Step 1: Validate server names for the Exchange Recipient Update Service

The Recipient Update Service must be configured with the name of an Exchange server and the name of a domain controller. Exchange Server configures these names automatically at the time of installation.

Later, it is possible for these names to become invalid as your network evolves. For example, as hardware ages, you might find yourself decommissioning an old domain controller. If this domain controller happens to be the one that the RUS is configured to use, then the service may stop functioning.

If your Exchange Recipient Update Service isn't working properly, the first troubleshooting measure you should take is to check which servers RUS is configured to use:

1. Open Exchange System Manager, and select the Recipient Update Service container (located inside the Recipients container). At this point, the details pane will display both the enterprise and the domain configurations for the RUS, as shown in Figure 1.

   Figure 1: Validate the domain controller and the Exchange server.

2. Check both of these listings to ensure that the domain controller and the Exchange server listed are valid.

3. If the RUS contains a listing for an invalid server, right click on the listing and select Properties. As shown in Figure 2, the properties sheet allows you to choose a different Exchange Server or domain controller.

   Figure 2: You can choose a different Exchange Server or domain controller on the RUS properties sheet.

TROUBLESHOOTING THE RECIPIENT UPDATE SERVICE

 Home: Introduction
 Step 1: Validate server names for the Exchange Recipient Update Service
 Step 2: Diagnose DNS-related Exchange Recipient Update Service problems
 Step 3: Enable diagnostic logging for the Exchange Recipient Update Service
 Step 4: Find Exchange Recipient Update Service Event ID log entries
 Step 5: Troubleshoot the Exchange RUS with ADSI Edit and 8011 events

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brien M. Posey, MCSE Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Exchange Server, and has previously received Microsoft's MVP award for Windows Server and Internet Information Server (IIS). Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once responsible for the Department of Information Management at Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer, Brien has written for Microsoft, TechTarget, CNET, ZDNet, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien's personal Web site at http://www.brienposey.com.

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