Overview
I recently came across the following issue while performing an Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2010 migration for a company that still heavily utilised mail-enabled public folders. The client’s Exchange environment was quite old and had been previously migrated from Exchange 5.5 to 2003 and hadn’t been properly decomissioned with the original move to 2007, but that’s another story!
Issue
The issue I had was that once I moved all receive connectors to the new Exchange 2010 server, emails sent to any of the mail-enabled public folders (which were still being replicated between the 2 servers) was being rejected with the following NDR:
#< #5.2.0 smtp;554 5.2.0 STOREDRV.Deliver.Exception:ObjectNotFoundException; Failed to process message due to a permanent exception with message The Active Directory user wasn’t found. ObjectNotFoundException: The Active Directory user wasn’t found.> #SMTP#
The following error was found in Event Viewer:
Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange Store Driver
Date: 7/09/2010 2:00:02 AM
Event ID: 1020
Task Category: MSExchangeStoreDriver
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: server@domain
Description:
The store driver couldn’t deliver the public folder replication message “Folder Content (PublicFolderDatabase@domain)” because the following error occurred: The Active Directory user wasn’t found.
Solution
Given this Exchange environment was originally running versions prior to Exchange 2007, the legacy Administrative Group and all its empty subcontainers still existed. An explanation from the Microsoft Exchange Team of why this issue occurs can be found here: http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2010/05/05/454821.aspx
The solution to this issue was to delete the empty Servers container from the legacy Administrative Group.
Using ADSIEdit.msc, connect to a domain controller and navigate to:
CN=Configuration , CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=[ExchangeOrganisationName], CN=Administrative Groups, CN=[LegacyAdministrativeGroupName], CN=Servers.
Right click the Servers container and select Delete
Click Yes
Mail should immediately starting flowing into your mail-enabled public folders.
UPDATE 25/10/2011
I recently ran into Public Folder replication issues at a client who had moved from Exchange 2003 -> Exchange 2010 that appear to have the same root cause as the above. Once all Exchange 2003 servers had been decommissioned, Public Folder replication failed to occur between any of the new Exchange 2010 servers (some of which were added after the decommissioning of Exchange 2003). Absolutely NO Public Folder errors were logged in the Event Logs of any of the servers whatsoever, even with all logging set to Expert level.
On a whim, I deleted the Servers container from the legacy Administrative Group. Public Folder replication started working immediately!
When Migrating Exchange 2007 to 2010 Public folders rule are lost « Next – Next – Next – Finished wrote:
[...] http://blog.samkendall.net/2010/09/07/exchange-2007-to-2010-migration-public-folder-issue-fix/ [...]
Link | March 3rd, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Great post – loving your work. Had exactly the same problem migrating from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010.
Link | March 22nd, 2011 at 6:27 pm
work like cheese cake…thank buddy for guiding.
Link | April 13th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Thanks, had the same issue 2003 – 2010 in SBS and was pulling my hair out. This fixed the problem straight away.
Cheers
Link | April 18th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Thanks, it worked!.
Link | April 20th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Spot on.
Many thanks
Link | May 9th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Thanks!!! worked like a charm!
Link | May 28th, 2011 at 4:19 am
Thanks for posting this article – worked a treat!
Link | June 28th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Thank you mate – worked a treat instantly, just like you said
Link | July 22nd, 2011 at 1:41 am
Thanks,
it’s works
Link | August 4th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
AWESOME!
Link | August 9th, 2011 at 4:16 am
This worked like a charm. You are awesome!!!
Regards,
Randy
Link | August 12th, 2011 at 3:04 am
EXCH - 2003 nach Migration auf 2010 aus AD entfernen - MCSEboard.de MCSE Forum wrote:
[...] [...]
Link | September 23rd, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Thanks, worked for me
Link | October 5th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Awesome! Thanks a lot!
Link | October 13th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
I migrated from SBS 2003 to SBS 2011 – Exchange 2003 -> 2010 and had the same trouble. Thank you for the fine example. It worked like a charm.
Link | October 30th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
thanks for the screenshot. this worked great for me.
Link | November 1st, 2011 at 8:43 am
SBS2003–>2011, worked! TY!
Link | November 8th, 2011 at 3:49 am
The above seemed to work great for my needs. We migrated from 2007 to 2010 and received that error when an automated process emailed from an external server. However, alone it did not address the issue–it fixed mail routing. Internally it was working fine after this fix–I tested w/ my own internal account. However, external emails would not come though until the Public Folder mail permissions were set where Anonymous had Contributor level (Create Items) enabled. Prior to that, Anonymous was set to None. So, I’ve learned that external emails in the 2010 arena come through as Anonymous. Mine was a combo permissions/routing problem. Thank you for the excellent tip!
Link | November 11th, 2011 at 5:46 am
Excellent. Works great.
Link | November 22nd, 2011 at 1:58 am
Works great, thx.
If you don’t see the “Configuration” top Level naming context, you can add it with right click “ADSI Edit” -> “Connect…” -> “Select a well known naming context” -> “Configuration”
Link | December 7th, 2011 at 4:11 am
I am still in the middle of a Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010 migration and am getting the above error. I cannot delete the ADSI entry since I still have Exchange 2003 servers but this is error is stopping my Public Folders from being replicated to Exchange 2010. Is there any fix that might help me?
Link | January 9th, 2012 at 2:22 pm