XCON: X400 Address Replaces SMTP Address When Resending Message

ID: Q183270


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


SYMPTOMS

When a message is sent to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) recipient and is then sent back to the message originator non-delivered, an X.400 address of the message recipient may be displayed when attempting to resend the message.

An example would be when sending a message to user@domain.com from the Exchange client. The message goes to the Internet Mail Service connector and then is sent back because the domain, domain.com, was not found. When attempting to resend the message, the TO line will contain the following:


    c=us;a= ;p=Microsoft;o=Site;dda:SMTP=user@domain.com 
The message can be sent again, however, and will only be sent back if the same condition that prevented its original delivery persists.


CAUSE

This problem will occur when a message originates on an Exchange Server computer (XS1) that has an X.400 Connector or Site Connector to another Exchange Server computer (XS2) where the actual Internet Mail Service connector resides.

The message leaves XS1 and goes to XS2 to be placed in the outbound queue for the Internet Mail Service. As the message traverses the X.400 Connector or Site Connector, it is encapsulated in an X.400 address in order to be handled by the Exchange Server message transfer agent (MTA). After the message reaches the Internet Mail Service on XS2, the X.400 address is stripped down to just the basic SMTP address of user@domain.com.

When the message is undeliverable by the Internet Mail Service, it sends the message back to the originator (on XS2) by re-encapsulating the message to an X.400 address for both the originator and the recipient. The result is the X.400 address appears in the TO field when the client attempts to resend the message.


WORKAROUND

This problem is mostly cosmetic in nature. When the client sends a message to user@domain.com, after it leaves the Outbox, Exchange Server immediately encapsulates the raw SMTP address to the X.400 address.

When the client goes to resend the message with the encapsulated X.400 address, the message will still be sent back to the Internet Mail Service for processing because the X.400 address shows the proper route back to the Internet Mail Service.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Exchange Server 5.0 and 5.5.

Additional query words: imc ndr send again

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: April 2, 1999
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