XFOR: Manual Dirsync with Exchange Server as Dirsync Server

ID: Q147464

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SUMMARY

This article demonstrates how to perform a manual directory synchronization (dirsync) between Microsoft PC Mail Postoffices and Exchange Server, using the Exchange Server computer as the dirsync server.

MORE INFORMATION

Preparations Before Manual Directory Synchronization

This section shows you how to prepare for manual directory synchronization; it is divided into the following three parts, which are expanded on below:

Import and Export the Postoffices.

For Exchange Server version 4.0, Enable Pause for the Exchange Directory Synchronization (Dirsync) in the Windows NT Server Registry.

NOTE: For Exchange Server version 5.0, Pause is already enabled by default, so you do not need to edit the registry. If you have upgraded from Exchange Server version 4.0, you need to Enable Pause for the Exchange Directory Synchronization in the Windows NT Server Registry.

Options to Assist You in Troubleshooting the Manual Directory Synchronization Process.

Import and Export the Postoffices

To ensure that the Microsoft PC Mail addresses are propagated to the Exchange Server computer that is the directory synchronization server and that the Exchange Server addresses are propagated to Microsoft Mail, import and export the directory synchronization addresses from each of the Microsoft PC Mail postoffices that participate in this manual directory synchronization before you begin this procedure.

Run the Microsoft Mail for PC Networks Administrator program (Admin.exe) click Config, click DirSync, click Requestor, and then click Export.

When you are prompted to Export Local Users and Groups, click Yes. On the same menu (click Config, click DirSync, and then click Requestor), click Import. Click Yes to confirm.

Enable Pause for the Exchange Directory Synchronization (DirSync) in the Windows NT Server Registry

NOTE: You do not need to add the PauseKicksDX registry entry to Exchange Server version 5.0 or later because this functionality is already included. If you have upgraded from Exchange Server version 4.0, you need to need to add the PauseKicksDX registry entry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and locate the following Registry subkey in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeDX

On the Edit menu, click Add Value.

Enter the following:

Value Name: PauseKicksDX
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

Click OK and quit the Registry Editor.

In Control Panel, double-click Services, and then stop and restart the Exchange Server Directory Synchronization service.

Options to Assist You in Troubleshooting the Manual Directory Synchronization Process

To configure options to troubleshoot the manual directory synchronization process using the Exchange Server Administrator program:

In the Container window, click the appropriate site's configuration, and then click the Connections container.

Click Exchange Dir-Sync Server, and then press ALT+ENTER to view the properties.

In the General page, click to select the Copy administrator on outgoing message check box.

In the General page, click to select the Forward incoming dir-sync messages to administrator check box. Click OK.

Double-click each Remote Dir-Sync Requestor (found as child folders to the Exchange Dir-Sync Server object) and in the General page, click Export on Next Cycle.

Double-click Microsoft Mail Connector.

In the Diagnostics Logging page, click MSExchangePCMTA and under Logging level, click Maximum.

Manual Directory Synchronization

NOTE: If you run Microsoft Mail executable files from an MS-DOS command prompt in Windows NT, use the forcedos command. For example (for T1):

forcedos reqmain -ddrive -t

Where drive is the drive letter that is connected to the Microsoft Mail database.

NOTE: You must run commands from the direcory where the execuatble is located or you receive the following error message:

FORCEDOS: Program file not found.

Usually, the Mailexe folder contains all of the Microsoft Mail executable files.

To configure manual directory synchronization:

(T1) In all of the Microsoft Mail postoffices that are involved in dirsync as requestors, type the following command in the Microsoft Mail directory:
reqmain -ddrive -t
Where drive is the drive letter that is connected to the Microsoft Mail database. This generates the outgoing dirsync mail messages and places them in the P1 directory.

Verify that the dirsync messages have been transferred to the Exchange Server computer that is the dirsync server. To do this:

View the following events (for each requestor) in the application event log of the Windows NT Event Viewer:

Event ID: 4395
Category: Moved Out
Description: Mail sent from \\requestor server\MAILDATA
FROM: requestor network/requestor PO/$SYSTEM
TO: DXA server organization/DXA server site/$SYSTEM

Event ID: 4355
Category: Received
Description: Mail received on \\DXA server\MAILDAT$
FROM: requestor network/requestor PO/$SYSTEM
TO: DXA server organization/DXA server site/$SYSTEM

Log on to the Exchange Client by using the DXA Administrator account (specified in the General page of the container for the Exchange Server computer that is the dirsync server) to verify that at least two messages have been received from each requestor's $SYSTEM.

