MS EXCHANGE 2000 Server SMTP not functioning

[Andrea Cova]

Hello all,

here is my problem.
I have a MS Exchange Server on my LAN, connected to Internet through an ISA Server an ADSL connection.
From some days I can receive messages, but I can't send any.
If I check in Exchange SystemManager, I find all the SMTP queues with my messages being tried several times, until they reach the set limit (1 day), and the system notifies that it has failed the sending.

The Exchange Server is SP3, the ISA Server is SP2 and both the machine are Win2000Server SP4.
On both machines there is installed Symantec Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition v.8 and threaten lists are updated. On both machines there are no infections.

I've already tried the "IT Fundamental Rule" (reboot the machine) on both the Exchange Server and the ISA Server with no result.
I've tried to connect through TELNET to an external SMTP Server on Port 25, and I succeded to send an email: so connection through port 25 seems to work fine.
The DSN is working fine too, since I can browse in INternet with no problem.

I've also checked if my public IP Address (80.105.229.218) has been recorded in any blacklist, but I found it in only a couple and secondary of them, so I don't think this can be the reason of a total block of my messages.

I' don't know what to try else.
Has anyone some ideas, tips, suggestion?

Thanks a lot,
Andrea Cova
Anzani Trading Group.

[JohnWRuffo]

Andrea:

Make sure you have the servers DNS pointing to a known good address.

make sure you do not have Windows SMTP Services as well as Exchange running.

Make sure the password for all the Exchange Services are set current. The password in the services may be expired?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;328669&Product=ech

[Andrea Cova]

Hi John,

The Exchange Server points to the same DNS Server used by the PCs to access Internet: since the navigation works fine, I suppose that the DNS is OK.

The Exchange services are all running except from :
- Microsoft Exchange Event
- Microsoft Exchange Site Replication Service
But I don't think that these can be related to my problem.

What does it mean: "make sure you do not have Windows SMTP Services as well as Exchange running."?

Windows SMTP service is running. How was it supposted to send my messages if it doesn't run?

The link you gave me refers to Internet Mail Service, but I don't have it.

Any other idea?

Thanks,
Andrea

[Chris Ciapala]

IMHO go to server properties in Exchange Manager, then set logging of SMTP component to maximum. It will give you an idea what is really going on with SMTP. Also, exact NDR code could be helpful. And, check in queues why messages are getting stuck there.

HTH,
Chris

[Andrea Cova]

Hi Chris,

thank you for the reply.
I set the logging of SMTP but I really don't understand a lot from it (see attach).

Here after you can find the complete header of Delay notification received by postmaster (actually I've deleted every NDR...)

Microsoft Mail Internet Headers Version 2.0
From: postmaster@anzanigroup.com
To: andrea_cova@anzanigroup.com
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 11:13:59 +0200
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-status;
boundary="9B095B5ADSN=_01C47083B4D7C8E6000030C5srv03.ATG"
X-DSNContext: 7ce717b1 - 1407 - 00000004 - C00402D1
Message-ID:
Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Delay)

--9B095B5ADSN=_01C47083B4D7C8E6000030C5srv03.ATG
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unicode-1-1-utf-7

--9B095B5ADSN=_01C47083B4D7C8E6000030C5srv03.ATG
Content-Type: message/delivery-status

--9B095B5ADSN=_01C47083B4D7C8E6000030C5srv03.ATG
Content-Type: message/rfc822

Subject: R: ATGUNZIP: FILE REJECTED - ESPRINET
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 08:58:37 +0200
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-MS-Has-Attach:
X-MS-TNEF-Correlator:
content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Thread-Topic: ATGUNZIP: FILE REJECTED - ESPRINET
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.0.6249.0
Thread-Index: AcR6qSLUtFp9/as1TfWOKQO6eOXS2gADeVVgAABbDBA=
From: "Andrea Cova"
To: "Massimo Patrussi"
Cc: "Minolta" ,
,
"Maurizio Bertocchi" ,
"Marco Impagnatiello" ,
"Roberto Marturano"


--9B095B5ADSN=_01C47083B4D7C8E6000030C5srv03.ATG--



Finally, how was I supposed to check in SMTP queues why messages are stuck there?
I just see some messages, and for each one I cen see the number of failure and the current status (retry), but why the failed ??

