ozzy

We have an existing Exchange 5.5 system. One organisation, split into two sites. One server in each site, but installed in seperate NT4 domains - trust relationship in-place.

Before Xmas I upgraded one of the domains to Server 2003. I then installed a new Exchange 2003 server and created the ADC connection agreements to imported the Exchange site information into the new Active Directory. I've moved all mailboxes, public folders and connectors onto the new Exchange 2003 server and tested this works without the need for the old 5.5 server in this site.

Then I removed Exchange 5.5 from the old server and deleted the object from the 2nd site.

This all worked fine and the directory database was replicating between the remaining Exchange 5.5 server in our Head Office and the new server at this site.

Now the Head Office has migrated to a new 2003 domain and installed a new 2003 Exchange server. We have created a trust replationship between our domains (seperate forests) and configued DNS for the two offices.

The Head Office's existing 5.5 server knows about the existing 5.5 database and the new server as well as the remote site (using a Directory Replication connector). The new 2003 Exchange server knows about the old database and the new server, but nothing about the remote site.

My site (the remote one) knows about itself, but has outdated information about the Head Office site.

Question is this how does a Exchange 2003 site keep up-to-date with a remote site that is not in the same Forest/domain?

I assume that the new Head Office Exchange 2003 server knows nothing about our site because it exists in the old 5.5 database, but hasn't been added to the Active Directory via a ADC connection agreement. Correct?

Is the Site Replication Service acting as the Directory Replicator found in the old 5.5 system?

Stefan

ozzy

no IT bods who work for a living any ideas?

AudiMan

Ozzy,
Why seperate forests ? does this not confuse things. Couldn't you have one forest with either seperate domains or sites.
As for the problem in hand, it's almost certainly gonna be DNS (it nearly always is). Or something to do with AD and the trusts between forests and what gets passed over them.
Don't you just love Exchange ????

Ian..

ozzy

Hi,

The Boss wanted seperate Forests, since historically our offices have always been seperated. Go figure.

Looks like it maybe a security DLL issue with the old exchange box as it's failing to bind over RPC and that's one issue I've seen before.

Say you have two forests (and therefore two domains), with one organisation for Exchange 2003 (two sites). How does Exchange synch site information between them?

Stefan

AudiMan

Ozzy,
Still think two forests is bad idea (but probably too late to change now), but I'm sure this is gonna give you hassle as I'm not sure what gets passed over the forest trusts,
Syncing between Ex2003 sites I'm sure gets done with AD and global catalogue servers (which both your win2003 DC's should be by default as they are in seperate domains).
I did find this link www.uky.edu/IS/Exchange/Exc6step.doc which may offer some help,
Sorry if I'm not helping that much, but I'm still running EX 5.5 and don't know much about that, and have only just been on the win2003 course and havn't deployed as yet.

Ian..

AudiMan

These mention RPC call problems
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fservicedesks%2Fbin%2Fkbsearch .asp%3FArticle%3D323733
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fservicedesks%2Fbin%2Fkbsearch .asp%3FArticle%3D327004

ozzy

Sorry haven't replied earlier.

I had the security problem (1st article) when originally installing the 1st Ex2003 server. We made sure the 128-bit NT4 sp6a was installed on the head office 5.5 server before we did the 2nd install.

I discovered the 2nd article earlier today and applied the changes. Unfortunately it's still not working.

It would cause me some headaches if we were to merge the two forests, but I don't think it would be too big an issue on our site. Although we have over 100 users, it's pretty simple and the only complication would be file permissions (and even they aren't that complex).

If I get things working, I'll let you all know.

Cheers,
Stefan

ozzy

Finally got it working yesterday. Turns out that if you use extended characters in the password for the account used to connect from Ex2003 to Ex5.5, then it can cause a problem with the MTA making a connection. We happen to have @ and ! in the password.

So, used something simple, reset password in all the connectors and on the Administrative Group - bingo it works!

Just need to figure out how to get each of the sites into AD on each remote domain.

Stefan