PC DirSync: Address Deleted After Dir-Sync Import or Resync

• Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2

SYMPTOMS

With versions 3.0 and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, an external address that was defined on the local postoffice may be missing from the external postoffice address list (POL).

This problem may occur if the external address was defined on the local postoffice by using the External-Admin, List function in the Mail Administrator program (ADMIN.EXE). If the address does not exist on the directory synchronization server, the address will disappear only after you do one of the following:

• Run the Config, Dir-Sync, Requestor, Import command

  -or-

• Create a RESYNC.GLB file via IMPORT.EXE and copy this file to the requestor postoffice, followed by a complete directory synchronization (Dir-Sync) cycle.

CAUSE

The Mail Administrator program (ADMIN.EXE) Config, Dir-Sync, Requestor, Import command instructs the Dir-Sync server to send its own complete set of address lists to the requestor. This information is then used to build new address files containing only the address information that existed on the Dir-Sync server. Therefore, Dir-Sync will remove any addresses that were added to that external postoffice's or gateway's address list via the local administrator.

Creating the RESYNC.GLB file has the same result as using the Config, Dir-Sync, Requestor, Import command, except that the RESYNC.GLB file is copied manually to the requestor postoffice. The effect is the same; however, the address files are rebuilt from scratch, and the locally defined external addresses or gateway addresses are lost.

RESOLUTION

After the Dir-Sync cycle has completed, use ADMIN.EXE to add the missing address to the external address list or the gateway list of the requestor. Do this after you run each Config, Dir-Sync, Requestor, Import command and after each RESYNC.GLB file has been processed. To place this external address name into the Global Address List (GAL), REBUILD.EXE must be run after the name has been added to the external address list or the gateway list.

It may be advantageous to add the address to the directory synchronization server's external address list as well, to prevent this problem from occurring. However, the address will be propagated to all of the requestors whenever the Config, Dir-Sync, Requestor, Import command is run.