How to Configure Application Server Relay trough Exchange 2007 HTS Server.

You have application server and you wish to let this server relay mails  trough your exchange 2007 server. I will show you how to set this up on exchange server and how to troubleshoot to make sure it is working or now.

• Exc07.smtp25.org=10.10.10.7 ( exchange HTS server)
• App01.smtp25.org=10.10.10.131 ( Some application server needs mail relay)

open EMC, drill down under Server Configuration, click on Hub Transport configuration

• We will work on the right pane under “receive Connectors”
• The receive connector installed on HTS server and it is
• logical gateway through which all messages are received.

• Or think it is as  “receive connectors as protocol listeners” similar to  Exchange 03 is an SMTP Virtual Server.

• Now lets create one “receive connector” and specify who can relay trough and sent messages out from this connector

On the Receive connectors , make a right click and select

• New Receive Connector

• Give it a name
• Internal_Relay ( I used this one)
• Custom ( Click Drop Down and select intended use)
• Click next

• Local Network Settings
• Specify the FQDN for the connector

Now we need to specify the application relay server IP address here.

• First remove the default

• Include the IP Address of relaying server
• In my scenario this is going to be 10.10.10.131
• Click next
• Click new

• and finish

• Now I have the connector in the Receive connector list

Now log into application server and open CMD

• Telnet mail2 25 ( hit enter)
• Helo ( hit enter)
• mail from:report@telnet25.org ( Change this to accommodate your environment), Most likely this will be the e-mail address application will try to sent mail out to the exchange server
• I receive “ 530 5.7.1 Client was not authenticated”

• we have still have problems and do little more work to get this going
• Go back to connector , click on Permissions group, select
• Anonymous users

Go back to relaying server we will perform the basic SMTP test from CMD one more time

• telnet mail2 25
• helo
• mail from:Report@Telnet25.org
• rcpt to:Report@Telnet25.org
• Data ( hit enter)
• Subject: Testing Mail Relay ( Hit enter)
• Testing Mail Relay ( this is Body)
• press dot + Enter + dot on the keyboard

• now we got 250
• open the mailbox for report@telnet25.org to verify the e-mail in the destination mailbox

Oz Casey Dedeal

MVP (Exchange)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +

Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.spaces.live.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.worldpress.com (Blog)

Meta Data Clean UP Step By Step

Log into one of your Domain controllers and perform fallowing steps. Initially there process or overall understanding what is about to happen is explained in a simple way. You are logged into domain controller, by using NTDSUTIL you will go into .DIT database located on this domain controller and you will

• modify the .dit database
• remove all references in regards to failed DC
• when you exit the changes will be replicated to all other DC’s assuming your replication is working and other domain controllers will get rid of from all references to failed DC.

From command line.

1. Ntdsutil

2. metadata cleanup

3. Connections

4. Connect to Server ServerName

5. Q

6. Select operation target

7. List domains

8. List sites

9. Select domain number

10. Select site number

11. List servers in site

12. Select server number

13. Q

14. Remove selected server

15. Q

Great now you have accomplish basic clean up in the active directory database

Oz Casey Dedeal

MVP (Exchange)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +

Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.spaces.live.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.worldpress.com (Blog

What is “Clean meta data” in active Directory

Metadata cleanup is one of the most serious task for network administrators as well as moving and seizing FSMO roles.

Before we talk briefly about metadata process I want to make sure you do understand the ADDS database ( .DIT) and its partitions. The ADDS database consist of below partitions

• Domain
• Configuration
• Schema
• Application

Now think about multi master replication model and what that mean is to you. When first domain controller introduced into forest/Domain , you now have domain controller which is authentication server waiting to provide ADDS directory services to its configured clients. Perfect when second DC is introduced into existing forest/domain ( DCpromo) now , .dit database from DC1 is copied into DC2 and DC2 become domain controller, authentication server as well.

So far so good, the replication amount these two domain controller keep both .dit database consistent and in sync stage and this is why when information is changed on DC1 reflects information on DC2 if the KCC on both domain controllers are happily replication delta changes.

What happen to FSMO roles, they got stuck on the first DC in this example and we will leave them there. Imagine you decided to have more redundancy and installed third DC into your forest/domain called DC3. Same story goes by .dit database is now reside on DC3 and thus DC3 become healthy domain controller.

What other services domain controllers provide, DNS, DHCP, WINS, File, Print service etc you name it and all these familiar to you.

Now imagine one day DC2 dies, due to hardware crash. Bad things happens and when they happen you release you never had any backup for the DC2, did I make you smile (-:

Okay how much we have to worry about losing DC2, if we are speaking of multi-master replication, can we purchase a new server and run DCPromo on it and replicate the .DIT database and its contend from DC1 or DC2?

Answer is of course this is why you would never have to worry about too much, because Active directory is redundant so does .dit database and its important contend.

Now you ordered new server name it DC2 just like the old one and you will run DCpromo to copy the .dit database from either one of the alive domain controller. You got couple problems doing this and you need to make some clean up if you are going to use same name for the new DC as DC2.

Let's see why?

The simple answer will be, remember we talked about .DIT database and its partitions. In those partitions there are may references to each DC. simply failed DC2 still exist in the ADDS database even when it's no longer physically connected to the network.

Just because it is no longer turned on does mean the database thinks it exist. Therefore replication from alive domain controllers to failed DC will be in trying state and will fail all the times. In a way thinking about pollution in the database.

why we need to clean this information? I just mentioned replication is having hard time, they try to locate the fail DC and obvious they cannot contact to it since it is not physically on the network. Many other dependency take will fail and you will end up having polluted .dit database.

So how we are going to get the garbage out the database is right thinking and metadata cleanup will be the way to do it for failed DC scenario.

once you clean up every information for the failed DC2 from .dit database, you will be able to bring new server with same name if you wish back to business with simple DCpromo

Now you know what "Clean meta data" mean is.

Clean up server metadata

Oz Casey Dedeal

MVP (Exchange)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +

Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.spaces.live.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.worldpress.com (Blog)

!!! Exchange 2010 is the Best version of ALL !!!!

I start blogging a lot about 2010 so much to talk, all in once the best version of exchange in many aspects in my eyes. I am truly loving Exchange 2010 and can write one or more article per day , no joke, because Exchange 2010 has so much to talk about.

The changes in database tables, the new structure or DB, makes it more efficient ***Faster*** and goodbye SIS (- : ,goodbye SG (storage groups), another 70 percent reduction introduced in Exchange 2010,( maybe even more) on top of improvement have been introduced in exchange 2007, JBOD.

Finally off load the exchange off the SAN (huge savings to everyone) and first time in history fully redundant messaging experience with no third party or SAN solution right out the product itself.

The new power of Exchange start shining with DAG (data availability Group) will make your messaging environment fully redundant with two server, and fail over is handled by natively with the application. The user experience is blip most of the time.

Not to mention more is given with exchange, your compliant regulatory requirements, email archiving solution is also comes with the product. This is incredible value, better faster, and the most comprehensive version of messaging application with ***less*** complexity.

Well as I said so much to talk about 2010, I truly believe not upgrading to exchange 2010 will cause lost in revenue to the business and that is why exchange 2010 will be the best version and most powerful version ever in the MS messaging history.

I recommend download the public version and see the power with your own eyes, you will be amazed with all new futures and the power.

Download 2010 here

Oz Casey Dedeal

MVP (Exchange)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +

Http://smtp25.blogspot.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.spaces.live.com (Blog)

Https://telnet25.worldpress.com (Blog)