Duplicate email to distribution list

[simone.spasiano]

Hello, I have created a distribution list with 82 contacts. When I
send mail to this DL some recipients receive more than one mail, 2 or
3 copies of same mail. I'm sure that in DL there isn't double
recipients! What Can I do? Outolook is 2003 and it is connected to
Exchange 2003 server.

Thx!

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Hello, I have created a distribution list with 82 contacts. When I
send mail to this DL some recipients receive more than one mail, 2 or
3 copies of same mail. I'm sure that in DL there isn't double
recipients! What Can I do? Outolook is 2003 and it is connected to
Exchange 2003 server.

Are the recipients who get duplicate messages internal to your Exchange
server or external?

 

[simone.spasiano]

Are the recipients who get duplicate messages internal to your Exchange
server or external?

No are external... thx.

 

[F.H. Muffman]

No are external... thx.

I'm tempted to point the finger at Exchange, when it comes to further
troubleshooting.

Assuming that the only messaging service in your profile is the Exchange
server, in other words, no POP3/IMAP/WebMail services are configured, all
mail to the Internet is going to go through the Exchange server.

Since you've said you've verified that people are not in the DL more than
once (and I'm going to assume that:
a) You do not have any nested DLs in your DL where a user may be listed in
both DLs
-and-
b) You've verified that the people gettting multiple copies are getting
them at the same address) you may want to talk to the Exchange administrator
about turning on message tracking and SMTP logging to verify that there is
only a single message being sent to a particular address.

I'd also verify a few things:
1) Can you reproduce the problem if you send to a recipient who reported
the problem individually? In other words, don't use the DL, just mail them
via the contact. See what happens. Pick them out of the Contact list just
like you pick the DL.
2) Does the recipient reporting the problem *always* see the problem or is
it transient? Sometimes User X gets multiples, sometimes User Y.

Now, all that said, if you *do* have a POP3/IMAP/WebMail service set up in
your profile, are you sending to these users via it, or is it via the
Exchange Server?

 

[K. Orland]

Are these internal or external recipients?

 

[simone.spasiano]

I'm tempted to point the finger at Exchange, when it comes to further
troubleshooting.

Assuming that the only messaging service in your profile is the Exchange
server, in other words, no POP3/IMAP/WebMail services are configured, all
mail to the Internet is going to go through the Exchange server.

Since you've said you've verified that people are not in the DL more than
once (and I'm going to assume that:
a) You do not have any nested DLs in your DL where a user may be listed in
both DLs
-and-
b) You've verified that the people gettting multiple copies are getting
them at the same address) you may want to talk to the Exchange administrator
about turning on message tracking and SMTP logging to verify that there is
only a single message being sent to a particular address.

I'd also verify a few things:
1) Can you reproduce the problem if you send to a recipient who reported
the problem individually? In other words, don't use the DL, just mail them
via the contact. See what happens. Pick them out of the Contact list just
like you pick the DL.
2) Does the recipient reporting the problem *always* see the problem or is
it transient? Sometimes User X gets multiples, sometimes User Y.

Now, all that said, if you *do* have a POP3/IMAP/WebMail service set up in
your profile, are you sending to these users via it, or is it via the
Exchange Server?

After some checks: verify the tracking message, smtp log etc, I read
your last rows and I verify the service enable on the user account
that have the problem, and ... he has all three service enable POP3/
IMAP/WbMail. This what can cause? Can you explain to me? Do you think
that this is the problem? At least the POP3 and IMAP service they do
not serve to us, BUT the WebMail service yes because this users it
must be able to read mail also when is outside office!!! I'm wainting
you answer!!! Thx!

 

[F.H. Muffman]

After some checks: verify the tracking message, smtp log etc, I read
your last rows and I verify the service enable on the user account
that have the problem, and ... he has all three service enable POP3/
IMAP/WbMail. This what can cause? Can you explain to me? Do you think
that this is the problem? At least the POP3 and IMAP service they do
not serve to us, BUT the WebMail service yes because this users it
must be able to read mail also when is outside office!!! I'm wainting
you answer!!! Thx!

