XCON: ContentReturn Requested by Default

When an X.400 message sent from Microsoft Exchange Server to a foreign MTA cannot be delivered by the foreign MTA, a non-delivery report (NDR) is sent back to Microsoft Exchange Server. This NDR contains the original message as content.

The PerMessageFlag of an X.400 message sent by the Microsoft Exchange MTA is always constructed with the ContentReturnRequest field being set to true. As a result, any NDR contains the content of the original message. The construction of the ContentReturnRequest field cannot be configured through the Microsoft Exchange administration module or through the client software.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 4.0. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 4.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

The behavior described in this article does not represent a violation of any X.400 standard. However on low-bandwidth or expensive X.400 links, it may not be desirable for the NDR to contain the original message as content. The fix described herein allows you to configure the ContentReturnRequest field on a per-connector basis. The default behavior for Microsoft Exchange Server is to set the ContentReturnRequest field to true, thus asking for the content to be sent back with an NDR.

You can set the ContentReturnRequest field to false in order to not request the content be returned with an NDR. Please do the following, after applying the hotfix, for EACH X.400 connector for which you want the Microsoft Exchange default setting to be changed:

1. Start the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program in raw mode using the following syntax:
   ADMIN -R
2. In the Connections container, select the X.400 connector you want to change.
3. On the File menu, click Raw Properties. This brings up the raw property page of the selected connector.
4. In the "List attributes of type" box at the lower left corner of the Raw Properties tab page, click Non existing.
5. In the "Object attributes" list box, select the Heuristics property to highlight it.
6. In the "Edit value" box, type 64 (0x40 hex); the Set button will become active. Click the Set button.
7. Click the Apply button and then click the OK button. This should close the Raw Properties page for this connector.
8. Check to see whether your modifications have been applied properly:
   1. On the File menu, click Raw Properties again.
   2. In the "List attributes of type" box, click Existing objects. You should see the Heuristics property with a value of 64.
9. Repeat steps 1 through 9 for each connector you want to modify. If you want the modifications to take effect immediately, stop and restart the service Microsoft Exchange message transfer agent (MTA).