Exchange server fails to respond to clients!

[jcfrasco]

My problem started yesterday (8/11/03) with my Exchange server 5.5 runing on a Win2k server in a Win NT domain. No new programs have been installed that could have created the following problem. Exchange server no longer responds to Outlook clients. I can ping the server from the client computers so I now it's not wiring. All Exchange services show started. If I restart the services all but the Exchange Directory start and I get a message that it was unable to start the directory and the server's CPU usage goes to 100% and stays. At this point I am unable to open services or perform simple taks on the server because it is at 100% peformance. I can't even shut it down without doing a hard shut down. After I get the server back up, the Exchange server responds to the clients for a few minutes, if your quick you can open Outlook and see all the folders and e-mails, before it stops responding and any attempts to restart the services again will send the CPU to 100% usage. I tried to contact Microsoft and there seems to be some unusual activity because there phone lines are busy all the time. If anyone has any advice or recommendations - I would be extremely grateful.

Thanks for any assistance!

jcfrasco

 

[helrada]

NO KIDDING?!?!!? YOU TOO?!?!

I also had this wierd problem with a Windows 2000 server. All my Outlook 2002 clients cannot log on to the Microsoft Exchange. When I try to startup a MS Exchange service, it took heck of a time plus my CPU usage shoot up and subsequently the server slow to a crawl.

Y'know, there's been a recent spat of the W32.Blaster worm causing havoc, especially around my workplace. You think that's the problem??

If there's anyone out there that can help, that makes TWO grateful people.

 

[bschwarting]

What service pack are you all for Exchange 5.5?

 

[jcfrasco]

I fixed the problem I was having with Exchange. It was the Blaster worm because it affects RPC services and the "Exchange System Attendant", I was told, is an RPC service. So after I ran the Blaster patch and used the Blaster removal tool - my problems went away. I don't think the Service Pack on my server had anything to do with it but the Blaster Patch can't be run on anything less than SP 2 for a Win 2000 system. Hope this helps!

 

[helrada]

Ok,I'll go check it out on my server tommorow. I'll post something up if it solves the problem. Thanks, man.

 

[larsin]

We also were having the same problems. Our internal pc's could connect fine, but 2 external branch offices cannot that were on SWB DSL. We have learned, and SWB has admitted to closing port 135 in preparation for the MSBlaster hit on Microsoft. Basically they are telling us they will not fix it. We are looking into a workaround by assigning RPC to another port on the server and all clients.

Anyone try this?

 

[Steve Bowman]

ISP is blocking port tcp 135 (because of MSBlaster) port 135 is used during the sign on to exchange from Outlook

Steve Bowman
steve.bowman@ultraex.com

 

[dennisbbb]

We also have the same problem here. Thanks to the low number of external users, we simply convert these Outlook users to use POP3/SMTP and handed them an offline addressbook. Sure beats the 5 minute authentication process they had to experience every time they open Outlook.

 

[larsin]

We tried going to one branch office and configuring Pop3, but it still is not authenticating...

Any ideas?

 

[dragon285]

Yup its the TCP 135 port that is being blocked by ur ISP, if u cannot connect from an external point. I DO have a question for DENNISBBB, how do u make an offline address book available to theose external users, do u simply send them a pst file containing all of their contacts, and let them import it at home, or is there another way? PLEASE let me know. This is my first time here at TEK-TIP, and I was trying to send u a direct question, but I couldnt find a way. So I am posting it on this same thread. THANKS

THE DRAGON

 

[Steve Bowman]

if you use pop3 for exchange you need to use

DOMAIN/mailbox\username in the user prompt
with normal password for account

you need the "/" "\" like above

example:

MYCORPDOMAIN/mailboxalias\steveb

Steve Bowman
steve.bowman@ultraex.com

 

[dennisbbb]

Dragon285,

This is a tricky one. Here goes:

1) An internal user using Outlook will set up an LDAP addressbook and Personal Addressbook

2) Search in LDAP addressbook by inputting only A for all the A's, B for the B's.. 'till Z for the Z users. Each time, highlight the users and right click and select "Add to Personal Addressbook". You will find that all the addresses will now have SMTP addresses, instead of that \\corporate\yourcompany\=xxx garbage if you do it any other way, in the EMAIL box of the Personal Addressbook.

3) Make a copy of that Personal Addressbook on floppy and configure the External user's machine to point his Personal Addressbook to this file instead.

4)This is an extra step but if you want this Personal addressbook to go into the Outlook Contact addressbook, following from Step 3, you will simply go to File/import/Personal Addressbok. All the addresses will cleanly go into the "contact" folder of the user's pst file.
Now you can point his/her old Personal Addressbook back to his original.

Good luck.

 

[Paulwyw]

This forum is really the tops. 1st time I've used it and already its paying off.

Same problem here, but recommendation from ISP was to go to VPN for those remote users. Says then no problems. Is this true? I dont have enough experience with VPN to know.

Is it easy to change the RPC port that Exchange listens on? and how do I ensure that the remote client will sent its request on this port?

It looks as if using POP3/SMTP for transport may be a much easier solution. Thanks for the pointer

 

[dragon285]

Thanks dennisbbb, that will come in handy, another ? that I have and maybe u or steveb7 can answer, is how to set up the user to get into the exchange server with POP3. I tried it, it succeeds, I get a copy of all my emails but then it says that I am offline and that it cannot communicate with the server. Is there something that has to be enabled on the server, or do I have to make some changes when i am configuring the client in Outlook. Oh by the way, what do u put in the POP3 and SMTP field? Would it be "mail.domain.com" If u guys can help I would really appreciate it.

Thanks
The Dragon

 

[Steve Bowman]

the pop3 and smtp would be anything that would point to the public address of the exchange mail.domain.com 63.149.xxx.xxx look at the MX record for the domain and use the host name from the record. Outlook only works on a send and receive cycle or when requested from the menu. You can set the timeout that it will send/receive
Outlook Express Tools->Options->GeneralTab in the Send/Receive set "Send and Receive every X minutes"

Steve Bowman
steve.bowman@ultraex.com

 

[Debowne]

Any tips on how to set up the workaround of assigning RPC to another port on the server and to the clients?

-Matt