One message is a status report with a Subject field that contains the following:

Status report from requestor network/requestor PO

The other message has a Subject field that contains the following:
ReqTx R=R# (was r#), S=S#, I=I#, ## sent
where:


        Message         Description
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
        ReqTx           Indicates this is the requestor update to
                        the dirsync server.
        R=R#            The current requestor sync number from
                        the Reqtrans.glb file.
        (was r#)        The old requestor sync number from the 
                        Reqconf.glb file.
        S=S#            The requestor server sync number from the
                        Reqconf.glb file.
        I=I#            The number of imports requested to date from
                        the Reqconf.glb file.        
        ## sent         The number of address updates contained in the
                        attachment.

NOTE

In the Container window, for the appropriate site, click the Configuration container, and then click the Connections container.

Double-click Microsoft Mail Connector, and then click the Connector MTA tab.

Click the appropriate Microsoft Mail Connector (PC) MTA service, and then click Configure.

In the Check for mail every __ minute box, type 1.

Stop and restart the service.

(T2) At the Exchange Server computer that is the dirsync server, in Control Panel, double-click Services, and then pause the Exchange Server Directory Synchronization service. The following error message is displayed:

Could not pause the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization service on \\server.

Error 2140: An internal Windows NT error occurred. Click OK.

This is a harmless error message. Ignore the error message and click OK.

Verify that the dirsync message has been transferred to the Microsoft Mail requestor postoffices.

View the following events (for each requestor) in the application event log of the Event Viewer:

Event ID: 4395
Category: Sent
Description: Mail sent from \\DXA server\MAILDAT$
FROM: DXA server organization/DXA server site/$SYSTEM
TO: requestor network/requestor PO/$SYSTEM

Event ID: 4355
Category: Moved In
Description: Mail received on \\requestor server\MAILDATA
FROM: DXA server organization/DXA server site/$SYSTEM
TO: requestor network/requestor PO/$SYSTEM

Log on to the Exchange Client by using the DXA Administrator account (specified in the General page of the container for the Exchange Server computer that is the dirsync server) to verify that the message has been distributed. This message appears in the Inbox and possesses the following attributes:
From: Microsoft Exchange DX
To: X.400 address of the $SYSTEM of the requestor
Subject: SrvTx R=R# S=S# (was s#), I=I# ## sent
The following table contains information about how to interpret this message:


      Message         Description
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      SrvTx           Indicates this is the server's update to the
                      requestor.
      R=R#            The requestor sync number that is sent from the
                      requestor. This is an acknowledgment of the
                      updates received by the server.
      S=S#            The new server sync number for the requestor.
      (was s#)        The old server sync number for the requestor.
      I=I#            The number of imports requested to date by the
                      requestor.
      ## sent         The number of updates sent back to the requestor.

(T3) On each Microsoft Mail postoffice that is involved in the dirsync as a requestor, type the following commands in the Microsoft Mail folder:
reqmain -ddrive -r

import -ddrive admin -ppassword -q -y

rebuild -ddrive -f
Where drive is the drive letter that is connected to the Microsoft Mail database.

Description of commands above:

The reqmain -r command receives the updates and moves them into the Srvtrans.glb file.

The import command takes the Srvtrans.glb file records and moves them to 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 switch causes the import command to use the Srvtrans.glb file for the update, and the -y switch causes the import command to run without user intervention to continue.

The rebuild -f command uses 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 switch informs the Rebuild utility to continue running without user intervention.

The manual dirsync process is finished.

For more information about Microsoft Mail for PC Networks directory synchronization, please refer to the Directory Synchronization (Dirsync) document. For additional information about how to obtain the dirsync document, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q96060 PC DirSync: Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)

For additional instructions on Exchange Server directory synchronization, please see Chapter 14 of the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator's Guide.

For additional information about how to perform manual directory synchronization between Microsoft PC Mail Postoffices and Exchange Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q148309 XFOR: Manual Dir-Sync with Exchange as Dir-Sync Requestor

Additional query words: faq

Keywords : kbusage XFOR exc4 exc5 exc55
Version : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo