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Q238506: XADM: Installing Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent MIXER

Article: Q238506
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): exc55
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you 
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore 
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the 
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY
=======

This article explains how to install the Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent
(MTA) MIME Internet X.400 Enhanced Relay (MIXER).

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

Best Practices for Implementing the X.400/SMTP Address Mixer Server As a Gateway
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- There should only be two points of entry into the MIXER server: one Internet
  Mail Service, and one X.400 connector. If you need to route out to another
  X.400 address space (that is, use additional X.400 connectors), this should
  be done downstream of the MIXER-enabled server.

- Do not deploy MIXER on a distribution list (DL) expansion server because of
  possible performance issues involved in running the MIXER functionality.

- Do not deploy MIXER on a message journaling server because of the specific
  configurations and message flow routes when message journaling is enabled.

Pre-Installation Tasks
----------------------

1. Decide on your mapping scheme. The MIXER functionality is only invoked if an
  address to be mapped cannot be found in the global address list already. For
  these addresses, decide if an algorithmic mapping will suffice, or list the
  specific mappings that need to be added to the Mcgam file.


  NOTE: Algorithmic mappings will, for example, map "microsoft.com" to c=com;
  a=microsoft, which is invalid because a country cannot have three alphabetic
  characters. In practice, a mapping for .com must be placed in the Mcgam file.

2. If you want algorithmic mapping, set the following registry entry in the MTA
  Parameters key:

  Value: Strict MIXER Conformance
  Type: REG_DWORD
  Data: 1

NOTE: The setting above may be appropriate if, for example, you have complete
control over which domains will be mapped, and you know that they will map
automatically to valid X.400 addresses, or if you know that the messages may
return to the Internet over another MIXER MTA/Internet Mail Service and the
reverse algorithmic mapping will restore the original SMTP address.

If you want any non-Mcgam addresses to be mapped to the site X.400 Address and
Domain Defined Attribute (DDA) RFC-822, omit the registry entry or set it to 0.

3. Create the Mcgam.in.txt file. This file contains the mappings that are used
  by the MIXER MTA. In a production environment, install MIXER on all MTAs in
  the organization that have a local Internet Mail Service. This is to maintain
  consistency as the MIXER MTA and older MTAs use different encapsulation DDAs,
  and it is better not to mix them (that is, a non-MIXER MTA does not recognize
  an RFC-822 DDA.)

Installation
------------

Install Service Pack 3 for Exchange Server 5.5, and carry out the following tasks
before restarting the Exchange Server services.

1. Create the Exchsrvr\Mtadata\Mcgam.in.txt file.

  NOTE: This is required to activate the MIXER code. If you only require
  algorithmic mapping, create an empty file. (This path assumes Mtadata is the
  MTA run directory.) Create a Local.in.txt file, if required.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q241037 XADM: Local.in.txt Is Needed When Using Mixer

2. Add a new registry value to the MSExchangeIMC parameters:

  Value: AddressingNeverFails
  Type: REG_DWORD
  Data: 1

NOTE: This is required because the Internet Mail Service normally only passes
messages to the MTA if it can resolve the recipients against the global address
list. In the MIXER case, there is no global address list entry and you want the
MTA to map the address, so this registry entry overrides the check the Internet
Mail Service makes.

3. If you want MIXER algorithmic mapping for addresses not defined in the Mcgam
  file, add the MTA parameter:

  Value: Strict MIXER Conformance
  Type: REG_DWORD
  Data: 1

4. In the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program, click the Routing tab
  of the IMS Properties page. Add all of the domains for which MIXER will map
  the addresses (for example, microsoft.com), and set them as Route to
  <inbound>.

5. Start the Exchange Server services.

Post-Installation
-----------------

Examine the application event log and look for an ExchangeMTA Informational Event
260. This says that the Mcgam mappings have been written to the
Mtadata\Mappings.out.txt file. Examine this file, and ensure the mappings are
correct. If the MTA detects an error in the Mcgam.in.txt, it logs a 232 or a 233
event, and the Mappings.out.txt file will contain only ?Revert to old tables.?
This means that the MIXER is not active.

In this case, correct the error in the Mcgam.in.txt file, and add the following
MTA parameter in the following registry location:

  Value: Reload MIXER Tables
  Type: REG_DWORD
  Data: <any number>

NOTE: Whenever this value is changed, the MTA immediately recalculates its
mapping table and then checks for a correct Mappings.out.txt file. You may wish
to create this entry initially, and assign it a value of 0. Then, whenever you
make a change to the Local.in.txt file or Mcgam.in.txt file while the MTA is
running, incrementing the value will cause the MTA to immediately recalculate
its mapping table and create a new Mappings.out.txt file.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : exc55 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange550 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:5.5
Issue type        : kbhowto

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