Distribute to external addresses?

[dandl]

Can anyone help? I am new to exchange but am trying to setup a distribution list that will include a mixture of internal and external addresses.
I can do the internal part but am having a bit of a problem with the external.
I have read there the other threads and have tried to setup a "custom recipient" but when I try and send a test message to I get this message.

Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.

Subject:
Sent: 19/02/04 12:33

The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

L Test Cumberbatch on 19/02/04 12:33
The recipient name is not recognized
MSEXCH:MSExchangeMTA:WORKGROUP:EXCHANGE-SERVER

I am using Exchange 5.5 service pack 4

If anyone can be of assistance I would be greatful but please run through the process step by step

Thanks

 

[rdroske]

For a Custom Recip with an external address you would normally select Internet Address on the first screen you get then fred@fred.com on the second. The rest is pretty much like a regular user.

From the address listed on your NDR message it looks like you did something different?

 

[dandl]

hi rdroske, I have setup the custom recip again and have selected Internet Address but I still get the same error.

I have been thinking over night and wondered...
we use Exchange as our internal email point and pass all the external mail through MDaemon software as our external email server. could this be part of the issue?

if so, how would I get exchange to forward to the MDeamon?

thanks for your help

 

[zbnet]

dandl, a CR is just a shorthand way of including an external address in an email header, it allows you to address what looks like an internal address off the GAL, but it gets sent just the same as if you were to type the external address in the To field. Are you sure your CRs are set up correctly? Can you send email to the external addresses by typing the external address in the To field?

 

[dandl]

zbnet, yes I can send external emails by typing the address in the To Field but this is sent to the pop3 server which is run on the MDaemon software not by exchange.
how do I get exchange to send an external address to the pop3 server?
Am I looking in the right place or just got it completely wrong?

Thanks

 

[Trackhappy]

There is something we are missing in your explanations here. You should be able to create a custom recipient, with a display name and smtp (Internet) address. Once created, from your normal Outlook (MAPI) client, you should type the display name in the "To:" field, and if you then click out into the email mesage body, the address should be underlined after a few seconds indicating that Exchange has resolved the name from the Global Address List (or you can select it from the pull-down list). If you then send it, your Exchange server will recognise it as being an external SMTP address, and route it to the Internet Mail Connector which forwards the mail to the external gateway according to it's settings. From then on, it is up to the gateway (MDaemon) to route it wherever. The only thing I can think you may be doing is usng an internal smtp address rather than an external one, for testing. AFter you successfully get a mail out to a custom recipient, then you can create your distribution list and select the members from the GAL. The only other thing I can think of is to recalculate the routing in the MTA. Maybe it is "confused".
Let us know what happens or if you have more information.

 

[dandl]

I have checked Outlook and Exchange are resolving the address (Outlook, type address and underlined) but still when I send it I get the same error message.
How does the Internet mail connector work? how do I check the configuration on this and sorry to sound dumb.. what is the MTA (I am confussed)

Thanks again

 

[Trackhappy]

The Internet Mail connector (IMC)is what routes mail destined for the Internet. It has lots of settings depending upon your network configuration. I work for a largish company so I am used to it being set to send all mail off to our MailSweeper for delivery via the Firewall, but it can be set to deliver based upon resolving DNS and delivering directly. Have a look around the properties of the IMC under connectors, but if you don't understand it be very careful not to change anything. It sounds like it has an entry to forward all mail to host [IP Address], which will be your MDaemon. Otherwise it will use DNS and deliver based upon the MX record. However if you type an smtp address on the address bar and it successfully sends, then the IMC is working ok. It must be something with the custom recipient or the routing.
MTA is Message Transfer Agent, and is responsible for routing messages within the Exchange system. We have swapped over to 2000, so I can't get at a console to tell you exactly where, but under one of the tabs is a re-calculate routing option. I have seen this fix strange issues in the past, although it should happen periodically anyway.
Are you sure you are using an external address for testing. Use a Hotmail account to be sure).

 

[dandl]

I have checked external address is hotmail.
also found under configuration/site addressing/routing (TAB) the recalcuate Routine
I am assuming that there should be an internet connector in there? but the box is empty.
you are right I am not quite sure what I am doing and the Administrator has left the company recently without sharing the information so anymore advise would be greatly apprieciated.

Thanks

 

[rdroske]

You have a bit of a wierd set up here. How do you have your Outlook clients set up so that ghey use Pop3 for addresses that aren't resolved by the exchange server?

Normally an internal Outlook client would have no Pop3 interface adn would send all mail to the exchange server which would decide whether to deliver it to an internal mailbox or send it out the IMC.

You must see some strange things like that those externals that do work noit showing up in your sent items folder?

Don't change that yet though or they will stop working to.

You need to get your IMC working first.

First of all in Exchange admin under connections do you see a listing for Internet Mail Service?

 

[dandl]

well we setup on each client an exchange account and a pop3 server account. each pointing to the relevant server... yes there are a few odd bits going on...
like I set the limits on the mails to a max of 5mb in or out but it only effects the internal email and so on.

so i need to get IMC setup.. can you give me a pointer as to where I can get a crash course. Web site?

Thanks for all you help I think this is the problem just didn't know where I was looking before.

 

[Trackhappy]

dandl,

We are happy to help with problems here, but I would be VERY cautious about using this as a resource to re-design you network without some local knowledge. Timing problems and lack of knowledge of your site/configuration will make it very difficult if something goes wrong. I'd make sure you have an expert lined up locally at short notice. Send me an email to trackhappy@hotmail.com and I'll see if I can pull out some screen shots of our old IMC.

 

[Trackhappy]

Here is a link from a simple Google search. It shows you some of the screens and a configuration example. Instead of "nhs.uk" in their case, you would use your MDaemon software from what I understand of your system. If I recall correctly, you put an IP address in there inside square brackets ie [10.0.0.1] if it can't resolve the host name. You need to make sure that the MDaemon is able to receive mail from the Exchange server. It may have relay restrictions of some sort you need to configure.
"

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/email/implementation/Smtp connector instructions.pdf".

Also, here is a Mocrosoft link to look at:
"

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...exchange/exchange55/evaluate/inims.asp".

See how you go at understanding and get back to us.

 

[rdroske]

Adding an IMC to exchange is a simple process.

It basically sets itself up (Wizard Interface) If your exchange server can already see the internet (which it can since you are getting mail to it from the outside) you won't be making your security situation any worse that it is by sending them out that way also.

If at all possible do a backup before adding the IMC but I've never had it cause a problem.

In exchange highlight the connection container go to the file menu and select new other. Internet mail service should be listed. If it requires files from the CD remember that you will have to reinstall the latest service packs when you are done.

That will add a new service in the list of exchange services.

Once you get that working for your custom recips you want to look into getting that pop3 situation off your clients and have them send their mail through the exchange server also but later for that....

 

[dandl]

Just a quick thankyou to everyone who replied.
Following the links and reading the info helped!

Managed to get the IMC on, the 3rd party software blocked it at first and generated a load more errors but once I worked out that I needed to tell the software the Exchange was trusted all the problems went away.

Thanks again