XADM: Troubleshooting Setup Problems Joining an Existing Site

ID: Q159485

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5

SUMMARY

When running the Microsoft Exchange Server Setup program to join an existing Microsoft Exchange Site, the Setup process may fail. This article explains some troubleshooting steps when the two servers are communicating using the TCP/IP network protocol.

The following is a common error message during the replication phase of the Setup process:

A connection could not be made to the remote directory service, possibly due to a network failure. Be sure both directory services are running and that your network is available and running and then try again.

Microsoft Exchange Setup Error: c1030b11


MORE INFORMATION

During the replication phase of the Setup program, the protocols listed in the Server Binding Order are used to locate the existing Microsoft Exchange Server and complete replication.

By default, TCP/IP is the first protocol in the Server Binding Order.

TCP/IP resolves names in the following order:

  1. Using the local HOSTS file


  2. Using a DNS Server


  3. Looking at the NetBIOS Cache


  4. Using a WINS Server


  5. Broadcasting


  6. Looking at the local LMHOSTS file
The following instructions assume that you are running the Microsoft Exchange Setup program on Server A, trying to contact the computer running Microsoft Exchange Server, Server B.

To determine whether you are experiencing problems resolving the name of the computer running Microsoft Exchange Server:
  1. From Server A, ping Server B (use the server name and not an IP address).

    If the ping succeeds, note the IP address returned back and compare it to the actual IP address of Server B. This is important because you may have incorrect entries in the HOSTS/LMHOSTS file or a DNS may have incorrect information.

    If the Ping fails, you need to make sure that one of the above name resolution methods is capable of resolving the server name. The easiest way to get the installation complete would be to add entries for the other server in the local HOSTS file, on Server A and Server B.


  2. If the ping succeeds, then from Server B, ping Server A. If the ping succeeds, compare the IP address returned by the Ping program with the actual IP address of Server A. If this is not the same, it can cause the Microsoft Exchange Server Setup program to fail during the replication phase with the above error message.


If the name resolution seems to be working fine, but you are still experiencing problems joining a site:
  1. Verify that you are logged on to Windows NT on Server A as a Domain Administrator.


  2. Verify that the account logged on to Server A has the Permissions Admin privilege on the Organization, Site, and Configuration containers on the existing Exchange site. To do this, run Microsoft Exchange Administrator program against Server B and check the properties of the Organization, Site, and Configuration containers.


  3. Use the Rpingc32.exe and Rpings.exe programs to verify remote call procedure (RPC) connectivity between Server A and Server B.


  4. If RPING fails, use the Windows NT utility, Tracert.exe, to determine all the routers between Server A and Server B. Some routers may be configured to block access to certain ports. This will prevent access to the Microsoft Exchange directory on Server B.

    If you have routers configured to block access to ports above a certain number, you need to configure the Directory and Information Store on Server B to use predefined Ports and then configure the routers to allow access to these ports.


  5. Determine the network topology between the two servers in question. The communication between two FDDI rings through an Ethernet segment may fail when you use TCP/IP and any FDDI network interface card (NIC). This can be resolved by setting the MTU size on the Windows NT Server's to the Ethernet segment's MTU size.

    This situation can be detected by looking at a network trace of the communication between the two servers. If any server is sending out packets larger than the Ethernet segment's MTU size, communication between the two servers will fail.


Install the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program only from the Exchange Server Setup program. To do this,
  1. Run setup.exe, and click Accept on first dialog box.


  2. Click Custom install. Then, click to select only the Exchange Adminstrator program option. Make sure the other options are cleared.


  3. Choose the path you want. At this point, the Administrator program will be installed.


  4. Start the Administrator program, and click the server that you want to join the site.

    If the procedure doesn't work with with a DS_E_Communications_Problem, either name resolution or network problems are involved, such as locked ports, blackhole routers, packet loss, and so on. Use the following name resolution troubleshooting:


    • An error of DS_E_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_RIGHTS is a security problem. The account that is logged on does not have administrative rights at the site and configuration levels. Log back on with an account with correct rights.


    • If the administrator program can connect and fully administer the remote server, then there probably is a very unusual network problem involved, and a network trace is probably required to determine the problem.



REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q148732 XADM: Setting TCP/IP Port Numbers for Internet Firewalls

Additional query words: tshoot

Keywords : kbusage XADM
Version : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: October 4, 1999
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