You cannot manage a mail-enabled public folder in a mixed Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2010 environment

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:

• You have a mail-enabled public folder on a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 server in a child domain of a forest.

• You perform one of the following operation from a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 child domain in the same forest:

  • You run the Get-MailPublicFolder cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) to manage the public folder.

  • You start the Public Folder Management Console from the Exchange Management Console (EMC), and then you use it to manage the public folder.

In this scenario, you cannot manage the public folder. Additionally, you receive the following error message if you use EMS:

If you use the Public Folder Management Console, you receive the following error message in a dialog box:

For example, you have a mail-enabled public folder that has the "child1@childDomain03.forest.com" SMTP address and that is stored on an Exchange Server 2003 server in the "childDomain03" child domain of a forest. Assume that you try to manage the public folder from the "childDomain10" domain that is an Exchange Server 2010 child domain of the same forest. In this scenario, this issue occurs.

Cause

This issue occurs because Exchange Server 2010 does not connect to a global catalog (GC) to create the ADRecipientSession session when it executes the Get-MailPublicFolder cmdlet.

Resolution

To resolve this issue that occurs when you use the Public Folder Management Console, install the following update rollup:

2645995 Description of Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2

Note This update does not resolve the issue that occurs when you use EMS. To work around this issue that occurs in EMS, see the "Workaround" section.

Workaround

To work around this issue, use EMS to run the Set-ADServerSettings -ViewEntireForest $true cmdlet, and then run the Get-MailPublicFolder cmdlet.

Note This workaround does not work if you use the Public Folder Management Console.

Status

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

More Information

For more information about the Get-MailPublicFolder cmdlet, visit the following Microsoft website:

General information about the Get-MailPublicFolder cmdletFor more information about the Set-AdServerSettings cmdlet, visit the following Microsoft website:

General information about the Set-AdServerSettings cmdlet