Home > Microsoft Exchange Tips > Exchange Server Administration Tips > Beware of bare linefeeds in Exchange Server email
Exchange Tips:
EMAIL THIS
 TIPS & NEWSLETTERS TOPICS 

EXCHANGE SERVER ADMINISTRATION TIPS

Beware of bare linefeeds in Exchange Server email


Serdar Yegulalp
01.10.2007
Rating: --- (out of 5)


Exchange Server tips, tutorials and expert advice
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


A bare linefeed is a single linefeed character (LF or ASCII 10) that isn't preceded by an ASCII carriage return (CR or ASCII 13) character. Since a carriage return is always supposed to be followed by a linefeed according to RFC 822bis, any message that has a bare linefeed in it is supposed to be rejected by the email server it was sent to.

When this happens, the receiving email server typically prepares a rejection message that mentions the problem. This is often accompanied with the directive See http://pobox.com/~djb/docs/smtplf.html.

The URL describes the bare linefeed issue and has some suggested fixes for a number of popular Unix-based mailers (and even a few Windows mailers). Unfortunately, there is no fix listed in the event this problem crops up when you're using Exchange Server.

When you're running Exchange Server, the culprit is almost always not Exchange Server itself but a third-party add-on or appliance -- a virus scanner that runs as part of Exchange Server or a hardware device that scans emails in transit to and from your Exchange server.

Under certain conditions (such as a very long, unwrapped text line), the virus scanner or appliance may mistakenly inject a bare linefeed and cause outgoing email to fail. Some more archaic email clients will also try to end a message with a linefeed, a period and a linefeed instead of a CR-LF-period-CR-LF string, which will also fail.

The easiest way to find out if the device or scanning engine in question is the culprit is simply to take it out of service for a time and see if the problem repeats itself. I...


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google



RELATED CONTENT
Microsoft Exchange Server Administration
Creating and configuring Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
How to configure Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
How to create and configure Exchange Server 2007 distribution groups
Managing Exchange Server 2007 address lists
Setting up Exchange Server 2007 contacts
Creating and managing recipients in Exchange Server 2007
Creating mail users in Exchange Server 2007
Deleting and reconnecting Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
'Exchange is in recovery mode' errors
A roundup of DST resources for Exchange Server administrators
Microsoft Exchange Server Administration Research

Exchange Server Security
OWA 'Loading' problems with Internet Explorer security zones
New Exchange Server tools named as Products of the Year
Top 10 Exchange Server administration tips of 2006
Enabling protocol logging for Exchange Server
Eliminate annoying Microsoft Outlook security warnings with ClickYes Pro
Forefront beta secures SharePoint collaboration
Dell, Symantec simplify Secure Exchange for SMBs
Tutorial: How to determine which ports Exchange Server is using
Unsecured devices worry IT professionals
Dell and Symantec bundle hardware, security
Exchange Server Security Research

Exchange Server Administration Tips
Is your Exchange 2007 hub transport server healthy?
Avoid Outlook 2007 performance issues during repairs
Developing an Exchange 2007 server role DR plan
How DSAccess service improves Exchange Server 2007 reliability
An introduction to the Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer tool
Monitor Exchange 2007 with disk- and RPC-related counters
DPM 2007 replica inconsistencies in Exchange databases
Track Exchange 2007 mailbox server health using database counters
Digging deeper into Exchange Server 2010
Exchange admins: Is it time to rethink your email address policy?

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
service pack  (SearchExchange.com)

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary


f not, you'll need to see if an upgrade for that device/program exists -- or perhaps consider a replacement that doesn't cause such issues.

About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of Windows Insight, a newsletter devoted to hints, tips, tricks, news and goodies for all flavors of Windows users.

Do you have comments on this tip? Let us know.

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

  • Tip: Using an appliance to reduce the performance impact of spam
  • Tip: How and why to disable certain ESMTP verbs
  • Fast Guide: Exchange Server security essentials
  • 5 tips in 5 minutes: Securing Exchange Server 2003
  • Step-by-Step Guide: How to use ISA Server as an SMTP filter

    Please let others know how useful this tip was via the rating scale below. Do you have a useful Exchange Server or Microsoft Outlook tip, timesaver or workaround to share? Submit it to SearchExchange.com. If we publish it, we'll send you a nifty thank-you gift.

    Rate this Tip
    To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchExchange.com.
    Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member.




    DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.



    • Email Server Solutions: Exchange 2007, Exchange 2003, Exchange 2000, SharePoint
    HomeNewsTopicsITKnowledge ExchangeTipsAsk the ExpertsMultimediaWhite PapersIT Downloads
    About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
    SEARCH 
    TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.

    TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Site Map




    All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2004 - 2009, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy     		  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts