In the last part of this series I demonstrated how to install the Edge Transport server role for Exchange Server 2010. In this next part I’ll go through the process of configuring the Edge Subscription between the Edge Transport server and Hub Transport server located in the internal network.

The Edge Subscription is a relationship between an Edge Transport server and an Active Directory site, and allows the Edge Transport server to receive information about the Exchange organization such as recipients, domain names, and safelists/blocklists for anti-spam.

This information is synchronized at regular intervals through a process called EdgeSync.

Firewall Ports for Exchange Server 2010 Edge Transport Servers

For EdgeSync and mail flow to work there are a few network ports that need to be open on the firewall between the Internet, the Edge Transport server, and the internal Hub Transport server.

Edge Transport Server Network Ports for EdgeSync

  • Secure LDAP (TCP 50636) from the Hub Transport server to the Edge Transport server

Edge Transport Server Network Ports for Mail Flow

  • SMTP (TCP 25) from the Internet to the Edge Transport server
  • SMTP (TCP 25) from the Edge Transport server to the Hub Transport server
  • SMTP (TCP 25) from the Hub Transport server to the Edge Transport server
  • DNS (UDP 53) from the Edge Transport server to a DNS server capable of public DNS lookups (ie to look up MX records)


Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Configuring ISA Server 2006 for Edge Transport Servers

If you are using ISA Server 2006 as your firewall and want to create the access rules for the Edge Transport server the first thing you’ll need to configure is a new network protocol for the secure LDAP connection. ISA Server 2006 is pre-configured with a secure LDAP protocol however the EdgeSync process uses the non-standard port of TCP 50636.

Create a new network protocol named “EdgeSync” for TCP 50636 outbound.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Configure the ISA Server 2006 firewall policy with access rules for the Edge Transport network access required.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Creating the Edge Subscription for Exchange Server 2010 Edge Transport Servers

With the firewall access all configured correctly the next step is to configure the Edge Subscription itself.

On the Edge Transport server open the Exchange Management Shell and run the following command using the New-EdgeSubscription cmdlet.

[PS] C:\>New-EdgeSubscription -FileName C:edgesubscription.xml

Confirm
If you create an Edge Subscription, this Edge Transport server will be managed via EdgeSync replication. As a result,
any of the following objects that were created manually will be deleted: accepted domains, message classifications,
remote domains, and Send connectors. After creating the Edge Subscription, you must manage these objects from inside
the organization and allow EdgeSync to update the Edge Transport server. Also, the InternalSMTPServers list of the
TransportConfig object will be overwritten during the synchronization process.
 EdgeSync requires that this Edge Transport server is able to resolve the FQDN of the Hub Transport servers in the
Active Directory site to which the Edge Transport server is being subscribed, and those Hub Transport servers be able
to resolve the FQDN of this Edge Transport server. You should complete the Edge Subscription inside the organization in
 the next "1440" minutes before the bootstrap account expires.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y

There are two important things to be aware of here:

  • You must complete the next step of the Edge Subscription process within 1440 minutes (24 hours), otherwise you’ll need to generate a new Edge Subscription again
  • The Hub Transport servers in the Active Directory site that will be subscribed must be able to resolve the FQDN of the Edge Transport server. You can either add DNS records manually or use a HOSTS file entry.

Copy the “edgesubscription.xml” file to the Hub Transport server. Launch the Exchange Management Console and navigate to Organization Management/Hub Transport.

In the Actions pane click on New Edge Subscription.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Browse and select the Active Directory site to be subscribed, as well as the XML file that you copied from the Edge Transport server.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Click the New button to complete the wizard.

After the Edge Subscription has been created you will see two Send Connectors configured for your organization.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

It can take up to an hour before the first Edge synchronization process runs, but you can run it manually if you need to. On the Hub Transport server launch the Exchange Management Shell and run the following command using the Start-EdgeSynchronization cmdlet.

