XFOR: DXA Appends 001 Only When Needed

Last reviewed: September 15, 1997
Article ID: Q146676
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0 and 5.0

SYMPTOMS

After including Microsoft Exchange Server in the Directory Synchronization process of your Microsoft Mail environment, some Display Names are appended with 001. This behavior can be seen whether your Microsoft Exchange Server computer is acting as the dirsync server or a dirsync requester.

CAUSE

In any one given Microsoft Mail postoffice, all display names (friendly names) must be unique. A Microsoft Mail postoffice may have multiple display names the same in its Global Address List (GAL). For example:

   Bob SmithNET1/PO1/BSMITH
   Bob SmithNET2/PO2/BSMITH

The above would be perfectly acceptable in one Microsoft Mail postoffice, but the following would not:

   Bob SmithNET1/PO1/BSMITH
   Bob SmithNET1/PO1/BSMITH2

In Microsoft Mail, neither Admin.exe nor Import.exe would allow the second Bob Smith to be created.

Microsoft Exchange Server, on the other hand, will allow multiple objects to have the same display name. Because of this, the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization Service (DXA) must ensure that it does not send the same display name to any one Microsoft Mail postoffice.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, edit the registry as shown below and then follow the rest of the procedure described below.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  1. Start the Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

  2. Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following subkey:

          \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeDX
    

  3. Add the following case-sensitive DWORD value of 0:

          Unique Display Names
    

  4. Quit Registry Editor.

After setting the registry parameter above, the following steps MUST be performed.

  1. Stop the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization Service

  2. Delete the contents of the DXADATA subdirectory. Do not delete the directory, only the contents of the directory.

  3. Follow step a or step b below, depending on whether the DXA is acting as the dirsync server or the dirsync requester.

    a. If the DXA is acting as the dirsync server, using the Microsoft

          Exchange Admin utility, choose each Remote Requester object one by
          one and select the "Export on next cycle" check box on the General
          tab. This will force a full dirsync export to be sent to each Remote
          Requester.
    

    b. If the DXA is acting as a dirsync requester, using the Microsoft

          Exchange Administrator program, choose the dirsync requester object
          and select the "Export on next cycle" check box on the settings.
          This will force a full dirsync export to be sent to the dirsync
          server.
    

  4. Start the Microsoft Exchange Directory Synchronization Service.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server versions 4.0 and 5.0. A supported fix is now available for version 4.0, but has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for more information.

This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K
Keywords          : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp2 XADM kbusage
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type        : kbbug


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Last reviewed: September 15, 1997
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