June 2004

Resolving Exchange 2000 Postmigration Problems


RSS
Subscribe to Windows IT Pro | See More Exchange 2000 Server Articles Here | Reprints | Or get the Monthly Online Pass—only $5.95 a month!

When our company upgraded to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, we used Exmerge to export our mailbox data, formatted the disks, built a new Exchange 2000 server running on Windows 2000 Server, then used Exmerge to import the mailbox data. Now users are getting a lot of Undeliverable messages that include the following text: The e-mail address could not be found. Perhaps the recipient moved to a different e-mail organization, or there was a mistake in the address. Check the address and try again. <myserver.mycompany.com #5.1.0>. The problem primarily happens when a user replies to a premigration message or forwards such a message to an address that was listed in the message. The problem doesn't occur when users manually select the same addresses from the Global Address List (GAL).

My guess is that the clients are pulling old Exchange Server 5.5 addresses. How can I update our Exchange clients to use the new addresses in the new GAL?

My company recently migrated to Exchange 2000 from Exchange 5.5 and ran into the same problem. Your clients are referencing recipient addresses that are left over from your Exchange 5.5 GAL. Even though recipients' SMTP addresses haven't changed, Microsoft Outlook and Exchange see these addresses as different and bounce any new messages that reference premigration threads because the new messages still reference the original GAL entries (e.g., through old X.400 addresses).

For example, suppose that you're a user with an Exchange mailbox on my corporate network, and I begin an email exchange with you today. If tomorrow our IT department uses Exmerge to migrate to Exchange 2000, the Exchange GAL will see your internal address after the migration as being different from what it was when I sent you the message. If tomorrow I use Outlook's Reply function or Reply to All function to reply to your response to my original message, Exchange will send my reply to your old GAL address and the message will bounce.

The only solution I know of is to delete the premigration address from the message thread, then retype the complete address. This action will cause the new GAL to properly identify and expand the address. As you noted, the problem doesn't occur with new messages because the GAL reference for new messages identifies recipients from the current GAL.

End of Article



Windows IT Pro Community
Blogs





Top Viewed ArticlesView all articles
10 Reasons to Deploy Windows Vista

The decision to upgrade your XP systems to Vista is simple when you consider features such as easier backup, a great desktop search, and vastly improved security options. ...

10 Reasons Not to Deploy Windows Vista

The decision to upgrade to Vista has to make business sense, but many companies find the costs in training and application compatibility problems outweigh any benefits Vista brings. ...

WinInfo Short Takes: CES 2009 Special Edition

An often irreverent look at some of the week's other CES 2009 news, including covering the Vegas spectacle from the comfort of my own home, Windows 7 public beta, a weird Microsoft song application, Palm Pre, pending Microsoft mobile moves, and much more ...


Exchange Server and Outlook Whitepapers Protecting (You and) Your Data with Exchange Server 2007

StoreVault SnapManagers for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server

Related Events Virtualization Forum: Optimizing Storage, Networks, Desktops, and Security

Cloud Computing Forum: Integrating Software, Server and Storage as a Service into Your Enterprise IT Delivery Model

Virtualization Forum: Optimizing Storage, Networks, Desktops, and Security

Check out our list of Free Email Newsletters!

Exchange Server and Outlook eBooks Spam Fighting and Email Security for the 21st Century

Understanding and Leveraging Code Signing Technologies

The Expert's Guide for Exchange 2003: Preparing for, Moving to, and Supporting Exchange Server 2003

Related Exchange Server and Outlook Resources Become a VIP member of the Windows IT Pro community!
Get it all with the VIP CD and VIP access. A $500+ value for only $279!

Subscribe to Windows IT Pro!
Solve your toughest technical problems with our experts and access 10,000 + articles online. 30% off

Monthly Online Pass - Only $5.95!
Get instant access to 10,000+ articles from Windows IT Pro Magazine!

TechNet Virtual Labs
Evaluate and test Microsoft's newest products.

Exchange & Outlook UPDATE eNewsletter
News, strategies, products, and developments in Exchange Server and Outlook messaging.

SQL Server Magazine Office & SharePoint Pro Windows Dev Pro ITTV
IT Library Technology Resource Directory Connected Home Windows SuperSite
 
 Windows IT Pro is a Division of Penton Media Inc.
 Copyright © 2009 Penton Media, Inc., All rights reserved. Terms and Use | Privacy Statement | Reprints and Licensing