Microsoft KB Archive/273296

= XCON: Users Cannot Retrieve Mail on a Front-End Server =

Article ID: 273296

Article Last Modified on 2/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q273296



SYMPTOMS
Users who have mailboxes on a front-end server are unable to access their mail by using any of the Internet protocols, such as Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4), Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3), or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). In Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0, you receive the following error message:

The server has rejected your login.



CAUSE
All HTTP, POP3, and IMAP4 requests to a front-end server are proxied to the appropriate back-end server, and thus cannot access local mailboxes. Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) clients are able to access mailboxes on a front-end server, but it is not recommended that any mailboxes be homed on a front-end server.



RESOLUTION
Mailboxes should not be placed on an Exchange front-end server. Mailboxes should only be homed on back-end servers.

To verify which mailbox store or server on which a mailbox is homed, go to Active Directory Users and Computers, and open the properties of the user. In the Exchange General tab, you see a Mailbox store field. You can move users off of a front-end server by right-clicking the user object, clicking Exchange Tasks, and then clicking Move Mailbox.

To confirm or change a server's role, go to the Server properties, found in the Exchange System Manager console, on the General tab. There you will find the This is a front-end server check box.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about front-end and back-end servers, please see the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Help.

Additional query words: FE/BE, &quot;internet protocol&quot; exch2kp2w

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb KB273296

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