How to troubleshoot directory synchronization (Dirsync) between Lotus Notes and Exchange Server

This article contains steps that may help you troubleshoot directory synchronization (Dirsync) between Microsoft Exchange Server and IBM Lotus Notes.

This article discusses the following topics and describes what to look for to troubleshoot issues that may be associated with directory synchronization between Exchange Server and Lotus Notes:

• Verify that you have mail flow in both directions
• Verify that the Connector Services are running
• Turn up diagnostics logging
• Verify the import and export containers
• Verify that only one Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes will handle the directory synchronization
• Verify that the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to Yes in Lotus Notes
• Verify the Exchange Server recipient policy
• Verify that the Exchange Server users have valid Lotus Notes addresses
• Verify the Source Notes Name and the Target Notes Name in the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes
• Run a command line to determine where the directory synchronization failure occurred
• Use a tested configuration

Verify that you have mail flow in both directions

Mail flow must be working in both directions for directory synchronization to function.

Verify that the Connector Services are running

To make sure that the Connector Services are running, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.
3. Make sure that the following services are started on the server that is running Exchange Server:
   • Microsoft Exchange Connectivity controller
   • Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes

Verify that all five processes for the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes are running

Use the Connectivity Administrator (Lsadmin.exe) to verify that all five processes are running. These processes include LSDXA.

The Connectivity Administrator can be found in the Exchsrvr\bin directory in Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 and in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. The Connectivity Administrator is not included with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. However, the tool can be used with Exchange Server 2003.

To make sure that all five processes for the connector are running, follow these steps:

1. Double-click Lsadmin.exe.
2. Log on to the Connectivity Administrator by using the default account.
3. Double-click Process Manager.

Note If you see more than five processes running, you are not using the correct version of the Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Turn up diagnostics logging

Turn up diagnostics logging for the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes.

In Exchange Server 5.5, open the properties of the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes. Then, turn up the attributes for the connector on the Diagnostics Logging tab.

In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003, open the properties of the server on which the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes is installed. Then, turn up logging for the following attributes:

• LME
• NOTES

The results from the logging can be found in the Application log. Most important, the results from the logging can also be found in the Log Browser in the Connectivity Administrator (Lsadmin.exe).

Important Before the Log Browser can be viewed in the Exchange 2000 Server Connectivity Administrator, a logs directory must be created in the following directory:After this directory is created, you must stop and then restart the Connectivity Controller in Services. Then, restart the Connectivity Administrator to view the Log Browser.

The information in the Log Browser is also written to log files that can be important for troubleshooting problems that may occur with the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes.

For Exchange Server 5.5, the logs are located in the following directory:For Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003, the logs are located in the following directory:Note After you gather these files for troubleshooting, they can be viewed by using the Log Browser from the Connectivity Administrator. To do this, copy the files to the logs directory. Alternatively, the files can be opened in Notepad.

Verify the import and export containers

Verify that the correct import and export containers are specified in the properties of the Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes.

In Exchange Server 5.5, verify that the Service Account has Service Account Admin rights on the recipient container.

In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003, verify that there are no restrictive permissions set on the organizational units that are involved in the import and export process of directory synchronization.

The SYSTEM account should have full control of these organizational units. The SYSTEM account is the account that the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes uses.

Verify that only one Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes will handle the directory synchronization

There can be only one Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes that will handle the directory synchronization. If there are multiple Exchange Connectors for Lotus Notes going to the same Lotus Notes organization, you must confirm that only one connector is configured for directory synchronization.

Verify that the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to Yes in Lotus Notes

For a user who should be synchronized, verify that the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to Yes in the properties the user's User Document Lotus Notes.

If the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to No, the user will not perform a directory synchronization from Lotus Notes to Exchange Server.

To verify that the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to Yes, follow these steps:

1. Start Lotus Domino as an administrator.
2. On the File menu, click Open, click Server, and then click the Notes server.
3. Click OK, click People, and then double-click a user in the right pane who should be replicating to Exchange Server.
4. Click the Administration tab, and then make sure that the Foreign Domain Sync Allowed attribute is set to Yes.

Verify the Exchange Server recipient policy

Verify that the Exchange Server recipient policy for the Notes proxy is correct. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Exchange Administrator.
2. Expand Recipients, and then click Recipients Policies.
3. Click the policy that includes the Exchange Server users who should be replicating to Lotus Notes.
4. Open the properties, and then click the E-mail Addresses (Policy) tab.
5. Double-click the Notes type, and then note the address. The address should resemble the following address:
   &d/First Administrative Group/Exchange@Exchange

Notice that the address ends in "Exchange" and not in the Lotus Domino domain name. This domain name must be the foreign domain name from the Lotus Domino Server. If the address ends with the Lotus Notes domain name, directory synchronization and mail flow will not function correctly.

