Exchange Server 2007 lost mailboxes and distribution groups

Question

I was having some trouble with our Exchange 2007 server earlier which was causing it to fail to connect to our Domain Controller.

I've managed to get is to connect to the domain controller and I can now log in and view my emails. However, any user that was created on the Exchange Server rather than the Domain Controller is now missing their mailbox. Likewise, any Distribution Groups that were created are also missing.

As far as I can tell, nothing is corrupted at all. The mailbox database has been 'cleaned' but no mailboxes are showing in the Disconnected Mailbox tab.

I have changed the Recipient Scope to every available option but I still don't seem to be able to see the missing mailboxes.

If a user whom is missing their mailbox tries to login to OWA they get a similar error to this:

Outlook Web Access could not find a mailbox for S-1-5-21-4025249410-3730884854-1808593348-1187. If the problem continues, contact technical support for your organization and tell them the following: The mailbox may be stored on a Microsoft Exchange 2000 or Microsoft Exchange 2003 server, or the Active Directory user account was created recently and has not yet replicated to the Active Directory site where this Client Access server is hosted.

The string S-1-5-21-4025249410-3730884854-1808593348-1187 changes for each person.

dcdiag.exe is showing loads of errors - I'm struggling to figure out where the replication error is/was coming from:

 Warning: EXCHANGE01 is not advertising as a time server.

 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test Advertising

 There are warning or error events within the last 24 hours after the

 SYSVOL has been shared.  Failing SYSVOL replication problems may cause

 Group Policy problems. 
 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test DFSREvent

 A warning event occurred.  EventID: 0x80000785

    Time Generated: 02/17/2013   17:59:39

    Event String:

    The attempt to establish a replication link for the following writable directory partition failed. 


 A warning event occurred.  EventID: 0x80000785

    Time Generated: 02/17/2013   17:59:39

    Event String:

    The attempt to establish a replication link for the following writable directory partition failed. 


 A warning event occurred.  EventID: 0x80000785

    Time Generated: 02/17/2013   17:59:39

    Event String:

    The attempt to establish a replication link for the following writable directory partition failed. 


 [CARBON] DsBindWithSpnEx() failed with error -2146893022,

 The target principal name is incorrect..
 Warning: CARBON is the Schema Owner, but is not responding to DS RPC

 Bind.

 [CARBON] LDAP bind failed with error 8341,

 A directory service error has occurred..
 Warning: CARBON is the Schema Owner, but is not responding to LDAP

 Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Domain Owner, but is not responding to DS RPC

 Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Domain Owner, but is not responding to LDAP

 Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the PDC Owner, but is not responding to DS RPC

 Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the PDC Owner, but is not responding to LDAP Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Rid Owner, but is not responding to DS RPC

 Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Rid Owner, but is not responding to LDAP Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Infrastructure Update Owner, but is not

 responding to DS RPC Bind.

 Warning: CARBON is the Infrastructure Update Owner, but is not

 responding to LDAP Bind.

 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test KnowsOfRoleHolders

 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test Replications

 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test RidManager

    w32time Service is stopped on [EXCHANGE01]

 ......................... EXCHANGE01 failed test Services

Answer 1

Your Exchange server is also a DC for some reason, right? I think this is where your problems are: IIRC once you put Exchange on a DC, Exchange binds to the DC role it's sharing on the same system. If this DC is not working right then any service (e.g. Exchange) that relies upon that DC working correctly will have problems.

Either way, I'd suggest that the DCDiag output certainly points to a more general connectivity issue that needs to be solved before you worry too much about Exchange. You need to solve whatever is wrong with the DC role on this machine before even thinking about anything else, because until this is right you can't begin to assess the true impact of any further issues you might have.

Looking at your DCDiag output, and assuming you've done the usual tests for basic connectivity, I'd wonder if you've got a DNS issue going on here:

Check that each system's TCP/IP settings are configured correctly - the DCs shouldn't just be pointing to themselves for DNS.

If one or more of the DCs (I'm thinking the Exchange server in particular, but check all of them) is dual homed (more than one network card) then check that DNS information for this DC hasn't been messed up - it may have registered in DNS with the wrong IP address, which will stop things from working properly. Fix that and then see where you are.

If that doesn't do it, then it might be time to go back and check all the basics of connectivity. What were your earlier issues? What did you do to resolve them? Are there any firewalls between the DCs (including local firewalls on the DCs) that may be causing a connection problem?

I'd also add that unless the DC problems are easy or obvious to solve, or if solving them doesn't dramatically improve the Exchange situation, then this would be a very good time to contact Microsoft PSS - especially if you don't have a known good backup of this Exchange server.