MSExchange.org Monthly Newsletter of April 2011 Sponsored by: C2C Systems

Welcome to the MSExchange.org newsletter by Henrik Walther, Exchange MVP, MCA: Messaging (Exchange Ranger) Apprentice, MCTS Windows Server 2008, MCITP Exchange 2007, MCSE 2003 Messaging/Security. Each month we will bring you interesting and helpful information on Exchange Server. We want to know what all *you* are interested in hearing about. Please send your suggestions for future newsletter content to: henrik@msexchange.org

1. Exchange Schema - Common Questions and Answers

Welcome to the April 2011 edition of the MSE Newsletter! This month, I wanted to share the answers to some of the Exchange schema specific questions I have received from customers and the folks in the Exchange communities for the last few years.

Without further ado, here they come:

Do you have a list of the miscellaneous Exchange Schema Versions that exist?

When preparing an Active Directory forest for the deployment of Exchange Server, one of the steps is to extend the Active Directory schema with new Exchange specific attributes and make modifications to existing schema classes and attributes.

Depending on the Exchange Server version (or Exchange service pack) used, the Active directory schema is extended with a different set of schema classes and attributes. The following table lists the Exchange schema version for each Exchange Server version and Exchange service pack released since Exchange 2003 RTM.

What Changes are made to the Active Directory Schema when installing Exchange 2003, Exchange 2007 or Exchange 2010?

Each Exchange Server version adds a significant amount of Exchange specific attributes and makes modifications to existing schema classes and attributes. For detailed information about the specific changes for Exchange 2003, Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010, see the Exchange Server Active Directory Schema Changes Reference document.

How can I check the Exchange Schema Version in an Active Directory forest that holds an Exchange Organization?

After having installed a new Exchange Server version or Exchange service pack, it's considered a best practice to verify that the Exchange Schema version has been updated properly. This can be done by checking the value of the "rangeUpper" attribute found on the property page of the "ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt" schema attribute.

To lookup the value of the "rangeUpper" attribute, you can use a tool such as ADSI Edit, LDP.exe or DSQuery.

In order to lookup the "rangeUpper" value using ADSIEdit, log on to a Domain Controller in your Active Directory Forest and then click Start > Run and type "ADSIEdit.msc". In the ADSI Edit console right-click on ADSI Edit in the navigation pane, then select "Connect to" in the context menu.
 

In the Connection Settings box, select Schema in the "Select a well known Naming Context" drop-down menu followed by clicking "OK".

Now extend the schema node and then select "CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com". Then drill down and open the property page for the "CN=ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt" schema attribute.

On the property page, find the "rangeUpper" attribute and match the value with the table listed in the beginning of this article.

Can I upgrade the Schema in an Active Directory that has Exchange 2007 SP3 Deployed to Exchange 2010 RTM?

This not supported. In fact it's not possible since the schema included with Exchange 2007 SP3 are newer than the one included with Exchange 2010 RTM. If you try to run "Setup /PrepareSchema" using the Exchange 2010 RTM bits in an Active Directory forest extended using Exchange 2007 SP3, the organization check will fail with the following error message:

Setup encountered a problem while validating the state of Active Directory: The Active Directory schema version (14625) is higher than Setup's version (14622). Therefore, PrepareSchema can't be executed.

 
Exchange 2010 SP1 or later should be used to upgrade the schema.

Is it possible to extend the schema in an Active Directory Forest with Exchange 2007 SP1/SP2 with Exchange 2010 SP1 prior to upgrading to Exchange 2007 SP3?

Yes this is possible and a supported scenario as long as you only extend the Active Directory schema using "Setup /PrepareSchema" and do not prepare the Active Directory with "Setup /PrepareAD".

Extending the Active Directory schema in a large organization is usually not an easy task. Because of this, large organizations would prefer to carry out as few Active Directory schema extensions as possible. If Exchange 2007 SP1 or Exchange 2007 SP2 is currently deployed in a large organization and the organization is planning to upgrade to Exchange 2007 SP2 or Exchange 2007 SP3, the organization could extend the schema using Exchange 2010 SP1 followed by preparing the Active Directory and domain(s) using Exchange 2007 SP2 or Exchange 2007 SP3 and then upgrading the Exchange 2007 servers to Exchange 2007 SP2 or Exchange 2007 SP3.

