XADM: Installing Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent MIXER

ID: Q238506

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, version 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 explains how to install the Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent (MTA) MIME Internet X.400 Enhanced Relay (MIXER).


MORE INFORMATION

Best Practices for Implementing the X.400/SMTP Address Mixer Server As a Gateway

  • There should only be two points of entry into the MIXER server: one Internet Mail Service, and one X.400 connector. If you need to route out to another X.400 address space (that is, use additional X.400 connectors), this should be done downstream of the MIXER-enabled server.


  • Do not deploy MIXER on a distribution list (DL) expansion server because of possible performance issues involved in running the MIXER functionality.


  • Do not deploy MIXER on a message journaling server because of the specific configurations and message flow routes when message journaling is enabled.


Pre-Installation Tasks

  1. Decide on your mapping scheme. The MIXER functionality is only invoked if an address to be mapped cannot be found in the global address list already. For these addresses, decide if an algorithmic mapping will suffice, or list the specific mappings that need to be added to the Mcgam file. NOTE: Algorithmic mappings will, for example, map "microsoft.com" to c=com; a=microsoft, which is invalid because a country cannot have three alphabetic characters. In practice, a mapping for .com must be placed in the Mcgam file.


  2. If you want algorithmic mapping, set the following registry entry in the MTA Parameters key:


    3. Value: Strict MIXER Conformance
    Type: REG_DWORD
    Data: 1
    NOTE: The setting above may be appropriate if, for example, you have complete control over which domains will be mapped, and you know that they will map automatically to valid X.400 addresses, or if you know that the messages may return to the Internet over another MIXER MTA/Internet Mail Service and the reverse algorithmic mapping will restore the original SMTP address.

    If you want any non-Mcgam addresses to be mapped to the site X.400 Address and Domain Defined Attribute (DDA) RFC-822, omit the registry entry or set it to 0.

  3. Create the Mcgam.in.txt file. This file contains the mappings that are used by the MIXER MTA. In a production environment, install MIXER on all MTAs in the organization that have a local Internet Mail Service. This is to maintain consistency as the MIXER MTA and older MTAs use different encapsulation DDAs, and it is better not to mix them (that is, a non-MIXER MTA does not recognize an RFC-822 DDA.)


Installation

Install Service Pack 3 for Exchange Server 5.5, and carry out the following tasks before restarting the Exchange Server services.
  1. Create the Exchsrvr\Mtadata\Mcgam.in.txt file.

    NOTE: This is required to activate the MIXER code. If you only require algorithmic mapping, create an empty file. (This path assumes Mtadata is the MTA run directory.) Create a Local.in.txt file, if required.


    2. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q241037 XADM: Local.in.txt Is Needed When Using Mixer
  2. Add a new registry value to the MSExchangeIMC parameters:


    3. Value: AddressingNeverFails
    Type: REG_DWORD
    Data: 1
    NOTE: This is required because the Internet Mail Service normally only passes messages to the MTA if it can resolve the recipients against the global address list. In the MIXER case, there is no global address list entry and you want the MTA to map the address, so this registry entry overrides the check the Internet Mail Service makes.

  3. If you want MIXER algorithmic mapping for addresses not defined in the Mcgam file, add the MTA parameter:


    4. Value: Strict MIXER Conformance
    Type: REG_DWORD
    Data: 1
  4. In the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program, click the Routing tab of the IMS Properties page. Add all of the domains for which MIXER will map the addresses (for example, microsoft.com), and set them as Route to inbound.


  5. Start the Exchange Server services.


Post-Installation

Examine the application event log and look for an ExchangeMTA Informational Event 260. This says that the Mcgam mappings have been written to the Mtadata\Mappings.out.txt file. Examine this file, and ensure the mappings are correct. If the MTA detects an error in the Mcgam.in.txt, it logs a 232 or a 233 event, and the Mappings.out.txt file will contain only “Revert to old tables.” This means that the MIXER is not active.

In this case, correct the error in the Mcgam.in.txt file, and add the following MTA parameter in the following registry location:
Value: Reload MIXER Tables
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: any number
NOTE: Whenever this value is changed, the MTA immediately recalculates its mapping table and then checks for a correct Mappings.out.txt file. You may wish to create this entry initially, and assign it a value of 0. Then, whenever you make a change to the Local.in.txt file or Mcgam.in.txt file while the MTA is running, incrementing the value will cause the MTA to immediately recalculate its mapping table and create a new Mappings.out.txt file.

Additional query words:

Keywords : exc55
Version : winnt:5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: October 7, 1999
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