Exch 2000 to Exch 2003 Migration - Strange SMTP Behavour

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NoSpam - 22 Feb 2005 04:16 GMT

I am part way through a migration from Exchange 2000/Windows 2000 (server A)
to Exchange 2003/Windows/2003 (server B) on new hardware.

When inbound SMTP arrives as Server A for a user whos mailbox in on Server
B, the message is delivered in a semi-timley manner.

When an inbound SMTP arrives as Server B for a user whos mailbox is on
Server A, the message is bounced back out to our ISP (who is configured as a
smart host). The ISP processes the mail, sends it back to Server A and it
eventually gets delivered.

Why does Server B simply not relay the message to server A instead of
sending it back out via our ISP?

Because Server A is a Production server, I can not change or MX record or
our firewall rules. I am generating the SMTP traffic directly from my PC
using a command line tool that I have. I have duplicated the procedure
EXACTLY changing only the IP address of the server that I am targetting and
still both servers behave in this oddly different manner.

The 2 virtual SMTP servers are configured as identically as possible. Both
refer to our ISP as a smart host.

Outbound SMTP from Server B seems to be just fine.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

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Leif Pedersen [MVP] - 23 Feb 2005 20:21 GMT

Hi,

I have heard of this when smarthost is configured on the SMTP virtuel server
instead of creating a SMTP connector and configure this with the smart host.

So I would try to create a SMTP connector on server A and configure this
connector to use your ISP as smarthost and address space of *

Leif

> I am part way through a migration from Exchange 2000/Windows 2000 (server A)
> to Exchange 2003/Windows/2003 (server B) on new hardware.
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

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NoSpam - 23 Feb 2005 22:09 GMT

Thanks Leif,

I have tried your suggestion, but can not find reference to smarthost in the
connector properties.

Should I perhaps create one connector with equal cost for each server
instead of having one connector for both servers? I currently have one
connector with 2 "local bridgeheads".

Regards,
Dean.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> >
> > Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

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Leif Pedersen [MVP] - 27 Feb 2005 15:56 GMT

Hi,

On the general tab of the SMTP connector you can select to forward all mails
through this connector.....

Leif

> Thanks Leif,
>
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
> > >
> > > Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

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