Software

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Exchange 5.5 IMS routing problem

0 helpful
12 replies

by steve cody 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have 2 Servers with Exchange 5.5 (SP3). One is the primary mail server for our domain. I have some accounts on the primary server that have an alternate recipient. Those alternate recipients are set up as custom recipients to cause the mail to deliver to a subdomain for my company.

The mail should come into the primary server to those users and then be re-delivered right back out to the custom recipient. What's happening is they are coming to the primary server and then being sent to the other exchange server, through our WAN, and that server is actually delivering the message.

I have the primary server set up to send mail for this particular subdomain to a certain host. However, the mail is still delivered out through the other Exchange server.

I can find no place where I have told it to deliver mail through the secondary system.

Any ideas? This is bothering me because I want to control which system delivers the subdomain's email.

If you need more information, just ask. I REALLY want to fix this problem soon.

Steve Cody
MCSE, CCNA, A+

12 replies

by aliveinmi

With the second Mail Server on the WAN I wonder if the the User the mail is going to is also on the second network? If the user is on the second network, could the second exchange server also be the DNS, PDC/BDC for the second network? The user inquestion may be connected to the second Exchange Server. Check his mail program for the server connection. If I can be of more help please contact me.

by steve cody

I am posting a revised question with more information. Please see that one. Sorry to put all unacceptables. I will give more points for the revised question.

by steve cody

The users are not part of any local network that the exchange servers are on. Email comes into my mail server to their mailbox with an address of user@mydomain.com and is forwarded to a custom recipient with the address user@sub.mydomain.com. My primary exchange server is set to deliver mail for sub.mydomain.com using DNS. It is at this point that it sends it, for some reason, to another exchange server on my WAN and has it deliver the mail.

by kdrungilas

Have you verified the "Home Site" for your custom recipients is actually the primary server?
All Microsoft Exchange SMTP custom recipients are assigned a Home Site, and all mail sent to them must first travel to the home Site before it is sent out over the IMC. In fact, message tracking will show the mail addressed as 'exchangeuser@exchangeserver' while it is en route to the home Site. The Home Site is responsible for resolving the Microsoft Exchange mail type to an SMTP mail type. If your other exchange server is actually the home site, then the mail would have to go to the other server before being forwarded out to the sub domain.

by kdrungilas

You could test this during a maintenance window by stopping Exchange services on your other Exchange server and seeing whether or not the messages to your custom recipient make it out to them. If the home site for a custom recipient is down, the mail will not be resolved to an SMTP type.

by steve cody

I am posting a revised question with more information. Please see that one. Sorry to put all unacceptables. I will give more points for the revised question.

by gmscne

The problem may be with the accounts on the primary server which have alternate recipients. If you have a custom recipient, then you don't really need the account(s) on the primary server. The custom recipient is all you need. Having a mail address with an alternate recipient to a custom recipient can forward email without having the regular account on the primary server. You may want to associate the subdomain account's email address with the custom recipient to avoid havin email go the regular way through the Exchange server.

by steve cody

I am posting a revised question with more information. Please see that one. Sorry to put all unacceptables. I will give more points for the revised question.

by tony.colgrove

How are these Exchange Server connected? Are you using one organization, two sites, and a connector? Or do you have two organizations and using SMTP?? to send between the two?
Also what connectors are installed on both systems. It sounds like you have the IMS install on both, is this correct?
Please pass on this info and I can assist further.

by steve cody

I am posting a revised question with more information. Please see that one. Sorry to put all unacceptables. I will give more points for the revised question.

by steve cody

Answers to some questions and theories:

Each custom recipient was created on the primary server. They do not list a home server, only a home site. The Home "Server" for each user is also the primary server. Each user's NT account, for their real mailboxes is also created on the primary server. I have their mail forwarding to the Custom Recipient only.

I have one Exchange organization, and one Exchange site. The two servers are in this same site. Both have the IMS installed.

This discussion is closed to new replies.