Manual directory synchronization with Exchange Server as directory synchronization requestor

MORE INFORMATION

I. Preparations before manual directory synchronization

You need to do the following:

• For Exchange Server 4.0, enable the Pause button for Exchange Server directory synchronization in the Windows NT Server Registry. For Exchange Server 5.0 and later, the Pause button is enabled by default and does not require editing the registry.
  
  
• Increase diagnostic logging to assist you in troubleshooting the manual dirsync process.

Configure Windows NT Server registry to enable the Pause button for the Exchange Directory Synchronization service

Note It is not necessary to add the PauseKicksDX registry entry to Exchange Server 5.0 or later as this functionality is already included.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

1. Run Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, locate the following subkey:

   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeDX

3. Click Edit.
4. Click Add Value.
5. In the Value name box, type PauseKicksDX.
6. In the Data type box, click REG_DWORD.
7. Click OK.
8. In the DWORD editor box, type: 1.
9. Click OK.
10. In Control Panel, double-click Services to stop and restart the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service in order for the service to recognize this value.

Increase diagnostic logging to assist you in troubleshooting the manual directory synchronization process

1. Start the Exchange Server Administrator program for Exchange Server or Exchange System Manager for Exchange 2000.
2. In the Container window, select the appropriate site Configuration and Connections container:
   1. Double-click the Microsoft Mail Connector.
   2. Click the Diagnostics Logging tab, click MSExchangePCMTA, and then set the Logging level to Maximum.

II. How to perform a manual directory synchronization

Note If the Microsoft Mail executables are run from a command prompt under Microsoft Windows NT, preface the commands with FORCEDOS. For example, the first command run for T1 would be: where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.

Note Commands must be run from the folder where the executable is located, or you receive the following error message: Most commonly, the Mailexe directory contains all the Microsoft Mail executable files.

1. (T1) On every Microsoft Mail Postoffice involved in dirsync as a requestor, including the postoffice defined as the dirsync server, type the following command from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

   reqmain -d<drive> -t
   

   where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.
   
   This generates the outgoing dirsync mail messages and places them in the P1 directory.
   
   
2. (T1) On every Exchange Server involved in dirsync as a requestor, in Control Panel, double-click Services, and then pause the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service. After you click Pause, you will receive the following error message, which you can ignore:
   Could not pause the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service on \\<server>. Error 2140: An internal Windows NT error occurred. Click on OK.
   The dirsync messages are delivered by the Microsoft Mail Connector to the Microsoft Mail dirsync server and queued in the System.mbg queue to await T2 events.
3. Using the Event Viewer Application log, verify that the dirsync message has been transferred to the Microsoft Mail dirsync server. You should see the following two entries:

         * Event ID: 4395
            Category: Sent
            Description: Mail sent from \\<Requestor Server>\MAILDAT$
                  FROM:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
                  TO:    <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
   
         * Event ID: 4355
            Category: Moved In
            Description: Mail received on \\<Dirsync Server>\MAILDATA
                  FROM:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
                  TO:    <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
   							

   Note In Exchange 2000, the event ID 4355 and 4395 message From address has changed to "DXA" instead of "SYSTEM1."
   
   Note You can modify the polling frequency to check for mail every minute to ensure that mail is transferred quickly. To change the polling frequency, in the Exchange Administrator program for Exchange Server or the Exchange System Manager for Exchange 2000:
   1. In the Container window, click the appropriate site's Configuration and Connections container.
   2. Open the Microsoft Mail Connector, and then click the Connector MTAs property page.
   3. Click the appropriate Microsoft Mail Connector (PC) MTA Service, and then click Configure.
   4. Change the value of the Check for mail every __ minute option to 1.
   5. Be sure to stop and start the service for the change to take affect.
4. (T2) On the Microsoft Mail dirsync server, type the following commands from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

   srvmain -r -d<drive>
   srvmain -t -d<drive>
   

   where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database.
   
   The srvmain -r command receives and places updates in the Msttrans.glb file. The srvmain -t command reads the Srvconf.glb file, determines which updates need to be sent to each requestor, reads the Msttrans.glb file to create the updates, generates a mail message back to each requestor that sent a request to the server, and then places the outgoing mail in the P1 folder.
5. Using the Event Viewer Application log, verify that the dirsync message has been transferred to the Exchange Requestor. You should see the following two entries:

         * Event ID: 4395
            Category: Moved Out
            Description: Mail sent from \\<Dirsync Server Server>\MAILDATA
                  FROM: <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
                  TO:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
   
         * Event ID: 4355
            Category: Received
            Description: Mail received on \\<Requestor Server>\MAILDAT$
                  FROM: <Dirsync Server Network>/<Dirsync Server PO>/$SYSTEM
                  TO:  <DXA Requestor Organization>/<DXA Requestor Site>/SYSTEM1
   						

   Note In Exchange 2000, the event ID 4355 and 4395 message From address has changed to "DXA" instead of "SYSTEM1."
   
   
6. (T3) On every Exchange Server involved in dirsync as a requestor, the DXA Requestor dynamically applies the changes as soon as they arrive. The DXA Requestor does not need to be configured with a scheduled T3 time.
7. (T3) On every Microsoft Mail postoffice involved in dirsync as a requestor, type the following commands from the Microsoft Mail executables directory:

   reqmain -d<drive> -r
   import -d<drive> admin -p<password> -q -y
   rebuild -d<drive> -f
   

   where <drive> refers to the drive letter connected to the mail database. The reqmain -r command receives the updates and moves them into the Srvtrans.glb file. The import command takes the Srvtrans.glb records and moves them into the temporary transaction files depending on what types of addresses they contain. Then the Import command moves the names into the .usr and .nme files. The -Q option tells Import to use the Srvtrans.glb file for the update, and the -Y option tells Import to run without asking for permission to continue. The rebuild -F command takes the network names, the .nme files, and the .usr files to build the global address list and the global address list index file. The -F option is the same as the -Y option for import.

This concludes the manual dirsync process.