Ah, sorry, I think you misunderstood. I meant in the Outlook profile on the
client, are they only configured to access the Exchange server, or might
they be configured to access pop3/imap/webmail servers as well?

The fact that in Exchange the user is permissioned to access the server in
multiple formats is not the cause. And, to be honest, if the client is
configured to use a server other than Exchange, it is unlikely to cause the
problem but it makes troubleshooting the problem different. That's the
reason I asked.

Was SMTP logging enabled on the server before?

 

[Simon]

Ah, sorry, I think you misunderstood. I meant in the Outlook profile on the
client, are they only configured to access the Exchange server, or might
they be configured to access pop3/imap/webmail servers as well?

The fact that in Exchange the user is permissioned to access the server in
multiple formats is not the cause. And, to be honest, if the client is
configured to use a server other than Exchange, it is unlikely to cause the
problem but it makes troubleshooting the problem different. That's the
reason I asked.

Was SMTP logging enabled on the server before?

Ah ok I think that you talk about this, but today when I was
troubleshooting the problem I saw this settings in the user profile in
Exchange server, and I tought that was the problem. Now, yes the SMTP
logging was enable before today, but without some detail about the
messages (recipients, senders, etc.). I don't what think! Any
idea??
Thx!

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Simon wrote:

(trimming and recapping: Sending to a personal DL containing Internet users
via the Exchange Server results in users getting duplicate copies of the
messages)

Ah ok I think that you talk about this, but today when I was
troubleshooting the problem I saw this settings in the user profile in
Exchange server, and I tought that was the problem. Now, yes the SMTP
logging was enable before today, but without some detail about the
messages (recipients, senders, etc.). I don't what think! Any
idea??

So, SMTP logging was enabled on the server, but the message your user sent
can't be found in the logs? Do you see the full smtp conversation in the
logs?

 

[Simon]

Simon wrote:

(trimming and recapping: Sending to a personal DL containing Internet users
via the Exchange Server results in users getting duplicate copies of the
messages)




So, SMTP logging was enabled on the server, but the message your user sent
can't be found in the logs? Do you see the full smtp conversation in the
logs?

Hello! In the SMTP logging there is the full smtp conversation, if I
create a pivot where there are:
Message-Subject,
Sender-Address,
Recipient-Address
and I filter by Message-Subject with the subject of the message
indicted I found the message, but why there are no only one sender but
three sender:

1) -
2) (e-mail address removed)
3) EX:/O=DOMAIN/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/
CN=NAME.SURNAME

It could be this the triplicate message?

P.S. I'm sorry for my english... ;-) I hope you can understand.

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Hello! In the SMTP logging there is the full smtp conversation, if I

Actually, what you'd want to look at is the RCPT TO in the actual SMTP
conversation and see if the people who receive multiple copies have their
single SMTP address listed with multiple RCPT TOs.

But, I think I asked something and don't remember the answer. If this user
sends a message addressed only to one of the users who received three
copies, by selecting the recipient from their contacts folder, does that
user receive three copies?

 

[Simon]

Actually, what you'd want to look at is the RCPT TO in the actual SMTP
conversation and see if the people who receive multiple copies have their
single SMTP address listed with multiple RCPT TOs.

But, I think I asked something and don't remember the answer. If this user
sends a message addressed only to one of the users who received three
copies, by selecting the recipient from their contacts folder, does that
user receive three copies?

The contacts are in a public folder (also the DL) on my Exchange
Server, if the user sends a message by selecting the recipient from
contacts in public folder, the recipients receive only one message. I
don't understand what it means:

Actually, what you'd want to look at is the RCPT TO in the actual SMTP
conversation and see if the people who receive multiple copies have their
single SMTP address listed with multiple RCPT TOs.

Thx. Simon

 

[Simon]

The contacts are in a public folder (also the DL) on my Exchange
Server, if the user sends a message by selecting the recipient from
contacts in public folder, the recipients receive only one message. I
don't understand what it means:


Thx. Simon- Nascondi testo tra virgolette -

- Mostra testo tra virgolette -

I'm sorry I have confused the message tracking log with the smtp log
and now I have understood why when you said:

Actually, what you'd want to look at is the RCPT TO in the actual SMTP

I don't understand what it mean!!! I try to see in smtp log if there
is the full smtp converstion....

