Microsoft KB Archive/262124

= XCON: Messages Loop When Sending to SMTP Custom Recipient for Mailboxes Across an X.400 Connector Without Directory Replication =

Article ID: 262124

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q262124



SYMPTOMS
In a system that has the following setup
 * Site A:
 * Site address on Internet Mail Service *
 * Site addressing on X.400 Connector
 * X.400 (Site B address space)
 * Site B (No directory replication):
 * Site addressing on X.400 Connector
 * X.400 (Site A address space) and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) *

if any user in Site B sends SMTP one-off e-mail, the e-mail is delivered with no problems by using the following format:

@ .com

NOTE: * is a variable for the SMTP address that the SMTP messages use to route the message.

However, if a user in Site B sends e-mail to an SMTP custom recipient, the e-mail may loop between the bridgehead servers and finally return with the following non-delivery report (NDR):

The following recipient(s) could not be reached: c=US;a= ;p=Carlson;o=naTGIF01-Corporate;s=Test2;g=Jim; on 4/7/00 1:11 PM Either the message size exceeds the maximum allowed for the recipient or transport, or you have exceeded the storage limit on your mailbox. The MTS-ID of the original message is: c=US;a= ;p=Carlson;l=CRWCEXG1-000407175815Z-852143 MSEXCH:MSExchangeMTA:naCORP-Connector:OTCMSG05



CAUSE
This issue can occur because the message transfer agent (MTA) routes custom recipients differently than one-off addresses. The custom recipient uses the X.400 proxy of the custom recipient, so it has a full X.400 address and not just the Site-Proxy-Space of Site B. The MTA performs a directory lookup for the SMTP address. The MTA finds the mailbox but the mailbox has a different X.400 address. The MTA then routes the message by using the X.400 proxy.

The MTA routes the message back to the originating site (Site B) because of the X.400 address space on that mailbox. That message is then resolved to the custom recipient, which reroutes the message back to the site by using the custom recipient default SMTP address. The message continues to loop until the message header runs out of space (approximately 512 times).



RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, use X.400 as the default e-mail address.



WORKAROUND
To work around this issue:
 * Create a directory replication connector between the two sites. -or-


 * Create another custom recipient on the remote site.

NOTE: This method only works for non-mailbox resolvable addresses.

Additional query words: CR

Keywords: kbprb KB262124

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