Note: the issue discussed here is already resolved as described in Solution
for ActiveSync Issues with SupportID 8600050D and EventID 3005.
It was a happy era when everything was simple and my exchange server was only one. I know it wasn't very fancy having monochrome DOS environment. Yeah, we've got colorful digital world now. But, hey, it's a jungle now. Those DLLs and classes, components and objects just overtook the world from our understanding. we dont know which is which anymore. Take activesync for example. Have you had an error with Support ID 8600050D which also left an event ID 3005 in your event viewer? OK this is my story about support ID8600050D and Event ID 3005.
This issue has this symptoms:
First sync was fine, all emails, contacts etc are sync'ed. But then PPC detected a change in the server so it needs to re-sync. then it re-sync'ed, that's when you get the error:
Support ID 8600050D (that says you need to re-sync because there's a change in the server and you will lose all that have beed sync'ed before) then it loops, re-sync and re-sync endlessly.
Okay, here's the detail.
I have 2 running Exchange 2003 SP2 servers, with Front-end back-end scenario.
Both running on Windows 2003 SP2.
FE has GFI mail essential to be the antispam.
FE and BE has mcAfee antivirus.
And then I have these errors.
in the activesync : Support ID 8600050D , that says
"there has been a change on your server that requires you to re-synchronize all items on your device. all changes made since your last successful sync will be lost do you wish to continue?"
in the W2K3 even viewer (FE) : event ID 3005 (that indicates HTTP error 409, I could not find a record regarding this error in C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\HTTPERR)
however I could see records in C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1 in both servers and it seems like they both could talk to eachother.
If you google them, you will find them every where. Mostly no solution, but some solutions found seem to be not uniform, I mean different solutions for the same Error code (or I should put it the same error code for different problems, confusing hey?). Here are almost similar cases that already been resolved:
a. http://www.ureader.com/msg/1175332.aspx , unfortunately my problem is not exactly the same. I had the Microsoft-server-activesync folder right there. But Matt's solution is interesting though, I have a feeling that it might be a path to resolve my issue.
b. http://www.webservertalk.com/printthread.php?s=05b2d2175b6656fce7f64bce5c02d686&threadid=1478873 , This is good. Despite of its originality in resolving this issue, and the fact that my system doesn't have anything in the header as he sugested, this article makes me want to investigate how my domain constructed. I might find my mistakes there.
c. http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=817379 Horray! here's a word from Microsoft. Ooops, it is not what I am having now, instead, it recommends to have a front-end like I do, except that I installed a new back-end.
d. http://www.petri.co.il/problems_with_forms_based_authentication_and_ssl_in_activesync.htm this site is amazing, the articles are both deep and practical. But I think the article only applies for single server. Poor me!
e. http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/Exchange/microsoft.public.exchange.clients/2004-10/0407.html , I thought this was totally a different issue. But he had a similar topology with mine and he fixed it with point c. above. It is strange, because in the Microsoft's article it is explicitely mentioned that this should not be done if you have a Front End server. But anyway it worked for him! why why..
f. http://www.mobilitysite.com/boards/activesync/136379-activesync-error-8600050d.html this is for syncing PPC and Desktop, I am talking about PPC-Exchange.
There's also a resoluton by recreating Microsoft-Server-Acrivesync virtual directory in the Exchange System Manager. I forgot the link, sorry. Done that as well, no luck. Well I think if someone had this problem and resolved it by this resolution then some other problems might need a recreation of all virtual directories in the ESM. Off course, it has big risks like OWA, OMA and activesync just dont run.
This issue really makes me pull my hair. In a short list what I did to investigate this issue were:
1. Used Exchange Best Practises Analyzer Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=DBAB201F-4BEE-4943-AC22-E2DDBD258DF3&displaylang=en) , download it from microsoft. Check your config to match exchange best practices. Then made adjustment needed.
2. used Eseutil to defrag and repaired all mailboxes (edb) and used Isinteg to assure they were ok and fixed, as you know doing this takes a lot of time. After I did this I could sync a perfect synchronization again for once, and then error again.
3. checked event viewer both FE and BE. You will see that the error only arose at FE. also check other logs: HTTPERR at windows/system32/LogFiles/httperr , and took a good look at C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1 as well. Compared logs from FE and BE. I found out that connection was really established between the two servers, but FE would have event ID 3005 which is HTTP error 409.
4. checked all the configs in the IIS virtual directories and ESM. making sure nothing was wrong. microsoft has this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937635 article which I think for single server, but this article also makes a perfect match for Back End server when I see it.
5. uninstalled antivirus at BE, FE and both. no luck. So I reinstalled them back again. Some say some antivirus just doesn't work along with exchange. No luck.
6. uninstalled antispam from FE and moved it to BE. In case it ruins datastream. Just no luck
7. installed another exchange server (Back End) and created some mailboxes there. Basically I built an exchange back-end server from scratch. No luck, the problem remains.
You know doing those above are very exhausting, waste of time and unproductive. But they were things that have to be done systematically so I was supposed to have an glimpse of what was really going on with my activesync. Still, I don't have any strong argument where to look. The outcome of those actions is that I have less of possible causes, which is not bad.
Now, at this time I suspect it must be 1 of 3 things that make my life miserable:
1. Mailboxes are corrupt (those edb and stm). My suspision on this is getting less and less, though, since I already did Eseutil and Isinteg many-many times. And also when I created new mailboxes in a new BE mailserver (point 6 above) they all experience the same error.
2. My Front end server has errors in it somehow. so I need to reinstall it. This error could come from IIS or Exchange installation or both. Most possible is Exchange installation errors.
3. My Domain stucture is not correctly built. I have some evidence that my domain structure is not a perfect stucture. This can cause IIS and Exchange (mailboxes) have problems when talking to each other. As we know DNS has a big role in IIS running well such as addressing, authentication, DAV and multiple sites host. And we also know that activesync connection relies on IIS.
I think those three are what left unconcluded.
I have some additional notes concluded from other cases, to consider:
- In desktop activesync failure, some sorted out by fix PST (using pstscan.exe, it is one of the program files\common files\ .. just search for it there), or remove/uninstall third party add on from outlook, or rebuild connection (by deleting both server and mobile device from desktop/mobile activesync)
-In exchange - mobile connectivity, resolution may involve Non_IPM_subtree folder in microsoft-server-activesync folder, or require recreation of microsoft-server-activesync virtual directory at ESM, remove site header at IIS, or reconfiguration of IIS default website and it's subfolder, or Security setting at IIS and ESM.
-Event viewer in the FE only that shows error.
Looking at both points above, we can say the problems are somewhere among exchange mailbox store, IIS and overall exchange server. And it must be in the Front End server.
This is a very short story of what's going on in the past 3 months I've been working on. I know it might not give you a sufficient detailed picture of the issue, but if you google it up or you once had a similar problem you will realize to the pervasiveness of this problem.
Ok, I need a hand here. I am in a huge problem. Anyone can help me is my hero, please.
Note: the issue discussed here is already resolved as described in Solution
for ActiveSync Issues with SupportID 8600050D and EventID 3005.
