Troubleshooting the Exchange 2000 offline address list

This article describes the Exchange 2000 offline address list and how to troubleshoot it.

An offline address list is a set of address lists in files that are created and stored on an offline address list server. Users who work offline can connect to an Exchange 2000 Server computer and download offline address lists remotely to obtain information about other users in the organization.

When you create an offline address list, the specified address lists are converted to a single data file and stored in a public folder. When users download the offline address list, this data file is used as the source of information.

Offline address lists typically contain at least one address list that represents the global address list. Users who are working offline can use this global address list with Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) e-mail clients.

Enable Diagnostics Logging

To troubleshoot activity that occurs when the offline address list is rebuilt, increase the diagnostic logging to maximum on the following object in the offline address list server properties: Monitor the Application event log for events that can assist you in troubleshooting issues with offline address list generation.

Verify Valid Offline Address List

Use Exchange System Manager to view the properties of the mailbox store. On the General tab, make sure that the store points to an Offline address list.

Rebuild the Offline Address List

If the OAB Version2 folder is missing from the Public Folders container (to locate this container, click the Administrative Groups container, click the Servers container, click the server_name container, and then click the First Storage Group container), rebuild the default offline address list in Exchange System Manager. To rebuild the default offline address list:

1. Expand the Recipients container, and then expand the Offline Address Lists container. Delete and re-create the Default Offline Address List by using a different name.
   
   Note If you do not use a different name, you will not be able to download the offiline address list.
2. Open the Default Offline Address List properties, and then set the Update Interval to Always.
3. In the Default Offline Address List properties, confirm that the Default Global Address List is in the Address List list. Add any other address lists that are necessary for offline access.
4. Click OK to save the settings.
5. Right-click the Default Offline Address List, and then click Rebuild. Allow time for the system to rebuild the offline address list and replicate the information among the domain controllers.
6. Verify that the OAB Version2 folder was created successfully in the Public Folders container under the Administrative Groups\Servers\server_name\First Storage Group containers. If the OAB Version2 folder was not created, view the Application event log to determine which errors occurred.
7. If the OAB Version2 folder was successfully created, verify that a MAPI client can download the offline address list.

Replicate the Offline Address List to Other Servers

If there are multiple sites in the Exchange organization, replicate the default offline address list to the servers in those sites to improve download performance. To replicate the offline address list to other servers:

1. Open the properties of the OAB Version2 object, and then click the Replication tab.
2. Add the other servers to the Replicate content to these public stores list.
3. Click OK to save the changes.
4. The replication of the OAB Version2 folder follows the replication schedule of the public folder store by default. To force replication to occur immediately, rebuild the default offline address list.
5. Track the status of the replication messages. For more information about how to track the status of the replication messages, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   260330  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260330/ ) Public folder hierarchy and content is not being replicated across routing groups