within a matter of minutes.
The bottom line is: I need to stop this replication storm and get client access to the Public Folders again, and eventually get them moved over to the NEWSERVER. The OLDSERVER will be phased out once the Public Folders and Mailboxes are moved over.
I'm ususally good with Exchange, but I NEED HELP!
So I moved to the next step of moving the Public Folders from OLDSERVER to NEWSERVER. I read the best way to do that was to add NEWSERVER to the replication, wait for everything to replicate, then remove OLDSERVER. This seemed to be a BIG mistake! Mail started building up in the "Messages Pending Submission" immediatley. I thought it would go away, but after 5 hours there were 40,000+ messages in there. It just continued to go down hill from there. This is a working environment and I don't have 3 weeks (or however long it will take to replicate 60GB of Public Folder Data) of network downtime. I've already had 1 day of downtime and that was too much.
To fix the problem I choose to Stop Replication, then dismounted the Public Folder Store, I helped the process along by removing a lot of email in the Queue. It took sometime but the Queues are back to normal and everything is working like it should (minus the Public Folders which are still dismounted)
I tempted to mount the public folder store again, remove NEWSERVER from replication, and wait to see if mail stopped building up in the Queue. It didn't. There were thousands of messages in the Queue within a matter of minutes.
The bottom line is: I need to stop this replication storm and get client access to the Public Folders again, and eventually get them moved over to the NEWSERVER. The OLDSERVER will be phased out once the Public Folders and Mailboxes are moved over.
I'm ususally good with Exchange, but I NEED HELP!
ASKER
I've verified SMTP from each server using IP Address and FQDN.
I was running and have disabled GFI Mail Essentials and Symantec AntiVirus Corporate.
I've also turned on Replication Logging, and I'm seeing Message Sent, and Message Received Events in the Application Event log.
I was running and have disabled GFI Mail Essentials and Symantec AntiVirus Corporate.
I've also turned on Replication Logging, and I'm seeing Message Sent, and Message Received Events in the Application Event log.
ASKER
These are what I see filling up the Queue:
Sender-
"/o=DOMAIN/ou=first administrative group/cn=Configuration/cn=
Envelope Recipients-
SMTP:OLDSERVER-IS@domain.c
Sender-
"/o=DOMAIN/ou=first administrative group/cn=Configuration/cn=
Envelope Recipients-
SMTP:OLDSERVER-IS@domain.c
ASKER
I still have the Public Folder dismounted, and replication STOPPED, and these messages are still filling up the Messages Pending Submission, then moving over to the Local Delivery Queue.
ASKER
Ok, I found out that I had messages sitting in the outgoing Queue on NEWSERVER that were filling up the Queue on OLDSERVER. Doesn't that suggest that they are communicating?
If you have a store dismounted then you need to mount it again so that the messages can be delivered. Dismounting the public folder store was a mistake.
Simon.
--
If your question has been answered, please remember to accept the answer and close the question.
Simon.
--
If your question has been answered, please remember to accept the answer and close the question.
ASKER
I was just doing what I could to get the server accessible. I've mouted the Public Folder Store now. Messages are still building up on OLDSERVER, though they are not building up on NEWSERVER. Is there other ways I can check to see what problems if any there are in getting data between the servers?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Common reasons for that is AV software on the server blocking the local port 25 traffic, a smart host on the SMTP virtual server, and connection restrictions on the SMTP virtual server.
You should also verify that the servers can talk to each other on port 25, using ip address, name and the FQDN.
Simon.
--
If your question has been answered, please remember to accept the answer and close the question.