Inter-organization setup for Exchange 2003 between the forest
        Configuring Interorg Replication Tool for replicating the Public Folder & Schedule Free Busy between the forests

After going through this article:
 Will understand how to configure the replication tool for public folders between the forests
 Will understand how to create a galsync between the forest
 Will understand how to configure schedule free busy between the forests.







Recently I came up with a scenario where one my colleague told me that he is planning to go with inter-organization setup. And it is very important to know which are the steps we need to perform before we could implement. I would personally recommend you to do your homework before you could implement the inter-organization setup.

We have lots of good stuff in our technet for inter-org setup and even in msexchange.org which can help us to configure it properly. To be frank with you all, my knowledge regarding inter-org which I gained is purely from this article from microsoft, there is no doubt about it. But still there will be lack of confidence unless until we feel or see the actual setup. So how we can come up with this sort of scenario, first to gain the knowledge from the guy who had already did this sort of scenario and next we need to implement our own lab setup. This is how we can achieve it.

What does inter-org tool?
Well it is nothing but a replication tool between two or more exchange organization where we can share our public folder data and free busy calendar. The best example I can give for inter-org setup is where we have one company called as SITE1 and SITE2. SITE1 decided to acquire SITE2 completely so in this scenario they need to move the user account, mailboxes to SITE1, for complete migration process it will take certain time but what about my public folder data and calendar sharing information, so here we have concept of interorg replication.
The above one is just one sort example there might be other reason also where you need to interorg and in the KB: 238573 MS has given some of the example in which  interorg replication will be best fit for those scenarios.

Whenever we talking about inter-org replication we need to understand some of the key components involved:
 Publisher : Publisher account is the one who is responsible to send the Exchange organization information from the source exchange server organization to target Exchange Server Organization.

 Subscriber: Subscriber is the one who collects the information from the publisher.

 Need to have interorg Replication Tool which you can download from this link

 When  you extract Exchsync folder which you have download (recommended place : C:\) you will get two files Configuration file which is EXscfg.exe and Replication Service File which is Exsrv.exe

• Exscfg.exe : This is the file where you will configure the data which need to share between the organizations either it can be public folder or free busy or both, will schedule the time interval to update the changes between the organization. Default time for schedule is 30 mins and minimum time you can set is 5 mins (recommended time set to 30 minutes as per my experience).
• Exsrv.exe : This is replication service which will be installed in the computer where you are running as a service called as “Exchange Replication Service” and in this service only we will add configuration file whichever we had configured.
  Note: Exscfg.exe is configuration place and exsrv.exe is the replication of those configuration.
  Key notes: Public folder replication can be set as one way replication or two replication (bi-directional) i.e configuring public data replication from the source server and keeping it as bi-directional will replicate the information of both the exchange organization.
   Schedule Free busy will be always set to one way replication so here we need to set it on both the organizations.

To know more about publisher, Subscriber, Exscfg.exe & Exsrv.exe theoretically please go through Microsoft KB

Ok the above information is just a basic overview.

I am going to walkthrough one of the scenario which I came across in my past experience.

Note: Permissions which I am going to set may be or may not be recommended in the real time because it is purely going to set as per your business and security topology you have. If anybody has any sort of update regarding my complete interorg where you feel, you can value add and for that just please post a mail so that I can change it. It is just my experience and some of the other articles which I was referred for galsync. Recommended comments always to be welcome in my post.

If anybody trying out in the VMware or Virtual PC don’t forget to disable the chimney otherwise you won’t have network connectivity  between the two different forests.

I have one forest called as SITE1 which is having Exchange 2003 in their organization and they planned to acquired new organization called SITE2 which is also running Exchange 2003.

My requirement : I need to move the mailboxes, replicate the public folder & schedule Free busy and most important is till the completion of my migration process I need to have galsync between the forest

My Lab Setup:

SITE1:
 One AD Server called as “HappyAD.SITE1.com” 
                                            o Role : AD\DC\GC & DNS
                                            o Ip address range : 192.168.4.x
 One Exchange Server called as “HappyE2K3.Site1.com”
                                            o Role : Exchange Server (E2k3 with sp2)
                                            o Ip Address Range : 192.168.4.x
 One more server called as “GALSYNC.Site1.com”
                                                o Role : IIFP & SQL
                                                o IP address Range : 192.168.4.x

SITE2:
 One AD Server called as “SmileAD.SITE2.com” 
                                            o Role : AD\DC\GC & DNS
                                            o Ip address range : 192.168.5.x
 One Exchange Server called as “SmileE2K3.Site2.com”
                                                        o Role : Exchange Server (E2k3 with sp2)
                                                        o Ip Address Range : 192.168.5.x

One Router: who is going to connect the link between these two forest.


