OWA not working with one server

[JPJeffery]

Hi

We have an Exchange 2003 front end server and two Exchange 2003 back end mailbox servers.

OWA access works for users on Server1 but not for users migrated onto a new back-end server Server2 (which is a new server put in place to replace Server1).

The login page comes up, but cannot find username and password after user entry.

Investigating this problem, at the new server itself, the URL

http://localhost/exchange

does not work. Neither does selecting ‘Browse’ on the Exchange web site within IIS manager on that server.

Is there any way we can rectify this without bouncing the box (Something we're naturally reluctant to do, what with disturbing mail access)?

The Exchange install seems to have put the correct Exchange virtual directories within IIS, but we can’t remember if this has ever worked.

Other Exchange servers within our domain all work if you try that URL, so this is obviously the thing to fix first before looking at the OWA login error.

All ideas welcomed.

TIA

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, and so on)[/small]

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

Are you running OWA from the front-end server or directly from the server1 in this environment? Are Server1 and Server 2 part of the same administrative group in Exchange?

 

[JPJeffery]

Both servers are in the same administration group.

OWA is running from the Front End Server (so users only connect using one URL to that front end server which then works out where their mailbox is and does the rest).

The problem only occurs with users whose mailboxes are on Server2.

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, and so on)[/small]

 

[xmsre]

Check your host headers.

 

[JPJeffery]

xmsre, thanks for your response but what should we be looking for when checking the host headers and why?

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, and so on)[/small]

 

[xmsre]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287726/en-us

 

[JPJeffery]

OK, but we're not sure how that applies if the issue also occurs when we try

http://localhost/exchange

on the local console of Server2.

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, and so on)[/small]

 

[xmsre]

I wouldn't expect

http://localhost/exchange

to work, because no host header "localhost" exists. I would expect

http://netbiosnameofserver/exchange

to work because that hostheader is created by default.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

The local server has a Host file that translates the "localhost" to 127.0.0.1 it should work, otherwise try his suggestion of the actual server name. Compare your IIS settings side-by-side Server1-server2 check for differences.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

And as long as Exchange was installed properly and your Front-End was checked to be a front-end, then it should work. Also check to see if server1\backend is Master. If you do an Exchange Task mailbox move on a user account, can you see all the store from both servers in the drop down of where you would move the mailbox?

 

[xmsre]

Compare the host headers on the working backen to the one that does not. Also check your authentication methods as well.

 

[JPJeffery]

On the grounds that this was working previously the host headers were not checked. How did we fix it? We rebooted the server (out of hours, natch)!

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple]
There is no apostrophe in the plural of PC (or PST, or CPU, or HDD, or FDD, and so on)[/small]