When the day comes where the organization is upgrading to Exchange 2010 SP1, the Active Directory schema wouldn't need to be extended prior to preparing the Active Directory and domain(s) for Exchange 2010 SP1.

I've also created a dedicated TechNet Wiki page that includes common Exchange schema questions and answers. The plan is to have it updated as Exchange evolves. You can find it here.

Until later,
Henrik Walther
Technology Architect/Writer/Vendor
MCM: Exchange 2007 | MVP: Exchange Architecture

Note:
Should you have any ideas for content in future editions of the MSExchange.org newsletter, you are more than welcome to shoot me an e-mail at Henrik@msexchange.org

2. Order Henrik Walther's Exchange Server 2007 book

3. MSExchange.org Learning Zone Articles of Interest

We have a great group of articles in the Learning Zone that will help you get a handle on your most difficult configuration issues. Here are just a few of the newer and more interesting articles:     

• Video: Troubleshooting SMTP
• Exchange 2010 Hosting - Real World Consideration (Part 1)
• Managing Certificates in Exchange Server 2010 (Part 1)
• Rights Management Server and Exchange 2010 (Part 7)
• Planning, Deploying, and Testing an Exchange 2010 Site-Resilient Solution sized for a Medium Organization (Part 8)
• Using Header Rewriting with Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1
• Video: Publishing Outlook Anywhere using TMG 2010
  

4. KB Articles of the Month

Below you find the Exchange 2003, 2007, and 2010 related KB articles that were published since the last MSE newsletter.

Exchange Server 2010

• Outlook: Troubleshooting guide for missing, duplicated or unsynchronized calendar items
• Folders take a long time to update when an Exchange Server 2010 user uses Outlook 2003 in oline mode
• Entries are absent from the junk email lists of a mailbox because Exchange Server 2010 SP1 no longer allows accepted domains to be configured in junk email lists
• A request to join a distribution group does not contain the distribution group name in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• A content search fails in an IMAP client application that connects to an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox
• You receive misleading information when you run the "New-TestCasConnectivityUser.ps1" script on an Exchange Server 2010 server
• You need to recover items deleted from Outlook
• Using Pipelining in SMTP to check email addresses does not function correctly when you disable the tarpitting functionality on a Receive connector in an Exchange Server 2010 environment 
• The recipient response status is incorrect after you add another user to an occurrence of a meeting request in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• The Microsoft Exchange Service Host service on an Exchange Server 2010 server crashes
• You cannot remove a mailbox database copy from a database on an Exchange Server 2010 server
• A public folder disappears from the Public Folder Favorites list of an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox
• You cannot view the mailbox database copies that are hosted on certain Mailbox servers by using the Exchange Management Console after you install Exchange Server 2010 SP1
• Event ID 4999 is logged when the Exchange Mail Submission Service crashes intermittently on an Exchange Server 2010 Mailbox server
• Event ID 10003 and Event ID 4999 are logged when the EdgeTransport.exe process on an Exchange Server 2010 server crashes
• 7BIT is not in quotation marks when you use the "FETCH (BODYSTRUCTURE)" command to request for a specific message in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• You receive a synchronization failed email message when you synchronize your mobile device by using ActiveSync on an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox
• A memory leak occurs in the Exchange RPC Client Access service on Exchange Server 2010 servers
• "HTTP Error 400 Bad Request" error message when you use OWA in Exchange Server 2010 SP1 to receive instant messages by using Internet Explorer 9
• You cannot install an update rollup for Exchange Server 2010 with a deployed GPO that defines a PowerShell execution policy for the server to be updated
• You cannot change the password of a UPN formatted user name in OWA when you enable Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Password Reset Tool
• The Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication Service service crashes when you run the "New-MailboxImportRequest" cmdlet to import a .pst file into a mailbox in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• Performance in Outlook or in OWA decreases when you use IMAP4 to access the calendar folder in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• OWA 2010 removes Calendar links that you add into multiple calendar groups by using Outlook 2010 calendar
• A forwarding rule does not function and the EdgeTransport.exe process crashes on an Exchange Server 2010 server
• You cannot read an email message by using an IMAP client in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• The "Get-FederationInformation" command cannot query federation information from an external Exchange organization in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• The body of an email message is empty when you try to use an IMAP client application to read it in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• Certain email messages cannot be downloaded when you log on to an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox by using an IMAP4 client application
• A meeting request cannot be opened after you disable the "Display sender's name on messages" option in the EMC on an Exchange Server 2010 server
• "The Mailbox you are trying to access isn't currently available" error when you use OWA Premium to try to delete an item that is in a shared mailbox
• The Store.exe process crashes when you try to unmount an active copy of a mailbox database that is hosted by a mailbox server in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• A call is disconnected when transferring the call from the main auto attendant to an auto attendant that has a different language configured in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• Description of Update Rollup 3 for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1
• Exchange 2010 Outlook Web App (OWA) clients are not able to view Public Folders that reside on an Exchange 2003 server
• Outlook Web Access: Service always defaults to the Lite version

