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Exchange 2003 sp2 ActiveSync issues on OWA server

I have a Front End OWA server that is getting multiple errors in the Event Logs under application.

The Errors are as follows:

Unexpected Exchange mailbox Server Error: Server [server.domain.dom] User: [steve.jobs@domain.com] HTTP Status code: [500] Verify that the Exchange mailbox Server is working correctly.

I haven't narrowed it down to 1 user either it seems to be affecting all users but just randomly. also the HTTP Status code will change from 500 to these:

409
503

Sometimes on my iPhone 5 when I go to look at my mail it just sits there and says Connecting but never finishes or takes 5 to 10min, sometimes the email will come into the phone and when I click on it to view it, it just sits there acting like its going to load more of the message but then says: Message hasn't been downloaded from the server yet.

It seems to work pretty well resetting the IIS or giving the server a reboot but I would like to know whats causing this error and why its now starting to effect everyone, I see this error in the event logs has been happening for a few months now but I haven't heard from any users about slowness or not getting mail on there devices up until now and now with myself experencing the issue its starting to make me wonder.

If the users are not having problems syncing, then you can ignore the errors.

How may Exchange 2003 servers do you have?

Are you using a FE/BE environment as your question suggests?

Alan

ASKER

Well a couple of users have started saying something and like I said above, I am noticing a slowness in ActiveSync as well.

I have 2, and yes I am using a FE/BE environment

Check your concurrent connections with the smart phones and Outlook creating connections to their respective mailboxes might be an issue if you're using pop vs Imap.

Do you see errors on https://testexchangeconnectivity.com when you run the Activesync test (using a manually specified server)?

Are you using Forms Based Authentication for OWA?

ASKER

How do I check my Concurrent connections with the smart phone and outlook, were not using pop or imap

I did the test and no errors came up at all for my user ID

No we do not use Forms Based Auth for OWA, its just a basic userID and password box that pops up no HTTP form

Okay - do you see the errors in the Event Log for your user when syncing though?

ASKER

For instance I have about 24 Error's in the Event viewer on the OWA server for Server Active Sync

Most of them are error 500 but the most recent 4 errors were 409 and were all from 1 user, one that has called in and complained about not receiving emails.

These 24 errors all happened from 7:03am till 9:42am today.

As I just refreshed I noticed at 10:15am I just got the 409 error log, funny thing is I just ran that test at the same time. coincidence??

ASKER

Yes the last Error is for my userID

Okay - please post the full output for each error (obscure usernames if you want to).

What is your default website timeout value set to on the FE server and BE server?

ASKER

Full output for each error, you mean from the Event Viewer like this one:

Unexpected Exchange mailbox server error: Server: [servername.domain.dom] User: [my name@domain.com] HTTP status code: [409]. Verify that the Exchange mailbox server is working correctly.

Default timeout on FE is 480 sec

Default timeout on BE is 120 sec

Yes please - the Event ID and the full error please.

Can you change the BE Default Website value to 480 to match the FE server and run iisreset.

Also, check all BE Virtual Directories and make sure you don't have SSL enabled on any of the Directories.

ASKER

The full Event ID is this:

Source: Server ActiveSync
Time: 8:04:24am
Category: None
Type: Error
Event ID: 3005
User: Domain\user

Unexpected Exchange Mailbox Server error: Server: [server.domain.dom] User: [user@domain.com] HTTP Status code: [500] Verify that the Exchange Mailbox Server is working Correctly.

So this error happens with either a 500 code or a 409

It seems to not be happening as much, I see only 9 errors in the event log

Okay - so some progress with the website timeout which is good.

Any people reporting errors / sync issues?

ASKER

I just had a user come up with there Android Razor phone and was unable to send Pic message via Email on his phone.

I removed the account and reattached it, except this time I removed the Domain field and sync'd it back up, retried sending a pic message and it came through.

So I did that with another user that was also showing errors in the event log and changed there Razor phone to Sync without domain name and errors seem to have gone away also.

So far so good, I'll monitor it for the next couple of days and see if those users pop up on the OWA server Event Log.

Thank you for all of your help so far.

Okay - sounds better.

What are your domain / realm set to in the IIS Virtual Directories on the Directory Security Tab> Top Edit Button for the Exchange / Microsoft-Server-Activesync directories?

ASKER

Microsoft-Server-Activesync shows Default domain: ABCompany
Realm: (blank)

I am still getting some of those Errors still on devices, I will try to wipe there phones out and reconnect them back as well.

However I'm getting a new Warning Event ID

Source: Server ActiveSync
Event ID: 3033
The average of the most recent [200] heartbeat intervals used by clients is less than or equal to [54]. Make sure that your firewall config is set to work correctly with exchange ActiveSync and direct push Technology.

What firewall are you using?

ASKER

Cisco ASA 5510, never had this issue before

It's not necessarily an issue - Activesync will work happily when it reports that error.

From what I understand about ASA devices, the default timeout value on them is set to 1 hour, so there shouldn't be a problem.