Current Status:
 Had installed Exchange Application with sp2 in both the forest
 Created some test users with mailbox in Site1 & Site2
Figure 1:
Site1 Forest: User information

 
Site2 Forest: User information

 Created some test public folders and even I send some test message
Site1 Pf setup:

 
Site2 PF setup
 

 Both the organizations are able to send/receive email between them. For how to create a connector between the forest in your lab please follow this link.
 Had setup a Forest Trust relationship between the forest : To know about how to do forest trust setup please go  through this link.
 Check the mailflow & meeting request between the organization. It should work fine before you are moving further.

Configuring Interorg Replication Tool:
 First think we need to do is creating a publisher and subscriber account with an mailbox, then configuring their outlook and finally creating a public folder called as “ExchsyncSecurityFolder”. In this “ExchsyncSecurityFolder” public folder we need give just visible permission for both the respective account in each forest and then we need to give these account (publisher and Subscriber) as ownership rights on each and every public folder.
Note : I have created a account called as InterOrg in both the forest.

Created a public folder called as “ExchsyncSecurityFolder” and assigned visible permission.
Assigned Interorg as owner for each and every public folder (Either you can use ESM or PFDavadmin)

o Site1Configuration:
 Figure 3-1:
 
Note: in the above Figure Default and Anonymous Set to None
Assigned Ownership rights for interorg account in each and every public folders.
Figure 3-2
 

o Site2 Configuration:
 As like Site1 I did same configuration.

 I have given Full Exchange Administrator for both the interorg account in their respective forest.

 Now I need to replicate the public folder data and schedule free busy so inorder to do that I need to have Replication tool in my exchange organization so inroder to get that interorg replication tool please refer this link.

 Log on to SITE1 Exchange Server Organization
 Extract the ExchSync tool and save in the C:\Drive
Figure 4:
 
Note : Two exe files – one for configuration and another for replication service.


Configuring your public folder replication between the forest:
 Double Click the Exscfg.exe : It will open new configuration Window
 Click on Session option in the Menu Bar and then click on ADD : It will give you two options
o Public Folder Replication &
o Schedule Free Busy Replicaiton
 Select Public Folder Replication and click on OK
Figure 5:

 
 Once you click on Ok it will open up a public folder Session Configuration
o Title : Give a Title name : my preference “PF replication SITE1 <->SITE2”
Figure 6-1:
 

o Schedule : When to start the replication of those changes by default 30 mins but as it is my lab server, I have choosen 5 mins.
Figure 6-2
 

o Logging : if you choose the option of enable log it will save the logs in C:\Exchsync folder
Figure 6-3
 

o Maximum Tasks : Set to be default, however I choosed for 5 attempts
See the figure 6-1

o Publisher Organization : Here you need to give the publisher account information.
Figure 6-4
 
Note : Either you can go without Advanced information but I recommend to set it out.

o Subscriber Organization : Need to give Subscriber Account information.
Figure 6-5
 
Note: Most of the time I use to get an error message when I the setting as like 6-5. Laterly we will see that error message but first you attempt with the above user information.

o Folder List : Need to choose which are the folder need to replicate from where to where.
Inside folder list you will two columns : one for publisher and another subscriber and mode of replication
Figure 6-6
 
Note: In the above figure you will notice one small icon (-> This is nothing but one-way replication here I will set it to  bi-directional (<->. For setting it to bi-directional just you click on that arrow mark.
If you authentication or logon information is proper you will see the list of public folder.

Let me click on Publish Logon & then subscriber logon and see that whether I am able to see the  list of public folders
Figure 6-7
 

If you see the above figure I am able to logong on publisher public folder howerver i am unable to logon to the subscriber exchange server using interorg mailbox.

Here I did small workaround instead of using just a alias name of subscriber I type FQDN of subscriber server in the Account logon information
Figure 6-8:
 

 Now let me click on Folder List => Subscriber => Logon
Figure 6-9

 
 Once you click on OK – It will allow you show all the PF’s of SITE2 Organizatio
Figure 6-10:
 
Note : If you select subfolders options whatever the public folders we have under the main folder it will start to replicate.
I have selected bi-directional method (<-> as I said earlier PF can be set to bi-directional, if you want one way also you can choose the default one.

Once we select the folder from source organization and folder destination organization, simply click on ADD and you will the output in the output column – as per the figure 6-10.

Now we are done with PF configuration, when you close it will ask you the location of saving this configuration, please choose the proper drive and folder based on your convenient.

Now it’s a time to install and run replication service (Exsrv.exe)

Installing and running Replication Service:
 Double click Exsrv.exe  (Location of this exe is C:\ExchSync )
Figure 7-1:
 

 Click on Install : When you click on  install it will open the configuration window for service account who is authorized to run this service
Figure 7-2”
 

Note :
o Service account should always be your domain\username
o Configuration file : It is nothing but the file which you have configured from Excnfg.exe, so need to select that file.
o Working Directory : It is place where it will create a logs by default c:\exchsync

 Once you click on OK, after that you won’t see Install option as like we had in 7-2 figure instead of that you will “Remove” & “Start” and moreover in the Services window you will see “Exchange Replication Service”
Figure 7-3:
   (Print Screen took from services.msc)
If you notice Replication service require local user account. Service will started once I click on Start.

