MS Business Portal not sending email notifications

OK for starters, Here are some questions for you:
1. Which versionf of Exchange are you using?
2. When you enter SMTP settings in MS Business, Do you enter IP address of the server or DNS name of the server?
3. Did you try telneting port 25 to the Mail server from MS business Application server?
4. Is MS Business Machine added to allowed relay hosts in Exchange?
5. is there a log on MS Business Server related to SMTP?
6. Did you try Message Tracking on Exchange Server and see if the message is making it to Mail server at all ?
Hilal

Hilal,
  1. We are using Exchange Server 2007

  2. Historically the SMTP settings have been using the FQDN, but I had tried changing it to IP address when I was troubleshooting & this didn't seem to yield any better result

  3. Business Portal is being run as a webpage from our Web Server, and I just tried to telnet into the exchange server and I am advised that it can't open a connection on port 23.

  4. I have checked the REceive Connectors in the Management Console and I see that our Webserver is listed and enabled.

   5. I am not certain. I have not been able to find a log under the install folder in Program Files

  6. I have tried message tracking and it doesn't appear the message is even making it to the Exchange Server. I had hoped it would help show where things are breaking down, but no luck on that end.

" 3. Business Portal is being run as a webpage from our Web Server, and I just tried to telnet into the exchange server and I am advised that it can't open a connection on port 23. "
Not port 23, you should have tried to telnet to port 25.
Anyway here is a suggestion:
Create a New Custom Recieve Connector On Hub Transport Server. When creating specify your webserver as the IP address allow to send to this connector. Also in permissions make sure Anonymous is selected.
Give it a try and let me know the results.
Sorry about not getting back to you earlier.
Hilal

Hilal, I have removed the IP of the webserver from it's previous connector, and setup a new connector with the webserver's IP in it. However, I am still not seeing any emails when I send test requisitions through the business portal system. Fun, right? Also, I dont' use Telnet much, and I may not have entered the port specification right. I used Telnet 172.16.1.8:25 to try and force port 25 to be used (as I would with a normal IP address) with the IP of the exchange server. If I should have specified it differently please let me know. However, using it the way I did above it still gave me the message saying it couldn't connect on port 23 so I may have just not entered it correctly. I have removed my test connector and placed the IP of the webserver back in it's original Receive Connector for now.

Telnet 172.16.1.8 25, Don't use colon, after IP address there is only one space and then port number. Did you enable Anonymous permission on the new connector you created ?
Hilal

Incidently I have written an article on EE for the same purpose:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/Software/Server_Software/Email_Servers/Exchange/Troubleshoot-SMTP-Connection-with-Telnet.html
Hilal

Hilal, thanks for the lightening fast response :). I did enable anonymous permission, but only after doing my 1st test run, not getting an email, and then remembering that I didn't do it. However, there was no change after enabling it. Also, I am able to telnet in to my exchange server, but I just get a blank screen with a cursor when I get in, which is nothing I've seen before during the sporadic times I've used telnet in the past. Also, hitting any key seems to return me to a normal command prompt. Somehow this just doesn't seem right. Any thoughts? I have to leave for an appointment this morning, but I will check out your article after I return this afternoon. Thanks for your help thus far.

Hilal,
    I am still looking over your article you listed above, but I found the problem with the telnet was that I was trying to use a virtual IP for the machine. Once I used the real IP I'm starting to get more of a response like I would expect from the mail server. I just wanted to let you know this part appears to be good

Are you able to submit the Mail to the server when you telnet rom the webserver? or does it reject it? If it accepts it then the recieve connector and Exchange Config should be fine. If it rejects then it will give you an error message. Please let me know what error message do you get ? also check the tracking log why the message was rejected that you tried via Telnet.
 
Regards,
Hilal

Hilal,
      I have been able to create a mail message in telnet from my webserver to the Exchange server. However, I expected to see that the mail message was sent. Instead, I receive a notice saying, "Queued mail for delivery".  However, the mail message itself went through and was received at the address I gave it so it appears everything is setup correctly as far as the setup between the webserver and the Exchange server. Do you have any thoughts as to why MS Business Portal is not sending the messages? I've looked and the settings appear to be fine for it to be able to send email, but I get nothing when a requisitions are sent to somebody, where I should be getting email notifications to those individuals saying the requisition is there. It's been a very wierd item.

I agree that the Exchange connection appears fine. What's frying my noodle is the settings in Business Portal are configured correctly as well, and yet the emails are not getting through. It's one of those mysteries, wrapped up in a riddle, enveloped by an enigma sorta of things. Thank you thus far for all of your assistance to helping to at least rule out the Exchange connection as a possible source of failure.

I am not sure what happened, but after making no further changes for a couple of days the emails just started showing up again. Closing this question

Hilal was a great help. Although the overall issue ultimately seems to have been hidden some place else, I still greatly appreciate the help I was given in trying to resolve this