In an Exchange 2007 Environment the Exchange Management Console may try to connect to a non-existing DC/GC, i.e. a DC/GC, which was earlier in the environment, but was later demoted and removed from the environment. An automatic failover to an existing DC/GC in the environment does not take place and the Exchange Management Console may close, showing an error message You will notice this Error in application Log:
Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange Configuration Cmdlet - Remote Management
Date: 12/9/2009 9:24:31 AM
Event ID: 4
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: MAIL01.FQDN.COM
Description: (PID 5984, Thread 10) Task Get-ExchangeServer writing error when processing record of index 0. Error: Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.SuitabilityDirectoryException: An Active Directory error 0x51 occurred when trying to check the suitability of server 'OLDDC.FQDN.COM'. Error: 'Active directory response: The LDAP server is unavailable.' ---> System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.LdapException: The LDAP server is unavailable.
(PID 11100, Thread 24) Task Get-MailboxDatabase writing error when processing record of index 0. Error: Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.SuitabilityDirectoryException: An Active Directory error 0x51 occurred when trying to check the suitability of server '<FQDN of Your Server>'. Error: 'Active directory response: The LDAP server is unavailable.' ---> System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.LdapException: The LDAP server is unavailable.
at System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.LdapConnection.Connect()
at System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.LdapConnection.BindHelper(NetworkCredential newCredential, Boolean needSetCredential)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.SuitabilityVerifier.CreateConnectionAndBind(String fqdn, Int32 portNumber, NetworkCredential credential)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.SuitabilityVerifier.CreateConnectionAndBind(String fqdn, Int32 portNumber, NetworkCredential credential)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.SuitabilityVerifier.IsServerSuitable(String fqdn, Boolean isGlobalCatalog, NetworkCredential credential, String& writableNC, LocalizedString& errorMessage)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ConnectionPoolManager.GetConnection(ConnectionType connectionType, ADObjectId domain, String serverName, Int32 port, NetworkCredential credential)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ConnectionPoolManager.GetConnection(ConnectionType connectionType, NetworkCredential networkCredential, String serverName, Int32 port)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADSession.GetConnection(String preferredServer, Boolean isWriteOperation, Boolean isNotifyOperation, String optionalBaseDN, ADObjectId& rootId, ADScope scope)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADSession.GetReadConnection(String preferredServer, ADObjectId& rootId, ADRawEntry scopeDeteriminingObject)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADGenericReader.GetNextResultCollection(Type controlType, DirectoryControl& responseControl)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADPagedReader`1.GetNextResultCollection()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADGenericPagedReader`1.GetNextPage()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.ADGenericPagedReader`1.<GetEnumerator>d__4.MoveNext()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.GetDatabaseTask`1.WriteResult[T](IEnumerable`1 dataObjects)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.GetTaskBase`1.InternalProcessRecord()
The issue even does not go away even if you go into the Exchange Management Console and change the Configuration Domain Controller according to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998227.aspx
Symptoms
It is correct that the DC, mentioned in the application log is not available. The server may have been demoted, nevertheless Exchange still tries to connect to the unavailable DC.
This obsolete Information is cached in an EMC file in the Windows profile with whom user has logged into the server.
Cause
Go to the following location and delete the Exchange Management Console file.
C:\users\<specific user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\MMC\Exchange Management Console
Close EMC and Reopen it.
NOTE: Be aware, that You may loose certain filtering preconfigurations You made for that user.
Resolution
For certain filter settings of the EMC see the following: http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/10/20/429233.aspx