 Now I clicked on Start :
Figure 7-4:
 
Note: Once you click on Start : Status will be started then logon authentication then it will start to run. It will wait for 5 mints and then it will try to replicate those changes. (Because I have set it to 5 mins schedule changes.
Replication process is MAPI interface : Port number used for this 135

Now let me verify the status  after 5 mins:
Figure 7-5
 
Note : you can see that there is Msg changes : 5
In my case warning message is coming just because of FQDN.

 Now let me see that any folders are replicated from between these two exchange organizations.
Figure 8:
 
Note: my Exchange Organization is Site2 and I am able to see the conten of site1 PF folder.

 Let me put some content in SITE2APF and let see whether it is replicating to the SITE1 PF.
Figure 9:
 

 Now let me check in SITE1A Public Folder
Figure 10:
 

This is how the interorg replication need to configure.

Troubleshooting:
 Check the Application log for possible event id
 Check the service account login information (Majorly 90% of the time you will face the issue because of this service account improper information)
 Try to restart the Exchange Replication Service.
 When we configure the public folder replication between org for the first time you might face delay in the replication, in this case you can restart both the exchange server and try to modify pf like send some test message.


Configuring Schedule Free Busy:

Before you go ahead and configure Schedule Free Busy. It is recommended to have the user accounts in formation in the mode of contact in each forest. For testing purpose you can go ahead and create a test contact for the users account. If you want to go ahead with bulk user account then you can go with galsync by mode of MIIS or IIFP application.

In my scenario I had created the contacts by installing a IIFP server. For configuration of IIFP please click on this link.

Note: Once you configure IIFP based on the above article reference click on Export and see that whether you are able to replicate the user account information from one forest to another forest as a contact if not then possiblities will be permission issues..of the user account you are using.

Schedule Free busy will always be in one way replication so we need to configure it in both the forest.
Next very important things  to do is add interorg user need to set as owner in Schedule free busy .
Figure 11:
 

 Logon to SITE1 Forest
 Double click exscfg.exe
 Click on Session => Add and select Schedule Free Busy
Figure11-1:
 
Above configuration is almost same like public folder configuration except the site list.
Note:  Set the schedule to be atleast 30 mins in both the forest because if you set it to minimum then you won’t get proper update and also by default you can uncheck “Publish custom recipient free/busy data”
 Save it in the existing one where you have public folder configuration or else you can have new one.
 Configure the Replication Service
Figure 12:


Figure 12-1
 
Note : If you select all sites, it will start the replication process for all sites or else you can go with only one selected sites by clicking on Logon. Moreover whenever you configure schedule free busy just click on Logon to check whether you are allowed to access the schedule service.

Let see the configuration replication process in Each Forest
Site1:
Figure 13-1
 

 Now we need to configure Free busy replication on Site2.
 When we are configuring schedule free busy in the SITE2, make sure that site account is the publisher.
Figure14:
 
 Once you configure then install and start the replication service as we did for public folder replication

Site B:
Figure 15:
 

 Now lets check the status of schedule free busy…
o In Site1
 Logged in with users called as “Site1A”
                • Added the following user in my schedule list
                            o Site1A (alias) and email address : site1A@site1.com
                            o Site2A(Contacts) and user is located in Site2 Forest : Email : site2a@site2.com
                            o Interorg (Alias) and email address : interorg@site1.com
                            o Interorg (Contacts and email address : interog@site2.com
Figure 16:
 

Note : Site1A user is able to see the schedule time of Site2 user account which I have marked in red column.

 Now lets check the same in the Site2:
            o Logged in with a user called as interorg and his email address is interorg@site2.com
                             Add the following users to know the schedule
                                • Interorg (same user account of site2)
                                • Site2a (user account of site 2 forest)
                                • Site1A (contact of Site1 Forest)
Figure 17:
 

This is how we need to configure the schedule free busy between the forest.

So far what we have covered is replication of PF, Schedule Free busy and Galsync.

Moving the mailboxes:
For moving the mailboxes I have documented an article but it is for exchange 2007 however the concept is same and we can use Move mailbox wizard from Exchange Server. Click on this link

Then finally decomission the site2 exchange Server.

Upcoming Article:
Inter-org Replication from Exchange 2003 forest to Exchange 2007 sp1 forest

Reference Link:

Installing, configuring, and using the InterOrg Replication utility

XADM: Troubleshooting the InterOrg Replication Utility

Free/Busy Folders in Exchange Server 2003 in Depth


I hope that this article is very informative for you all. Thank you for your time in this matter.