Exchange Server 2007 creates incorrect Lotus Notes proxy email addresses

Consider the following scenario:

• You have a computer that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
• You create the following email policy on the Exchange Server2007 server:

  Lotus Notes "@notes", SMTP "%m@test.dom" 

• You create a mailbox user whose email alias has a character contains a diacritical mark, such as test1ñtest.
• You apply the new policy and then check the email addresses created by the Exchange Server 2007 Recipient Update Service.

 In this scenario, you notice the following information in the policy results:
 

However, you expect to see the following correct alias information for Lotus Notes:
 

This problem occurs because of an issue in the Exchange Server 2007 Recipient Update Service or in the Proxy generator code of Lotus Notes proxy addresses. The Exchange Server 2007 Recipient Update Service or the Proxy generator do not handle diacritical marks correctly. However, the Exchange Server 2007 Recipient Update Service or the Proxy generator convert characters that include a diacritical mark into a hexadecimal string. For example, the ñ character is converted into the =FFF1 hexadecimal string.

To resolve this problem, install the following update rollup:

There are two workarounds for this problem.

Workaround 1: Rename the user aliases 

To work around this problem, rename any alias name that contains diacritical marks by removing the diacritical marks. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
2. In the console tree, expand Recipient Configuration, and then click Mailbox.
3. In the result pane, select the mailboxe on which you want to rename the alias name.
4. In the action pane, under the mailbox name, click Properties.
5. In <Mailbox_User> Properties, click the General tab.
6. In the Alias box, type the new alias name that contains no diacritical marks. 
7. Click OK.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 for each affected alias name.
9. Reapply the new email policy.

Workaround 2: Configure the Lotus Notes proxy address manually

To work around this problem, configure the Lotus Notes proxy address manually for each Exchange Server 2007 mailbox alias name that contains didactical marks. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
2. In the console tree, expand Recipient Configuration, and then click Mailbox.
3. In the result pane, select the mailbox for which you want to add a new email address.
4. In the action pane, under the mailbox name, click Properties.
5. In <Mailbox_User> Properties, click the E-mail Addresses tab.
6. Under E-mail Addresses, delete the existing Lotus Notes proxy address.
7. Click the arrow that is next to Add, and then select Custom Address.
8. In Custom Address, in the E-mail Address box, type the new Lotus Notes email address without diacritical marks.
9. In the E-mail type box, type Lotus Notes, and then click OK.
10. Click Apply, and then click OK.
11. Repeat steps 3 through 10 for each affected email alias.
12. Reapply the new Lotus Notes policy.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.