Unable to bind to the destination server in DNS

[jcon]

I have built a test W2K3 Forest / domain on my network along with an EXCH2003
sp2 member server. The DC for this test environment is the DNS server and
has my production environment W2K3 Forest w/ child domain setup as secondary
zones. as well as the production DNS have a secondary zone setup for the test
environment.

From the production accounts i can send email to the test accounts. But i
can not send email from the test to the production. Message are sitting in
the queue and the connector information says "Unable to bind to the
destination server in DNS.".

Can anyone help with this?

[Rich Matheisen [MVP]]

jcon <jc...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

Why can't the server locate the DNS? Did you create a zone in your
test network that's authoritative for the domain in production?

--
Rich Matheisen
MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
MS Exchange FAQ at http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm
Don't send mail to this address mailto:h.p...@getronics.com
Or to these, either: mailto:h.p...@pinkroccade.com mailto:melvin.mcp...@getronics.com mailto:melvin.mcp...@pinkroccade.com

[jamest...@gmail.com]

>From the test Exchange server, do an nslookup for your production's
Exchange server's name. Are you able to resolve?

James Chong
MCSE + Messaging, MCTS
msexchangetips.blogspot.com

[jcon]

Yes it does resolve the name.

they can resolve each other.

C:\Documents and Settings\adjcon>nslookup mail.dev-env.local
Server: server1.child.forest.com
Address: 192.168.100.10

Name: mail.dev-env.local
Address: 192.168.100.246

C:\Documents and Settings\adjcon>

[jamest...@gmail.com]

Can you check your SMTP virtual server properties to see if you have
configured external DNS servers?

[jcon]

thanks.

Default SMTP VS > Properties > Delivery Tab > advanced button > configure
button = no external dns entries.

[jamest...@gmail.com]

Hmm, just for grins, add your productions DNS server in the external
dns entries. This will have your test Exchange server use those DNS
servers for name resolution. I would restart couple services as once
done.

James Chong

[jcon]

did that.....no change.

[jamest...@gmail.com]

That is strange. Try this, make sure you removed the DNS entries in the
external DNS settings. In DNS on your test server, add a conditional
forwarder for your productions domain. If you're not sure on how to do
this, link below. Remove your secondary zone too. This should have your
local DNS server forward all queries for your prod domain to his
server. I would restart some services as well, SMTP, DNS Client, etc.

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/DNS_Conditional_Forwarding_in_Windows_Server_2003.html

James Chong

[jcon]

Ok made the last changes. ON the test server the production MAIL.DOMAIN.COM
resolves to external / Public ip. However once i restarted the services the
DNS unbable to BIND went away and the mail was delivered. I think this is
great, however does this mean that the internal DNS on the production system
is not working as designed?

[jcon]

I could not resolve any names of production servers while on the test
servers. In the advanced TCP/ip settings DNS tab i checked the append the
DNS suffixes(In order) and added the production domains to the list after
test domain. I was able to resolve the name to the internal IP after i did
this. But now the problem exist again. unable to bind to the destination
server in DNS.

i need to resolve production server name to local IP for ADMT to work. and
i need to be able to send email to the production exchange. I think I am
heading toward a DNS melt down on the production systems that will delay this
project.

[jcon]

Ok....with more testing i have found that if the TESTING can resolve the
productions mail servers internal ip then I will get the Unable to bind
error. if the testing resolves the External IP it will forward the mail out
to the internet. This is fine, and tells me that my testing exchange is
working as designed and planned.

Production can resolve testing internally and is able to forward messages to
testing. It just does not make since.

[jamest...@gmail.com]

>From your test box, are you able to telnet to port 25 using the
internal IP of your prod Exchange server? From your test Exchange box,
open a command prompt, and type telnet internal IP 25. Internal or
External should not matter, which is why I'm thinking it may be more of
a network issue at this point.

James Chong
MCSE | M+, S+, MCTS, Security+
msexchangetips.blogspot.com