Major Problem with exchange SMTP - URGENT

[neilparkes]

Our SBS 2000 machine has a major problem with exchange. It is configured for POP3 mail retrieval every 15 minutes.

Periodically the server stops receiveing mail. The mail is collected from the ISP but it never gets distributed to the exchange users. Any mails sent from our server, at this time, just sit in an SMTP queue.

Its as if the SMTP service falls over. When this happends it is impossible to stop or restart the SMTP server. This is a fairly new server, but has been working for at least a month with no problems.

We are losing many mails with this problem, and short of reinstalling SBS I dont have any ideas what could be wrong.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[compgirlfhredi]

To verify that your MX record is valid, type

NSLookup -type=mx domain.com

at the command prompt, where domain.com should be replaced by your domain name.

Note: An MX record shouldn't point to a CNAME. It will most likely cause you a lot of trouble!!!

Note: You should add a reverse lookup for the IP address in your DNS because some SMTP mailers refuse to send messages if the Reverse Lookup is not available or not correct.

And if I am waay off on this one, forgive me...

 

[compgirlfhredi]

If you are unsure what a MX record is, you can either read More about MX Records below or ask your ISP to do it for you

 

[compgirlfhredi]

err...that should read "before you ask your ISP ....

 

[neilparkes]

The MX record should be setup fine, it points to an external ISP and SBS collects the mail from the POP3 mailbox every 15 minutes. The MX does not point to the SBS server because it's only on a rather unreliable ISDN connection.

This ISP has proven to me that the SBS machine is collecting the mail (they have sent me the logs from their server) so the mail is getting lost on our SBS machine.

 

[neilparkes]

More info:

Ive just looked in the mailbox store in Exchange. The mailbox

SYSTEMMAILBOX {861C7E16-94C8-4EE8-ADFD-C521EC7D1579}

has 1256 total items within it, total size 2604kb. Is this normal? Can i access these items?

Thanks

 

[craighack]

Same problem. What the hell is the SYSTEMMAILBOX and how do you get at it?
PS Have you set up the email addresses for each user in active directory. If not then I guess the emails will be bounced back to the sender. You could specify yourself as the recipient for the copy NDR's.
Rgds

 

[dpflkr]

In regards to the SystemMailbox question, check out the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 253784 and also

http://www.mvps.org/exchange/how_to_access_ims_mailbox_frames.htm

Hope this helps!