networkAddress attribute is not set correctly
[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]
Topic Last Modified: 2005-11-18
The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine whether the networkAddress attribute contains the ncacn_ip_tcp string. The Exchange Server Analyzer displays an error if either of the following conditions exist:
The ncacn_ip_tcp string does not exist.
The ncacn_ip_tcp string is corrupted.
In Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access for Exchange Server 2003, the front-end server examines the networkaddress attribute value when it tries to connect to an Exchange back-end server.
Note
Exchange 2000 Server does not do this with Outlook Web Access.
The front-end server requires a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) value. The front-end server checks for a period in the value that is returned for networkaddress ncacn_ip_tcp. The connection request for the mailbox on the specific back-end server fails and the front-end server returns an "HTTP 500 Internal Server Error" error message to the user if the following conditions exist:
The networkaddress ncacn_ip_tcp value is just a host name or a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS) name.
The networkaddress ncacn_ip_tcp value is not an FQDN.
You must update the networkaddress ncacn_ip_tcp value on the server object in Active Directory to ensure appropriate functionality of Outlook Web Access 2003. The affected server name is provided in the Exchange Server Analyzer error message.
Warning
If you incorrectly modify the attributes of Active Directory objects when you use Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) Edit, the LDP (ldp.exe) tool, or another Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3 client, you may cause serious problems. These problems may require that you reinstall Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, Exchange Server 2003, or both. Modify Active Directory object attributes at your own risk.
Note
Before you update the ncacn_ip_tcp value, read the rest of this article. To minimize the downtime that is caused when you restart Exchange Server services, you should perform an additional procedure before you restart the Exchange Server services.
To update the ncacn_ip_tcp value on the networkAddress attribute
Start the ADSI Edit tool from Windows 2000 Server support tools or from Windows Server 2003 support tools.
Expand the following nodes:
Configuration Container
Configuration
Services
Microsoft Exchange
Organization_Name
Administrative Groups
Administrative_Group_Name
Servers
Right-click Exchange_Server_Name, and then click Properties.
Click networkaddress in the Attributes list, and then click Edit.
Add a new value for ncacn_ip_tcp. Use the FQDN of the server instead of the NetBIOS name or the host name of the server.
The syntax for this value is ncacn_ip_tcp:FQDN. For example, if your Exchange back-end server has a host name of EXCHANGE1 and the FQDN is EXCHANGE1.contoso.com, use the following value for ncacn_ip_tcp: ncacn_ip_tcp:EXCHANGE1.contoso.com
Click OK two times to apply the change.
Restart all Exchange Server services on the server.
If there are multiple domain controllers, wait for replication to occur before you try to log on from the front-end server. If the problem is not resolved after replication is complete, restart the IIS Admin Service on the front-end server.
If you maintain host files on back-end servers to correlate a server IP address that has a short host name, you must also update the UpdateProtocols registry value. If a host file is used, Exchange Server may change back the ncacn_ip_tcp value when Microsoft Exchange System Attendant is restarted. If the back-end server is clustered, Exchange Server may change back the ncacn_ip_tcp value after fail over.
Important
This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to restore the registry, view the "Restore the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe.
To modify the UpdateProtocols registry value for back-end servers that use host files
Use a registry editor to configure the following registry value on the back-end server or servers: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters\UpdateProtocols
Note
If the UpdateProtocols value is not present, you must create it. To do this, follow these steps:
Open a registry editor and locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters\
Right-click Parameters, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
Type UpdateProtocols, and then press ENTER.
Right-click UpdateProtocols, click Modify, type 0 in the Value data field, and then click OK.
If your network uses a Hosts file on the back-end cluster node, modify UpdateProtocols order of entry as follows:
IPAddress to FQDN
IPAddress to NetBIOS
instead of:
IPAddress to NetBIOS
IPAddress to FQDN
Restart all Exchange Server services on the server.
Before you edit the registry, and for information about how to edit the registry, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 256986, "Description of the Microsoft Windows registry" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=256986).