RPC server is unavailable - System Manager

[bence8810]

Hi

I am trying to connect to Exchange with System Manager from a remote machine trying to use the Message Tracking Tool. It works most of the time, and sometimes I get an error saying:

The RPC server is unavailable.
Facility: Win32
ID no: 800706ba
Exchange System Manager

This happenes when I am connected via VPN from a laptop at home, but only sometimes. It also happenes from internally at the Office`s LAN, but usually it also works, just from time to time it fails. How do I go about troubleshooting?

Thanks,

Ben

p.s. I read KB224370 and no help. I am also able to connect from the same machines at the exact same time of failure via HTTPS over RPC for reading Outlook mails.

 

[markdmac]

I'd bet on issues with DNS.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. What kind of DNS issues should I look for and how to troubleshoot?
As I said it usually doesnt happen, just once in a while.

Thanks

Ben

 

[markdmac]

Well, for starters I would verify that your server and clients and DHCP scope only list LOCAL DNS servers and not ISP DNS.

The ISP DNS should only be listed on the forwarders tab in the DNS snap-in.

Run DCDIAG and NETDIAG on the server to check out the overall health of the network from the server side. See if it reports anything. Also check your event logs for any indications of what may be wrong.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your suggestions. I think I have completed and passed all of those tests. I ran DCDIAG and all came out Passed. I then ran NETDIAG and again, I think it passed. However, of NETDIAG I am not as sure as DCDIAG, so I am pasting it below.


....................................

Computer Name: NAME HERE
DNS Host Name: DNS HOSTNAME HERE (ends with .local)
System info : Windows 2000 Server (Build 3790)
Processor : x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9, GenuineIntel
List of installed hotfixes :
KB883939
KB890046
KB893756
KB896358
KB896422
KB896424
KB896428
KB896688
KB896727
KB898715
KB899587
KB899588
KB899589
KB899591
KB900725
KB901017
KB901214
KB902400
KB903235
KB904706
KB905414
KB905915
KB908519
KB910437
KB912919
Q147222


Netcard queries test . . . . . . . : Passed



Per interface results:

Adapter : Local Area Connection

Netcard queries test . . . : Passed

Host Name. . . . . . . . . : HOSTNAME HERE
IP Address . . . . . . . . : 10.140.80.1
Subnet Mask. . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0
Default Gateway. . . . . . : 10.140.80.254
Dns Servers. . . . . . . . : 10.140.80.1


AutoConfiguration results. . . . . . : Passed

Default gateway test . . . : Passed

NetBT name test. . . . . . : Passed
[WARNING] At least one of the <00> 'WorkStation Service', <03> 'Messenger Service', <20> 'WINS' names is missing.

WINS service test. . . . . : Skipped
There are no WINS servers configured for this interface.


Global results:


Domain membership test . . . . . . : Passed


NetBT transports test. . . . . . . : Passed
List of NetBt transports currently configured:
NetBT_Tcpip_{7F26E8E0-C159-43AC-927F-88F55BA4C0D6}
1 NetBt transport currently configured.


Autonet address test . . . . . . . : Passed


IP loopback ping test. . . . . . . : Passed


Default gateway test . . . . . . . : Passed


NetBT name test. . . . . . . . . . : Passed
[WARNING] You don't have a single interface with the <00> 'WorkStation Service', <03> 'Messenger Service', <20> 'WINS' names defined.


Winsock test . . . . . . . . . . . : Passed


DNS test . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Passed
PASS - All the DNS entries for DC are registered on DNS server '10.140.80.1' and other DCs also have some of the names registered.


Redir and Browser test . . . . . . : Passed
List of NetBt transports currently bound to the Redir
NetBT_Tcpip_{7F26E8E0-C159-43AC-927F-88F55BA4C0D6}
The redir is bound to 1 NetBt transport.

List of NetBt transports currently bound to the browser
NetBT_Tcpip_{7F26E8E0-C159-43AC-927F-88F55BA4C0D6}
The browser is bound to 1 NetBt transport.


DC discovery test. . . . . . . . . : Passed


DC list test . . . . . . . . . . . : Passed


Trust relationship test. . . . . . : Skipped


Kerberos test. . . . . . . . . . . : Passed


LDAP test. . . . . . . . . . . . . : Passed


Bindings test. . . . . . . . . . . : Passed


WAN configuration test . . . . . . : Skipped
No active remote access connections.


Modem diagnostics test . . . . . . : Passed

IP Security test . . . . . . . . . : Skipped

Note: run "netsh ipsec dynamic show /?" for more detailed information


The command completed successfully

When i checked DNS in DHCP servers, etc, it all was fine. ISP DNS servers are only in the Forwarders, just like you said.

All I see in Event Manager for that period is:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: RPC Proxy
Event Category: Startup
Event ID: 3
Date: 2/6/2006
Time: 9:31:15 PM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTER NAME
Description:
RPC Proxy successfully loaded in Internet Information Services (IIS) mode 6.0.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

..which is a good thing I guess. I see nothing else there.

A Thing I feel may (???) be causing:

How about that the internal FQDN ends with .local ? That has never been a problem, and it is a corporate IT policy among our office worldwide....

Thanks for any pointers,

Ben

 

[markdmac]

DCDIAG looks ok to me. When you connect via VPN, have you configured the VPN to use your internal DNS as well?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi

Yes, indeed. But just to be on the safe side, I checked it again, here is what I get for ipconfig /all

PPP adapter SafeNet Virtual Adapter Interface:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : MAC ADDRESS

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.250.5.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.140.80.1



Thanks

Ben

 

[markdmac]

How many clients do you have that your using multiple subnets?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi

We have about 35 clients, and that is obviously not why we have multiple subnets. The firewall is configured from overseas at the headquater. I cannot even look in the firewall, not even as a read only user. There is no way I can get them change that. We have about 50 countries covered by this company, and I am only looking after 3of them. Chain of commands. VPN is on 10.250.5.xx and regular LAN is 10.140.8x.xx

Ben

 

[markdmac]

Hmm, can you find out if the firewall keeps any logs that might give an indication of what is happening? I don't see anything out of the ordinary here.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi

That is what I wass afraid of. Unfortunately I cannot acquire logs easily, it is at least a week-long process, and the fact that this error only happens once in a while might not make my bosses urge very much with the details. I can very easily use the System Manager without any problem, check Mailbox quotas, make changes, the only thing that doesnt work is the tracking. And even that is very seldomly happen, and only if I use a remote machine with Admin Pack. If I connect to the server with VNC, I can get the tracking going. One weird problem I tell you..

Well, thanks for your help anyways, if there is nothing else I should try, I guess I can live with it.

Best regards,

Ben

 

[markdmac]

Only last advice would be to make sure that the remote machine has the latest version of the admin pack.

Best of luck.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[bence8810]

Hi

Yes, I am using the latest. But as I said, it works for the most part, so I only wanted to find a solution to make it perfect, but even in this state its usable.

Thanks for your help and suggestions,

Ben