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Exchange stops responding until ipconfig /flushdns

I have been running an Exchange 07 server for a few months now. In the last few days, I have had repeated calls from the customer about Outlook 2003 responding with an error that the server was unavailable. I tried a bunch of things, including repairing Outlook, creating a new profile, creating new accounts, and finally found that using ipconfig /flushdns clears the issue... temporarily it seems. The one user having the issue has grown to 10 or so. I have restarted a few of the services on the Exchange server as well.

On a side note, the first user, when I recreated her account, gets new mail, has old mail but only up until sept of this year and then it is completely empty until the day I recreated it.

Anyone have any suggestions on either?

Sembee

For the connection issue, first place to look now is the TCP Chimney issue.
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/07/18/446400.aspx

For the second issue, I would suggest looking for a PST on the user's machine.

Simon.

mcse2007

check the event viewer log both in Exchange Server and also in clients to see what kind of errors been reported then you can starts troubleshooting the problem.

Telstar-Networks

ASKER

The only errors I can find on clients are Unable to update public free/busy data, then followed by nothing, by <localpath\forusers\Outlook\outlook1.ost is not an offline file, or an object could not be found.

Exchange only has a number of errors, all the same, source is MSExchangeTransport, cat: TransportService, Event ID: 12014, Exchange couldn't find a certificate that contains the domain name smtp.mydomain.com in the personal store on the local computer. Therefore, it is unable to offer the STARTTLS SMTP verb for any connector with a FQDN paramater of smtp.mydomain.com. Verify the connector configuration and the installed certificates to make sure that there is a certificate with a domain name for every connector FQDN.

In terms of the TCP Chimney issue, shouldn't that not be working anyway, as the domain policy forces a configured Windows Firewall to be turned on anyway?

There are pst files on the users computer, but they all are either previous backups, or they are the PSTs that were in use until the Exchange server was installed, namely Sept. 07, at which point all the mail they contain ends on that day as well.

Telstar-Networks

ASKER

Anyone able to contribute anything else? This problem persists.

Sembee

This site doesn't operate like a forum. The only people that will see your comments are those that originally posted in the question. You cannot bump the question back up the list.

Have you made any of the changes from the TCP Chimney URL I provided above. Dismissing it because you have disabled the firewall via group policy isn't really a good idea. Most sites will not have the Windows firewall enabled on the Exchange server, but it is still an issue. You should at least ensure that you have the latest drivers for the NICs - Broadcom for example have recently released updated drivers.

Simon.

Telstar-Networks

ASKER

The TCP Chimney had been disabled. I downloaded some new drivers, but it will have to wait until the weekend as I can't afford to have downtime during business hours unless it is absolutely necessary.

Thanks.

mcse2007

The Exchange server, may setup to use wrong certificate or doesn't setup to use certificate.

" The certificate should reflect the external FQDN name of the server.

RESOLUTION

1. Open "Exchange Management Shell".

2. Write "get-ExchangeCertificate" and press on "Enter" button.

3. Write down the Thumbprint of the certificate that reflect the required FQDN name of the server.

4. Review the current certificate that use by the Exchange server and

each certificate function.

5. Write "Enable-ExchangeCertificate -Thumbprint 2afd26617915932ad096c48eb3b847fc7457662 -Services "SMTP"

and press on 'Enter" button.

" The value of -Thumbprint obtained in stage 3.

6. Restart the Exchange server.

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555855

Telstar-Networks

ASKER

I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say review the current certificate and each function.

Sembee

I saw that posting and I don't think it has anything at all to do with your issue. Certificates are part of the Exchange transport, but certainly would not be the cause of this problem.

Simon.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Telstar-Networks

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