XGEN: Removing a Domain Controller and Then Adding That Domain Controller Again Breaks Directory Service to Metabase Replication

In the following scenario, changes may not replicate to the metabase:

• Exchange System Manager is connected to a domain controller.
• That domain controller was removed, and then added to the domain again with the same name.
• You use Exchange System Manager to make changes.

In other words, changes that you make to the Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and Internet Message Access Protocol, Version 4rev1 (IMAP4) virtual servers may not be written to the metabase in Internet Information Services (IIS). No errors are logged in the Application event log.

If you rebuild a domain controller (if you format the disk, install Microsoft Windows 2000, or run the dcpromo command), the domain controller's update sequence number (USN) is set to zero again. When the Dsaccess process starts using this domain controller again, the directory service to metabase process (also known as the metabase update service) does not replicate anything because the Dsaccess process high water marks are higher than the domain controller's USN.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To work around this problem, on the Exchange 2000 servers that are experiencing this problem, use Metaedit to find the key of the domain controller that was removed and then added again. Metaedit is similar to Regedt32. Metaedit is a tool that you can use to view the metabase.

WARNING: If you edit the metabase incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall any product that uses the metabase. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result if you incorrectly edit the metabase can be solved. Edit the metabase at your own risk.

NOTE: Always back up the metabase before you edit it.

On the Exchange 2000 servers that are experiencing this problem:

1. Stop the MsexchangeSA service.
2. In the following location (where DC_server_name is the domain controller that was removed and added again), delete the key of the domain controller that was removed and added again (or that the dcpromo command was run on):
   LM/DS2MB/HighWaterMarks/DC_server_name
3. Start the MSExchangeSA service again.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.

The directory service to metabase process runs in the context of the system attendant process. The directory service to metabase process is responsible for propagating information from Active Directory to the IIS metabase. For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: