XADM: Troubleshooting the InterOrg Synch Tool

The InterOrg Synchronization tool is available in the Microsoft BackOffice Resource Kit, Second Edition. Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) will use commercially reasonable efforts in addressing all support problems.

The tool allows multiple Microsoft Exchange Server organizations to synchronize the contents of their directories.

The connector works hierarchically, with a master service running in the master organization, and multiple requestor services running in the branch organizations. The Exchange Server computer of the master organization collects and distributes all of the directory changes from the branch organizations. The requestor service in each branch organization collects any changes that have occurred in the directory of that organization and exports these changes to the master service.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

There are a number of steps you can take if you encounter problems with the InterOrg Synchronization tool.

1.	Use the application event viewer to make sure that there are no errors. Configure the event viewer with a 2-MB size, and configure it to wrap as needed.
2.	Use Performance Monitor to review the number of threads the InterOrg process uses. The InterOrg Synchronization service typically uses 11-20 Microsoft Windows NT threads. If it is using only five threads, this typically means that the service does not have a valid mailbox to log on with.
3.	Use the Exchange Client to view what the InterOrg service sends and receives. Because the service uses an Exchange Server mailbox to send and receive requests, it is sometimes possible to troubleshoot messaging problems in this way. To do this, configure an Exchange Server profile that can open the master and requestor mailboxes. Do not use the Master or Requestor profiles directly, as this prevents the service from processing any messages. After you configure the profile, open the Sent Items folder of each mailbox to see what messages each service has sent to the other. In the Deleted Items folder you can find the messages each service has received from the other. Because the InterOrg service uses a Microsoft Access 97 compatible file format, you can use Microsoft Access 97 to view the contents of the messages. It is also a good idea to periodically erase the Sent Items and Deleted Items folder of the Master and Requestor agent.
4.	If the InterOrg service does not process data even though it is correctly configured, there may be a versioning problem with the ODBC drivers. In this case, you can try reinstalling the ODBC drivers from the ValuPack\DataACCC directory of the Microsoft Office 97 CD. The latest ODBC Drivers can be obtained from the following location: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/
5.	Make sure you have not made any unsaved changes to the InterOrg service configuration. For example, if you remove an export container from the requestor service, make sure you close the InterOrg Configuration dialog box prior to the next scheduled replication cycle. Note that container removal only takes place during the scheduled replication cycle.
6.	Turn up Diagnostic logging on the tool from 2 to 5, and review the application log for errors. a. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) on both MASTER and REQUESTOR Servers. b. Locate the following key in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\_Exchange Inter-Org Synch\Config c. Change Logging from 2 to 5. d. Quit Registry Editor. e. Stop and restart the InterOrg Synch Tool service on Both the MASTER and REQUESTOR Server computers for the settings to take effect.

NOTE: The InterOrg Synch tool does not scale well above 10,000 users. If greater scalability is required, the user or the administrator should consider the Microsoft Metadirectory Services (Exchange Agent) for Replication.