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Q156716: XCON: Foreign MTA Rejects X.400 Messages

Article: Q156716
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage
Last Modified: 05-APR-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

An X.400 message sent from Microsoft Exchange Server to a foreign system might
be rejected by the delivering Message Transfer Agent (MTA) if that MTA attempts
to perform any actions on the originator and recipient X.500 directory names
(DNs) contained within the message envelope.

CAUSE
=====

In accordance with the 1988 X.400 standard, a field in the P1 is reserved for
the X.500 DN name. This can be either Printable Character Set or Teletex.
Microsoft Exchange uses a printable string but maintains non- printable
characters in the DN. These non-printable characters can cause the rejection of
messages at a foreign MTA.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The DNs are generated by Microsoft Exchange based upon certain configuration
attributes. For example:

  o=MyOrg   <org>
  ou=My_site<site name>
  cn=RECIPIENTS<container name>
  cn=xxxxxxxx<user/display name?>

In the above example, an underscore in the site name will cause the problem. The
encoded DN includes information identifying the attribute type (o, ou, cn, and
so forth) and syntax. Microsoft Exchange specifies that the ou name syntax is
PrintableString, but an underscore is not in the PrintableString character set
(The X.500 standards state that the ou [and o] names can also be Teletext
[T.61], which includes the underscore character).

STATUS
======

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

  S E R V P A C K

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbusage 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0

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