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Conference chefs::ms-exchange

Title:Microsoft Exchange Server
Notice:
Moderator:FLASK2::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 17 1995
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Thu Jun 05 1997
Number of topics:1099
Total number of notes:5174

853.0. "MIME attachment and attnnn.dat, why ?" by ZPOVC::CHINGYUE () Fri Jan 31 1997 15:01

    I have 2 Exchange servers being connected by PMDF/MR because they are
    on different IP domain, so I am using decnet to serve the connection by
    using autoforward from their mailworks accounts.
    
    Anyway, both Exchange server's IMC has been setup to send attachment
    using MIME in the IMC as the defaults and by email domains.
    
    However, when MSX (A) send excel or powerpoint attachments to MSX (B),
    the attachment appears as attnnn.dat but not the other way round.
    
    In other words, IF MSX user on MSX (B) send ppt or xls attachment to
    MSX (A), thsee attachment would appear as 1.xls and 2.ppt
    
    I am very puzzled. 
    
    Both IMC's MIME type does NOT have the octet-stream binding. PMDF has
    been setup exactly alike on both vaxes. Why is it that the MIME
    encapsulation/decode only work one-way ?
    
    Question - at which end does MSX sets the attachment to attnnn.dat ?
    From the sending end ? or the receiving end ? Both PMDF uses the same
    mappings. and conversions files. Should I be looking at MSX (A) or MSX
    (B)'s settings ?
    
    The Properties,headers information for the message with attnnn.dat says
    	content-type:Application/vms-rms; mr-type=foreign
        .... other RMS files information.
    
    I am using the conversions. and mappings. files from
    anchor::pmdf$files:
    
    Any idea or suggestion ?
    
    regards,
    ching-U
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853.1looks more like PMDF problemPARZVL::dhcp-35-128-227.mro.dec.com::kennedynuncam non paratusSat Feb 01 1997 00:3138
Ching-U,

Glad you posted a note here, I've been trying to respond to your
post to the info-pmdf notes conference.

>   Question - at which end does MSX sets the attachment to attnnn.dat ?
>   From the sending end ? or the receiving end ? Both PMDF uses the same
>   mappings. and conversions files. Should I be looking at MSX (A) or MSX
>   (B)'s settings ?
    
>    The Properties,headers information for the message with attnnn.dat says
>        content-type:Application/vms-rms; mr-type=foreign
>        .... other RMS files information.

The filename is being set by the incoming Exchange IMC - because what
it's receiving from PMDF is tagged as Application/vms-rms.  This looks more 
like a PMDF problem than an Exchange problem.  

A suggestion - make sure you've compiled the configuration on 
both PMDF machines.  If that doesn't help, then you may want to compare
the MAPPINGS. & CONVERSIONS. files on both systems (and check 
owner/protection).  Do you really have 2 PMDFs? I don't see why 
that would be necessary, one could do the job easily

If you can't find anything different in PMDF, then I would check the
IMC on the sending side - you could stop MR, send the message & then 
check it in the PMDF queue.

If this doesn't help, can you reply and be more specific about how 
the mail is being routed, e.g.

ExchangeB -SMTP-> PMDF -DECnet-> MR -DECnet-> MR -> PMDF -> ExchangeA
(e.g. From Exchange B to first PMDF machine, then via MR to second PMDF 
machine, then to Exchange A).  If MAILworks is also involved, that needs
to be considered.

Is this work for a customer?

853.2Mailworks is involved and it is for a customerZPOVC::CHINGYUESat Feb 01 1997 14:1720
    Yes, this is for a customer.
    
    You are right about the route. Mailworks is involved as well.
    Both VAX machines are running the similar mappings. and conversions.
    files. Both been compiled. It's just the owner/protection that I've not
    check.
    
    ExchangeB -SMTP-> PMDF -DECnet-> MR -DECnet-> MR -> PMDF -> ExchangeA
                             Node B          Node A
    
    It's just strange that MSX A to MSX B works but not the other way round
    !! The route would be the opposite direction, for the scenorio that
    works.
    
    BTW, how is just ONE PMDF going to do the job when Exchange A uses
    IP 161.101.x.y while Exchange B uses IP 202.2.a.b ? Could you
    enlighten ? If just one PMDF could do the job, it would be much easier !
 
 
    ching-U
853.3Rich Text Formatting involved ?VARESE::VIOTTOMon Feb 03 1997 12:3210
Which is the RTF (rich text formatting) setting of the two IMC?
(Properties->Internet mail->Interoperability). I had a connection
working properly, but when I set "always" for RTF formatting I saw
attachments converted to useless .dat files, as you mention. The same
happens if users you are sending to in the PAB have the "always use
RTF" flag set.

Regards

Alberto
853.41 PMDF should do, unless it's a security issuePARZVL::ogodhcp-125-128-23.ogo.dec.com::kennedynuncam non paratusMon Feb 03 1997 18:4913
    BTW, how is just ONE PMDF going to do the job when Exchange A uses
    IP 161.101.x.y while Exchange B uses IP 202.2.a.b ? Could you
    enlighten ? If just one PMDF could do the job, it would be much easier !

Is there a firewall in between?  You shown us a bit of the mail
configuration, but I could be making assumptions about the network.
There would need to be a IP routing path in between the 2 networks.
Are these connected to the Internet?  Are they in 2 different 
organizations?  If they're in the same company, one PMDF should be
sufficient, as long as the 2 networks can reach each other.

If they're in different organizations, it may be that you've hit
on the correct solution.
853.5Silly mistake on MAPPINGS.ZPOVC::CHINGYUETue Feb 04 1997 04:0215
    The 2 Exchange servers are on 2 different organizations, not connected 
    by any gateway or router for TCPIP, except DECNET.
    
    Thanks for all the help and attention. Managed to get it working. 
    It was caused by a silly mistake on my end. 
    
    PMDF mappings. file's channel should be mtcp (for multinet) instead of
    utcp (for UCX). This is because one machine uses multinet while the
    other uses UCX !
    
    Thanks,
    ching-U
    
    PS:  The RTF part is very interesting. I will take note of that as
    	 well.
853.6What about DECnet SMTP?LEMAN::BOTHNERTor Bothner (Office consultant, GEO)Fri Feb 14 1997 12:189
If things work now, fine.

However, it seems unnecesarly complicated to use MR between two PMDF installations.

Normally you get much better results, for much less hassle and money, by 
simply running SMTP on DECnet (the DSMTP channels, not to be confused 
with the DECnet mail channels, which of course are unusable).

--tor