Re: Calendar Appointments Disappear
From: Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] (lanwench_at_heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com)
Date: 02/08/05
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Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 23:58:57 -0500
Technosapien wrote:
> Thank you so much. Please see my comments below:
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> Technosapien wrote:
>>> Forgive me while I rattle: Per your suggestion, we have changed our
>>> Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition v7.60 to exclude everything in
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328841. We are also running Veritas
>>> Backup Exec v8.60. (For the record, I am suspect of both of these
>>> software items- Symantec hangs when you try and view a scheduled
>>> job, even after reinstalling the software, and Backup Exec doesn't
>>> see some loaded media correctly.)
>>
>> I'm not a huge fan of Symantec, but BE is nice - you know they're up
>> to at least 9.1 now, right? And perhaps you have bad media - or need
>> to use the Veritas drivers for your tape drive(s).
>>
> Problem with Veritas was with media: I reformatted the sketchy tapes
> and all is well. Wanted to add that Symantec had to be held back from
> scanning Exchange in two places: Scheduled Scan and On-Demand Scan.
> One pass from either of these hoses the whole Exchange system.
Yes. Nothing to do with Symantec - many exclusions need to be set up in any
file-level AV on Exchange.
>
>>> Initial tests showed that making the
>>> "328841 changes" solved the problem. We ran a whole scan, and
>>> neither of our two guinea pigs' calendars were affected. However,
>>> the virus scan and backup jobs run for real over the weekend, and
>>> today we learned the terrible truth: Now, instead of everyone's
>>> calendars completely disappearing, only those running Outlook v2003
>>> are getting completely blown out. Other versions (2000 and 2002)
>>> see only one or a few appointments disappear, and not everyone is
>>> affected. I haven't narrowed down if there is any method to this
>>> pathos, e.g. only recurring appointments or only shared
>>> appointments getting whacked.
>>
>> Are the OL2003 users using cached mode? If you disable it, does the
>> stuff show up? How about in OWA?
>>
> It appears that disabling cached mode allows the missing itmes to
> reappear. If you have time, could you please explain this? You can
> see "missing" items in OWA, as well.
Try deleting the OST file in Outlook & recreating it/re-enabling cached
mode. The data is there if you see it in OWA, or without cached mode - but
there's something not getting sync'd, sounds like.
>> Are you not running full backups every night? Should be. And they
>> need the Exchange agent for BE if they don't have it.
>>
> Yes, we were, until someone let a consultant in and let him run amok.
> That's not for here, though.
Gotcha.
>> What kind of antivirus scan did you run? You have the Symantec
>> Exchange antivirus stuff, right?
>>
> Yes, our Symantec has Exchange stuff. New server came up on Thursday.
> Had no AV until we connected to Internet, then Sonicwall forced
> installation of McAfee ASaP.
Not if you don't buy/install it!
> Consultant was supposed to uninstall
> that and install Symantec. He didn't, and now we're seeing missing
> appointments again. Luckily, turning off cached mode seems to have
> solved the problem for all who have complained so far.
>>> There are other problems with this setup (I'm new here), such as
>>> there being only one server, with that one server being the sole AD
>>> controller, and that same server also hosting the Exchange server.
This happens all the time in small companies with small budgets - but you
should put in another DC & transfer the FSMO roles.. Don't try to demote the
Exchange server.
>>> The Exchange logs are on the same physical HDD as the Exchange
>>> databases, too.
Again, in a small network w/a limited budget, not a really huge deal. And
you don't have much choice if you have a single RAID array. I just like to
put them on a dedicated volume in that case, so users' ever-growing MP3
collections don't make Exchange crash & burn.
> I am wondering if we wouldn't be better off rolling
>>> Exchange off onto a new box all to itself, but I should at least
>>> learn how to repair .OST files before I make that recommendation.
>>> (I'll go seaerching as soon as I'm done writing this.) I'm very
>>> interested to hear what you think.
Don't think you need to repair the OST files - just recreate them.
>>
>> You can run all this stuff on a single box - I've done it many
>> times. Is it ideal? No, but in a small company, even a single server
>> is a significant expense - if you do put another box in there as a
>> DC, leave the Exchange server a DC as well. Demoting it may well
>> cause major problems with Exchange.