ASKER

Ok just looked up the Event Logs and noticed there were some Error 3033's again which would be understandble however 2 of them are ones that I have removed there profile from there phones and reattached them. There were only 2 errors though, 1 each for yesterday and that was it.

any thoughts to why that still could be happening?

Possibly store corruption or more than 5,000 items in a single folder.

Are you using Exchange 2003 Enterprise? If so - can you move a mailbox that generates errors to a new store?

ASKER

I'm using Exchange 2003 sp2 Enterprise

I only have one store

Okay - can you create a new store and move a problem mailbox please.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821748

Alan

ASKER

So create a new Mailbox Store and move that mailbox to it, will they lose anything, what will that solve doing that?

Corrupt data will be removed in the process. It will have the same effect as dismounting the store and repairing and defragmenting it with eseutil.

It can only help the situation, not make it worse.

ASKER

Once it is in the new store, do I just leave it in there or do I move it back?

You can do either. See if it works any better and if it is, then you can keep it there or move it back.

It might pay to keep the store there even of you do move the mailbox back as you can move a mailbox to it to remove any corruption rather than take the store offline and repair etc.

ASKER

Well I haven't created another store yet but perhaps I should, Today was horrible for ActiveSync, I was getting a ton of those 3005 errors and I'm now getting a new one as well:

Event ID: 3007
Source: Server ActiveSync

Exchange mailbox server response timeout: Exchange ActiveSync Server failed to communicate with the Exchange mailbox server in a timely manner. Verify that the Exchange mailbox server is working and not overloaded

Okay - did you update your version of massync.dll?

See which version you have and if you have the one that is older than the one listed in the following article, please let me know - I ping you a link to download it from:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967046

Alan

ASKER

Yes its the same one thats in this article, ver 6.5.7655.0

Okay - that's good.

Do you have speed issues between the FE and BE servers?

ASKER

not that i've noticed, is there a way to check?

How far apart physically are they?

A ping test from FE to BE should show sufficient info. ping -t should show a continuous ping.

What results do you get?

ASKER

One is stacked on top of the other in the server rack

Ping shows time=1ms or time<1ms

some times it went up to 7ms but not much

Okay - that's pretty close.

Any NIC driver updates available from the manufacturer?

ASKER

Actually there was an update, I just applied it so we shall see, the previous one I had was about 5yrs old. So this one at least puts my driver into the the 2009 era

Could this have been the problem all along

Good - always nice to have a newer driver.

Was that on both servers?

ASKER

Yes I have updated both servers with newer NIC drivers.

I have another question too, I have an old Exchange Store that was for another location that we closed the doors on, so that server is no longer in effect, can I delete that store from our ESM just by simply right clicking on it and selecting Delete?

I don't need any of the emails in that store, it won't mess anything up if I delete it will it?

After I delete that store I will setup another Store on my main server for trying to move users into it to see if it fixes any issues, however I'm starting to think my OWA FE server is just too old to process the requests its getting, could that be why these Active Sync issues could be occuring?

Just make sure there are no live mailboxes in the store, dismount it and delete it, then delete the database files.

Why do you have an FE server in the first place with just one BE server? It makes sense if you have more than one BE server, but I would follow the KISS principle and just have the one server personally. Less hassle, less to maintain and easier configuration.

ASKER

I just checked my BE server and it shows my massync.dll as an older version then the one thats on my FE, should I update that?

Also my Store.exe on my FE server is different from my BE as well, should I update both my BE to match the FE?

ASKER

Well I had the FE server because we did have more than one Exchange Server in complete different locations, now that the doors are closed then I guess I could switch it over to just one server.

I'm not sure how to even make it just on one

Yes - please update the BE server and FE server.

Link for the massync.dll in case you don't still have the update is:

http://www.sohotechnology.co.uk/372368_intl_i386_zip.exe

Leave the FE for now - would mean uninstalling Exchange from the server and tweaking the BE server, so not a simple process.

ASKER

Yeah I didn't think so, however the FE server is getting old I was thinking of replacing it soon.

What about Store.exe, should those be on the same version and if so where can I get that update to match my FE?

Can I just copy the massync.dll from my FE to my BE and same with the Store.exe versions or will I have to actually go out to a website to get them.

I would use the link I gave you as it will update the file and keep everything ticking over nicely.

As you don't use the store.exe on the FE server - I wouldn't worry.

ASKER

The OWA FE server doesn't use Store.exe? I see it in the Task manager though

It will be started, but you don't have any mailboxes on the server, so stop the Information Store service and see what stops working. Nothing should.

ASKER

As for Dismounting my other store that is no longer in use, it won't allow me because its not online anymore, I just have the option to delete it

Okay - just delete it then. Should be fine as it isn't mounted and should just delete happily.

ASKER

Thank you that worked just fine

So I updated the massync.dll and so both servers are on the same version

I will monitor it for today and tomorrow and let you know if I get any 3005 event id's or 3007 ones.

Thank you again for all your help

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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ASKER

Well I'm still getting some errors, definitly not as bad as it was so I guess I'll just close out of this and decrease users mailboxes so that the exchange server isn't getting overloaded.

Thanks again for all your help.