You cannot edit the properties of a connection agreement by using a Windows 2000 or an Exchange 2000 Server version of the Active Directory Connector Services utility

When you try to view the properties of an Exchange Server 2003 Active Directory Connector (ADC) connection agreement (CA) by using the Microsoft Windows 2000 or the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Active Directory Connector Services manager, you receive the following message:
If you click Yes, all items in the ConnectionName Properties dialog box are unavailable (appear dimmed).

This behavior occurs because upgraded or newly created Exchange Server 2003 connection agreements use Kerberos for authentication. This authentication method is not supported by the Windows 2000 or the Exchange 2000 Server Active Directory Connector Services utility.

When the ADC is upgraded to the Exchange Server 2003 version, the ADC Setup program upgrades the ADC binary files and also upgrades the versionNumber attribute of all the connection agreements that were created by that ADC service. When Setup upgrades the connection agreement versionNumber attribute, the attribute values are set to 16973842. Previous ADC services, such as the Windows 2000 ADC and the Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) ADC, can no longer replicate these newly upgraded or newly created connection agreements. This behavior occurs because the Windows 2000 ADC and the Exchange 2000 Server ADC expect the previous versionNumber attribute, 16908296.

To resolve this issue, use the Exchange Server 2003 Active Directory Connector Services utility to manage existing connection agreements until you update all ADC servers to the Exchange Server 2003 ADC. You must upgrade all ADC services to the Exchange Server 2003 ADC before you install the first Exchange 2003 server.

You also receive the message that is described in the "Symptoms" section when you use an Exchange Server 2003 Active Directory Connector Services utility to view the properties of an Exchange 2000 Server or a Windows 2000 connection agreement.

This behavior occurs because the versionNumber attribute has been upgraded by the Exchange Server 2003 Active Directory Connector upgrade or installation. The major version numbers of public folder and recipient connection agreements are upgraded so that the Windows 2000 or the Exchange Server 2000 Active Directory Connection Services utility cannot run the newer connection agreements. In other words, an Exchange 2000 Server ADC service cannot run a connection agreement whose version number is not compatible with its own version number. Additionally, an Exchange Server 2003 ADC service cannot run a connection agreement whose versionNumber attribute is earlier (a lower value) than 16973842.

You must upgrade all ADC services to the Exchange Server 2003 version before you install the first Exchange 2003 server. Otherwise, Exchange Server 2003 Setup may not complete successfully.