Verify that the Exchange Server users have valid Lotus Notes addresses

Only Exchange Server users who have Lotus Notes addresses will synchronize to Lotus Notes.

Verify that the Exchange Server users who are scheduled to be synchronized to Lotus Notes have a valid Lotus Notes address. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
2. Open the properties of the users, and then click the E-mail address tab.
3. You should see a Notes address that looks similar to the following:
   Type: NOTES Address: First_Name MI Last_Name/First Administrative Group/Exchange

If you do not see the Notes address, examine the recipient policy. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Exchange Administrator.
2. Expand Recipients, and then click Recipient Policies.
3. In the right pane, click the policy that includes the Exchange Server users who should be replicating to Lotus Notes.
4. Open the properties of the user, and then click the E-mail Addresses (Policy) tab.
5. Make sure that the check box next to the Notes address is selected.
   
   Note This check box will not be selected by default.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Verify the Source Notes Name and the Target Notes Name in the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes

Verify that the Source Notes Name, the Target Notes Name, and the address book files are correct in the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Exchange System Manager, open the properties of the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes.
2. On the Dirsync Options tab, click Address Books Settings.
3. The Default Name and Address Book and Target Notes Name and Address Book settings should be set to names.nsf.
4. The Source Notes Name and Address Book setting should be set to names.nsf. Note that names.nsf is the Domain Address Book file for the Lotus Notes server to which the Exchange server connects.

Note The Source Address Book is where the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes is pulling the Notes user entries to synchronize to Exchange Server. The Target Address Book is where Exchange Server is synchronizing the Exchange Server user entries to the Domino server.

Run a command line to determine where the directory synchronization failure occurred

When directory synchronization fails, you can run a manual command-line directory synchronization from Exchange Server to determine where the failure occurred.

The directory synchronization process is a two-step process. However, the Exchange Server interface does not let you stop the process between steps.

By using the Lsdxa.exe manual command line, you can stop the process and examine the information that is being passed between steps in a transaction buffer file. These transaction buffer files are text files that contain all the directory information. Additionally, the transaction buffer files can be examined for both an update directory synchronization and a full reload directory synchronization.

To use this troubleshooting step, you must stop the Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes Service.

You must run Lsdxa.exe from a command line from the Exchsrvr\Bin directory.

To capture information from Exchange Server to Lotus Notes

To have Lsdxa.exe pull a full reload from Exchange Server to the transaction buffer but not push the transactions to Lotus Notes, use the following command.

In Exchange Server 5.5 In Exchange Server 5.5, the transaction buffer files are written to the Dxanotes.txt file in the following directory: In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003 In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003, the transaction buffer files are written to the Dxanotes.txt file in the following directory:To have Lsdxa.exe pull an update from Exchange Server to the transaction buffer but not push the transactions to Lotus Notes, use the same syntax without the /L switch.

To complete the synchronization from Exchange Server to Lotus Notes

To use Lsdxa.exe to read from the transaction buffer and complete the directory synchronization process, use the following command.

In Exchange Server 5.5In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003

To capture information from Lotus Notes to Exchange Server

To have Lsdxa.exe pull a full reload from Lotus Notes to the transaction buffer but not push the transactions to Exchange Server, use the following command.

In Exchange Server 5.5 In Exchange 5.5 the transaction buffer files are written to the Dxamex.txt file in the following directory: In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003 In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003, the transaction buffer files are written to the Dxamex.txt file in the following directory:To have Lsdxa.exe pull an update from Lotus Notes to the transaction buffer but not push the transactions to Exchange Server, use the same syntax without the /L switch.

To complete the synchronization from Lotus Notes to Exchange Server

To use Lsdxa.exe to read from the transaction buffer and complete the directory synchronization process, use the following command.

In Exchange Server 5.5In Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003

Use a tested configuration

The Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes uses the APIs that the Notes Client provides. Therefore, the connector is dependant on the functionalities that are built in to the Notes Client. Because of this dependency, a common troubleshooting step is to change the version of the Notes Client that the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes uses.

Issues with directory synchronization are most frequently resolved by downgrading the Notes Client. The following table includes the versions of the Notes Client that Microsoft used to test the Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes. We recommend that you use a configuration that has been fully tested. Microsoft continues to update the tools that support interoperability among Lotus Domino R5 and Lotus Domino 6, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. The updated tools for Lotus Domino replace the following tools that are included with Exchange Server 2003 and with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2:

• Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes
• Calendar Connector for Lotus Notes
• Migration Wizard for Lotus Notes

To obtain these tools and to obtain guidance and additional resources, visit the following Microsoft Web site: These updated tools provide additional functionality and address several issues that customers reported with earlier versions of the tools.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.