[PS] C:\>Start-EdgeSynchronization -Server esp-ho-ex2010a

RunspaceId     : b7415ae2-f763-449e-bb36-20a6a18759cd
Result         : Success
Type           : Configuration
Name           : esp-ho-ex2010e
FailureDetails :
StartUTC       : 5/7/2011 1:27:39 PM
EndUTC         : 5/7/2011 1:28:07 PM
Added          : 290
Deleted        : 0
Updated        : 0
Scanned        : 295
TargetScanned  : 0

RunspaceId     : b7415ae2-f763-449e-bb36-20a6a18759cd
Result         : Success
Type           : Recipients
Name           : esp-ho-ex2010e
FailureDetails :
StartUTC       : 5/7/2011 1:27:39 PM
EndUTC         : 5/7/2011 1:28:08 PM
Added          : 401
Deleted        : 0
Updated        : 0
Scanned        : 401
TargetScanned  : 0

After the initial Edge synchronization has occurred you will be able to see the Send Connectors and Accepted Domains configured on the Edge Transport server.

Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSyncExchange 2010 Edge Transport Server: Configuring EdgeSync

Testing Mail Flow

After the Edge Subscription is in place and you’ve synchronized at least once you can send email between your Exchange organization and an external mailbox, and then inspect the email message headers to verify that the messages are traversing your Edge Transport server.

Received: from esp-ho-ex2010e.exchangeserverpro.net (10.0.3.2) by
 esp-ho-ex2010a.exchangeserverpro.net (10.0.1.4) with Microsoft SMTP Server
 (TLS) id 14.1.289.1; Sat, 7 May 2011 23:50:10 +1000
Received: from (192.168.0.45) by esp-ho-ex2010e.exchangeserverpro.net
 (10.0.3.2) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 14.1.218.12; Sat, 7 May 2011
 23:50:07 +1000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain

About the Author

Paul Cunningham

Paul is a former Microsoft MVP for Office Apps and Services. He works as a consultant, writer, and trainer specializing in Office 365 and Exchange Server. Paul no longer writes for Practical365.com.

Comments

  1. Julien Rosset

    Hello;

    Good TUTO but missing some steps :

    1) on the edge server set the IP of server DNS and the DNS suffixe in TCP/IPV4 settings in advanced settings (DNS tab)
    2) set the DNS suffix in the server name of the edge server (change name > more ect)
    3) set the “crédentials manager” service “run” and “automatic” on edge server and exchange server
    4) set a DNS entry in DNS Server for the Edge server with FQDN (edge.domain.local)
    5) run the ad lsd wizard on the edge server

    after that you can run this tuto

  2. Kanta

    Hi All,

    How can I check :

    1. how many times Edge Sync File has generated from and Imported to Hub server?
    2. How to Add another Hub Server server to existing working Edge server?

    Thanks in advance for your response

  3. Paul Dyball

    Hi all,

    I know that the edge transport server should not be on an ad integrated server but could anyone explain to me why?

    Where i work there are three firewalls. internet facing is a hardware appliance just allowing and denying ports, then there is a AD intergarated TMG (TMG1) and then there is a second AD intergrated TMG server (TMG2) then behind that is the network.

    I have been asked to put the edge transport server onto TMG1. It is AD intergrated so i am a bit reluctant.

    I would have thought you would have made TMG2 non-AD intergrated and then installed the edge on that.

    Any thoughts would be appreciated.

  4. Gowhar Rashid Zargar

    Hi Paul
    I am running an Edge Server on separate workgroup named Edge
    Have already created “new accepted domain” and “New Edge Subscription”
    When I run the cmd for edge synchronization i get the following error:

    RunspaceId : e70987c4-5341-4b2b-a2da-0ce148ce2221
    Result : CouldNotConnect
    Type : Recipients
    Name : PB21EXCH03
    FailureDetails : The LDAP server is unavailable.
    StartUTC : 5/7/2013 9:56:03 AM
    EndUTC : 5/7/2013 9:56:24 AM
    Added : 0
    Deleted : 0
    Updated : 0
    Scanned : 0
    TargetScanned : 0

    RunspaceId : e70987c4-5341-4b2b-a2da-0ce148ce2221
    Result : CouldNotConnect
    Type : Configuration
    Name : PB21EXCH03
    FailureDetails : The LDAP server is unavailable.
    StartUTC : 5/7/2013 9:56:03 AM
    EndUTC : 5/7/2013 9:56:24 AM
    Added : 0
    Deleted : 0
    Updated : 0

    Plz help!!!!