Exchange Server 2007 

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2222377/en-us?sd=rss&spid=10926
• "550 5.1.3" NDR message when an Exchange Server 2007 user sends an email message to a recipient
• You need to recover items deleted from Outlook
• You receive a read receipt that contains incorrect time information from Exchange 2007
• Error -4001 during Transaction Log Replay on CCR or Database Recovery on Stand Alone server when Exchange 2007 SP3 RU3 v.08.03.159.000 is installed
• VSS backup fails on a passive node of an Exchange Server 2007 CCR cluster and Event ID 2034 is logged
• The W3WP.exe process may crash when a WebDAV client connects to an Exchange Server 2007 server
• The MsExchangeTransport service stops when the Hub server occasionally stops handling the mail flow in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• The Microsoft.Exchange.Search.ExSearch.exe process consumes 100% CPU after you apply Update Rollup 1 or Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 SP3 on the passive node of a SCC
• The "ScheduleOnlyDuringWorkHours" property of a resource mailbox may not function as expected in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• The "Require SSL" setting is unexpectedly unselected on the RPC virtual directory on an Exchange Server 2007 server
• Some body parts of a message are displayed as attachments when an Exchange Server 2007 user sends the message by using a third-party mail client
• Fax communication sessions are dropped by an Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging server
• Event ID 1160 is logged and the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service randomly stops responding on an Exchange Server 2007 server
• Duplicate read receipts are sent when you use a POP3 client or an IMAP4 client in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• DTMF inputs are not accepted by a UM auto attendant while the greeting message is playing in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• Description of Update Rollup 3 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3
• An item is removed unexpectedly from a public folder in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• A meeting response status from an external attendee may be incorrect if you send the meeting request from an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• A meeting request may not open correctly after you disable the "Display sender's name on messages" option in the EMC of Exchange Server 2007 SP2 or SP3
• A calendar synchronization times out when you use ActiveSync to synchronize with an Exchange Server 2007 mailbox on a mobile device
• "Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service" error message when you try to extend database files in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• "Computer account for 'SMTPSVC/' not found in Active Directory." error message in an Exchange Server 2007 environment
• "554 5.6.0" NDR message when you send an email message to an Exchange Server 2007 mailbox from a Macintosh computer
• Outlook Web Access: Service always defaults to the Lite version

5. MSExchange.org News of the Month

• IT Showcase On: Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Deployment Paper Published
• Exchange Schema Versions - Common Questions & Answers
• KEMP Announces the First Server Load Balancing Appliance, Specifically Designed for Microsoft Exchange 2010
• IORepl and Exchange 2010 SP1
• Exchange 2007/2010 Autodiscover Virtual Directory URLs - Should I care?
  

6. Ask Henrik Walther a question

QUESTION:

Can I install Exchange 2003 in an Active Directory forest that had the schema extended using Exchange 2010?

ANSWER:

When preparing a forest for Exchange the first step is to extend the schema with Exchange specific classes and attributes. When doing so the value of the "rangeUpper" attribute is set. For additional information click here.

If you try to prepare a forest with an Exchange schema older than the one that has been used to prepare a forest, setup will fail. For additional information click here.

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