>
> If there is no logical drive "M:", where is the stuff that normally
> goes on "M:"?
M is/was a virtual drive mapping that caused more problems than it was
designed to circumvent - and there was never anything "on" it, really. See
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=821836
>>
>> Re the hard drives - are you at least using hardware SCSI RAID? With
>> at least one hotspare? If not, I'd get new hardware. These are
>> mandatory on servers, in my book.
>>>
> Yes, RAID-5 with one hot spare. Mandatory for me, too.
>
>>> In fact, any wise counsel and advice would be greatly appreciated. I
>>> am no Exchange guru, and although they knew that before they hired
>>> me, I'm now concerned that they might change their minds about me if
>>> I can't fix this pre-existing cluster...mess.
>>
>> I filled in the rest of the words for you. :)
>>>
>>> Thanks again for your time and consideration.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
> It did, very much, now all I have to do is migrate back off of the
> test server onto the real server. That should be fun.
<opens wine bottle>
>
>>> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>>>
>>>> Technosapien wrote:
>>>>> My Dear Gurus,
>>>>> It appears to me that "sporadic" incidents of disappearing
>>>>> appointments may equal corrupt .ost files, while "consistent"
>>>>> incidents may equal an AV scanner scanning Drive M: or something
>>>>> else that it is not supposed to be scanning. Does that sound
>>>>> reasonable? I ask because our issue is that everyone loses their
>>>>> calendar info every Monday morning, and we are running an AV scan
>>>>> on Sunday night that appears to include Drive M:.
>>>>> Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. (This Week Is
>>>>> My 1st Exposure to Exchange 2000.)
>>>>
>>>> Yes; file-level antivirus scanning must exclude the m drive &
>>>> Exchange database/log/queue folders or you'll have beaucoup
>>>> problems.
>>>>
>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328841 may help.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anthony Pelosi wrote:
>>>>>>> We are running Exchange Server 5.5 SP4. And our client is
>>>>>>> Symantec
>>>>>>> 8.1.1.323 and the scan engine is 4.2.0.7.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> OK - Symantec what? Which product?
>>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328841
>>>>>> You need Exchange-aware AV and must exclude certain things from
>>>>>> any file-level antivirus scans.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Any other info you need just let me know.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks for the help,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anthony
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Cory D." <Cory D.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:9FC2953B-C910-4C55-9441-BD9269B396A3@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Anthony Pelosi wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have several users
>>>>>>>>>> that are reporting missing appointments in their calendars.
>>>>>>>>>> It appears to be sporadic but users have said they check
>>>>>>>>>> their calendar in the morning and then later on they'll
>>>>>>>>>> notice an appointment missing. Has anyone seen this?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Anthony
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What file-level antivirus software are you using on the
>>>>>>>>> server? What version/SP level of Exchange?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm actually having the same problem here. We're running
>>>>>>>> Exchange 2003 SP1 on a two node active / passive cluster
>>>>>>>> without a front end server. Antivirus programs installed on
>>>>>>>> the server are Symantec Antivirus Server 9.0.0.338 and
>>>>>>>> Symantec Mail Security 4.5.2.736. File and directory
>>>>>>>> exclusions provided by Microsoft and Symantec have both been
>>>>>>>> applied.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm not sure if this applies to Anthony's problem or not, but
>>>>>>>> we're only seeing this when the there's a resource involved.
>>>>>>>> For instance, if boss_A sets up an appointment with employee_B
>>>>>>>> in their office, then that appointment will not disappear.
>>>>>>>> But, if boss_A sets an appointment with employee_B and
>>>>>>>> schedules resource_C (a conference room that's been setup as a
>>>>>>>> resource), then that appointment has a chance of disappearing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The disappearing appointments seem to be few and far between
>>>>>>>> with no real pattern other than the use of something set up as
>>>>>>>> a resource.
- Next message: Glen Trafford: "Re: How to administer Exchange 2000 mailbox premissions?"
- Previous message: Jim Propert: "Exchange 5.5 On W2K Services Won't Initialize"
- In reply to: Technosapien: "Re: Calendar Appointments Disappear"
- Next in thread: Oscar: "Re: Calendar Appointments Disappear"
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