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Offline address book is not associated with a particular mailbox store

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2011-03-14

The Microsoft® Exchange Best Practices Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine whether the msExchUseOAB attribute in the msExchPrivateMDB class has been configured to use a specific offline address book for a particular mailbox store on a database. The msExchPrivateMDB class determines the configuration on a private database. The value of the msExchUseOAB attribute determines the specific offline address book that a particular mailbox store uses, and is the distinguished name of the offline address list that the users will download. If the Exchange Server Analyzer finds that the value for the offline address book for the mailbox store on the database is missing, the Analyzer tool displays an error message.

In Exchange 2000 Server and later versions, an offline address list is associated with all the users who are contained in an information store. Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2003 and later versions use the offline address book to provide offline access to directory information from the global address list (GAL) and from other address lists. A missing value for the msExchUseOAB attribute causes offline address book errors for users in this information store. To view the current value for this attribute, use the following procedure.

To view the msExchUseOAB attribute in Active Directory

  1. Start the ADSI Edit tool. To do this, click Start, click Run, type adsiedit.msc, and then click OK. For more information about how to install or use ADSI Edit, see ADSI Edit (adsiedit.msc).

  2. Under the Configuration object, expand the following path:

    • CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com

    • CN=Services

    • CN=Microsoft Exchange

    • CN=<OrganizationName> (for example, First Organization)

    • CN=Administrative Groups

    • CN=Exchange Administrative Group

    • CN=Servers

    • CN=<ServerName>

    • CN=InformationStore

    • CN=<StorageGroupName> (for example, First Storage Group)

  3. In the details pane, right-click CN=Mailbox Database, and then click Properties.

    Note   Notice that msExchPrivateMDB appears in the Class column for this object.

  4. On the Attribute Editor tab, click msExchUseOAB, and then click Edit.

  5. Note the value that appears in the Value box. For example:

    • <not set> (when the value is not set)

    • CN=Default Offline Address Book,CN=Offline Address Lists,CN=Address Lists Container,CN=First Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com (when the value is set to the default offline address book)

To resolve this issue, associate the offline address book with a mailbox store by using the procedures below.

To associate the Offline Address Book with a particular mailbox store in Exchange Server 2003

  1. Start the Exchange System Manager.

  2. Expand the server and the affected storage group.

  3. Right-click the mailbox store, and then click Properties.

  4. Click the General tab, and then click the Browse button on the right side of the Offline Address Book box.

  5. Enter an offline Address Book to associate with this mailbox store, and then click OK.

To associate the Offline Address Book with a particular mailbox store in Exchange 2007 or in Exchange Server 2010

  1. Start the Exchange Management Console.

  2. Expand Server Configuration, and then click Mailbox.

  3. In the details pane, click the Database Management tab.

  4. Under the appropriate storage group (for example, First Storage Group), right-click Mailbox Database, and then click Properties.

  5. Click the Client Settings tab, and then click Browse next to Offline address book.

  6. Click the appropriate offline address book, and then click OK two times.

To learn more about offline address books, see Offline Address Book Best Practices Guide.