 

[F.H. Muffman]

I'm sorry I have confused the message tracking log with the smtp log
and now I have understood why when you said:


I don't understand what it mean!!! I try to see in smtp log if there
is the full smtp converstion....

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/30b6a9e1-679f-4679-ae68-3deb17b9d162.aspx
should help you out there.

Basically, an smtp conversation happens like this:
First, assuming your server is configured to Use DNS rather than Forward to
Host, it figures out, for each recipient, what server(s) it needs to talk to
to deliver the message.

Lets say you have a message going to 10 users, 5 of which are @domain.blah.

Exchange will start a conversation with the server responsible for
domain.blah and have, basically, the following conversation (Your server
will be noted as YOU: and the response will be RESP

YOU: EHLO (mydomain name)
RESP: 250 Welcome
RESP: (other stuff)
YOU: MAIL FROM:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK
YOU: RCPT TO:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK
YOU: RCPT TO:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK

And it will repeat that RCPT TO command once for each recipient at that
other domain.

So, you say that (e-mail address removed) is getting 3 copies of the message. Your
first test is to see if you're sending the same address three times.
Basically, what you really need to do is determine if the problem is
reproducible. Which means finding a customer of yours who has seen the
problem (and complained about it) and is willing to help you *fix* it.

At this point, there is almost no way to have any idea what happened before.
And, frankly, if the issue isn't reproducible (in other words, next time you
send to the DL, include a note asking any recipient who receives more than
one message to contact you. If they do, and all the logging is in place,
you might be able to figure things out) then there's every possible chance
that what happened before is nothing you can fix.

On the other hand, if message tracking is enabled, there might be something
in there. But, I'll be honest, I don't remember how to read those tracking
logs well enough to know if it would show you that user X was sent three
copies of the message. You may actually want to hit one of the Exchange
newsgroups as well.

 

[Simon]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/30b6a9e1-679f-4679-ae68-3d...
should help you out there.

Basically, an smtp conversation happens like this:
First, assuming your server is configured to Use DNS rather than Forward to
Host, it figures out, for each recipient, what server(s) it needs to talk to
to deliver the message.

Lets say you have a message going to 10 users, 5 of which are @domain.blah.

Exchange will start a conversation with the server responsible for
domain.blah and have, basically, the following conversation (Your server
will be noted as YOU: and the response will be RESP

YOU: EHLO (mydomain name)
RESP: 250 Welcome
RESP: (other stuff)
YOU: MAIL FROM:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK
YOU: RCPT TO:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK
YOU: RCPT TO:<[email protected]>
RESP: 250 OK

And it will repeat that RCPT TO command once for each recipient at that
other domain.

So, you say that (e-mail address removed) is getting 3 copies of the message. Your
first test is to see if you're sending the same address three times.
Basically, what you really need to do is determine if the problem is
reproducible. Which means finding a customer of yours who has seen the
problem (and complained about it) and is willing to help you *fix* it.

At this point, there is almost no way to have any idea what happened before.
And, frankly, if the issue isn't reproducible (in other words, next time you
send to the DL, include a note asking any recipient who receives more than
one message to contact you. If they do, and all the logging is in place,
you might be able to figure things out) then there's every possible chance
that what happened before is nothing you can fix.

On the other hand, if message tracking is enabled, there might be something
in there. But, I'll be honest, I don't remember how to read those tracking
logs well enough to know if it would show you that user X was sent three
copies of the message. You may actually want to hit one of the Exchange
newsgroups as well.

Hello, Can you suggest an Exchange newsgroup where can I post my
problem?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Hello, Can you suggest an Exchange newsgroup where can I post my
problem?

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.exchange.admin , perhaps?

 

[Simon]

Is there anyone that have this problem, it's possible that I am the only one!!!
Please help me.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Is there anyone that have this problem, it's possible that I am the
only one!!!

Visit the Exchange newsgroup, as suggested.