Thanks,
Andrea

[Andrea Cova]

Hi Chris,

I've found out why messages are not flushed: on each queue I see:
"The connection was dropped by the remote host."

What does this mean?
Is it possible that all SMTP servers reject the connection to mine?

What do you think?

Thanks a lot,
Andrea

[Chris Ciapala]

Andrea,

SMTP service log will not tell you too much. Open Exchange Manager, navigate to your server, right-click it, then look at the "diagnostic logging" tab. In the left window highlight MSExchangeTransport, then in the right "SMTP Protocol", finally check "Maximum" at the botton. Then OK. Try to send few emails, to different domains will be best.

After enabling SMTP logging, you should see exactly in Windows Event Viewer why connections are dropped. Look at application event log and search for event from MSExchangeTransport source. Typical message could be:

This is an SMTP protocol error log for virtual server ID 1, connection #1320. The remote host "63.240.76.26", responded to the SMTP command "rcpt" with "551 not our customer ". The full command sent was "RCPT TO: ". This will probably cause the connection to fail.

In this particular case connection was dropped because there is no user named "gatewra@comcast.net".

Second:
I cant connect to the IP you provided with SMTP, and MX for anzanigroup.com is pointing to completely different IP.

Look at the logs and let me know.

Chris

[Andrea Cova]

Hi Chris,

here we are again.
I had already set SMTP log to maximum, but had no entries in EventViewer.
Now I've tried to also set to maximum Routing Engine and Connection Manager, and I got somenthing.
Sending a msg to Yahoo.com, Routing Engine gives this info:

SMTP GetNextHop returned hr=0x0 in 15ms.
DestAddr=, Type=
MsgType=0x22, NextHopType=OTHER_ROUTING_GROUP
Type=, Class=<*>, SchedId=0x0
RouteAddr=
Connector=<94d2148a-4367-4571-9305-7b7654bc3b8a>

After a while, Connection Manager records this warning (Event ID: 4000):

Message delivery to the remote domain 'yahoo.com' failed for the following reason: The connection was dropped by the remote host.

Exactly the same when sending to hotmail.com or tiscali.it...
So, nothing new except for the fact that now I'm sure that SMTP connection can't be estabilished at all...
But why?

For what concerns my IP:
80.105.229.218 is the public IP fo my ISA Server, while mx record points to the server of our domain host: Verio.
All mails addressed to anzanigroup.com are recived by this server and POP3 sw gets the email from that mailbox and routes them to my Exchange Server.
Finally, in oubound, Exchange uses the DNS Server of my ISP (Telecom Italia): 194.243.154.62

Anyway, do you have suggestions about the reason why all remote hosts reject my SMTP connections?

Thanks a lot,
Andrea

[Chris Ciapala]

Andrea,
The only thing which I can suspect now is:

Your IP resolves to host218-229.pool80105.interbusiness.it but you're sending mail as xxxxxxxx@anzanigroup.com what may confuse target server (especially antispam software) and may be seen as forgery, thus your connection could be dropped. I don't know why you don't have exact track and exact error. Maybe you should try to send email manually, I mean, connect with telnet on port 25 to mail-mx-3.tiscali.it. Follow standard SMTP commands to send mail, you may look for example at http://www.yuki-onna.co.uk/email/smtp.html

And, once again, please check carefully your Event Log for events with error status from SMTP Protocol. Also, ISA logs could be useful. I'm not sure how your ISA is configured, maybe problem is there.

Looking forword to hear from you.
Chris

[Edgar Zapata]

We have experienced this problem in the past.
try resetting the SMTP service from here:
start System Manager, open up Administrative Groups, open up administrative group the server is in, open up the server, open up protocols, click on SMTP, right clic on default SMTP virtual server. stop and start.
hope it helps.

Although it may seem useless, try sending an e-mail to echo@rediris.es
this will send you an e-mail back. and may report some useful info.