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      Is there a firewall between the Hub Transports and Edge Transport? If so have you opened the correct ports?

  5. depolo

    Hi Paul, proud to read your usefull posts on exchange.
    Please can you help me the issue i’m facing.
    i have an exchange server 2007 SP1 edge server, and i’ve subscribed an exchange 2010 sp2 HT to it; now, when i run the command test-edgesync, i receive an incomplete sync with a failure detail, in application log, i receive error 1004.
    Please waitting for your help.
    Thank you.

  6. Jamal

    Dear Mr. Paul,

    Could you please advice me to backup exchange mailbox database and restore to a dissimilar hardware

    I got stuck here .please help me

  7. griciko

    after configuring edge, user receive that server can’t send my message and in queue is “5.7.3 cannot achieve exchange server authentication”

  8. Jsantos

    I already Have configured edge and I can send emails but I don’t receive.
    I ran this command below. but on mailbox I don’t have nothing even antispam I have disable.

    Timestamp : 18-12-2012 15:00:59
    ClientIp : 97.74.135.47
    ClientHostname : p3plwbeout05-02.prod.phx3.secureserver.net
    ServerIp : 10.20.30.10
    ServerHostname : EDGE
    SourceContext : 08CFAA82812A4C24;2012-12-18T15:00:58.218Z;0
    ConnectorId : EDGEDefault internal receive connector EDGE
    Source : SMTP
    EventId : RECEIVE
    InternalMessageId : 20
    MessageId :
    Recipients : {email@xxx.eu}
    RecipientStatus : {}
    TotalBytes : 1542
    RecipientCount : 1
    RelatedRecipientAddress :
    Reference :
    MessageSubject : TESTINFG
    Sender : jsm@xxx.info
    ReturnPath : jsm@xxx.info
    MessageInfo : 00A: NTS:
    MessageLatency :
    MessageLatencyType : None
    EventData :

    [PS] C:Windowssystem32>

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      If you’re not receiving email then you need to test the connectivity to your server from the outside world. You can use tools such as mxtoolbox.com to do this.

    2. myrick

      same problem here. I can send email to internet but i can’t receive email from the internet after ive installed edge transport server. Before, without edge server, I can successfully receive mails externally.
      report upon testing says its normal sync etc. but still i can not receive external mails.
      PLEASE HELP…

      pls email: myrick.borillo@fortis.com.ph

      1. nabil

        same problem. user is experiencing intermittent email loss hes gets 00A: NTS:
        and wierdly gets delivered to the mailbox and he is unable to see and the person who email is getting NDR.

        1. Ram

          Please check receive connector on edge server go to receive connector properties and look at the permissions groups anonymous users should be checked.

          Ram

  9. Maxime Gerges

    Hi and thank you for this great article.

    I Follow all the steps you mention here and when I issue a “Test-EdgeSyncrhonisation” on my hub exchange I always have the message “no edgesync credential found for the edge transport…”.
    I saw on multiple forum that the problem might be due to certificates and already request a new certificate on the hub transport from my internal PKI.

    Any idea about that ?

  10. eric

    RunspaceId : 5a07552a-ab9a-4547-84d2-f0e3c94ec3fd
    Result : CouldNotConnect
    Type : Recipients
    Name : NPSSERVER
    FailureDetails : The supplied credential is invalid.
    StartUTC : 10/24/2011 3:10:17 PM
    EndUTC : 10/24/2011 3:10:17 PM
    Added : 0
    Deleted : 0
    Updated : 0
    Scanned : 0
    TargetScanned : 0

    RunspaceId : 5a07552a-ab9a-4547-84d2-f0e3c94ec3fd
    Result : CouldNotConnect
    Type : Configuration
    Name : NPSSERVER
    FailureDetails : The supplied credential is invalid.
    StartUTC : 10/24/2011 3:10:17 PM
    EndUTC : 10/24/2011 3:10:17 PM
    Added : 0
    Deleted : 0
    Updated : 0
    Scanned : 0
    TargetScanned : 0

    wats wrong here pleaase

    1. Avatar photo
      Paul Cunningham

      Are the Edge and Hub Transport servers the same version of Exchange? (including service packs and update rollups)

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