I have 2 mailbox servers - the primary one and a backup one only for replicating the Public Folders (no user mailboxes) set up months after the original mailbox server. I have one other HUB/CAS server.Here is the oddity: When you set up a mail-enabled public folder, it is always configured on the original mailbox server. When you send mail to a mail-enabled public folder, it always goes to the backup public folder server. There is a lag of several minutes in public folder replication. Hence if you send a test email right away, it will bounce because the backup public folder server hasn’t gotten the replication info about the public folder from the original mailbox server yet!After the sync happens, it works as expected. I thought the Public Folder Referral cost might be a way to do it, but it says I can't set a cost for the hosting (original) mailbox server, so I tried just setting the backup at a cost of 100, but I still have a lag between sending and it appearing in the public folder, presumabably because when I look at in it Outlook, it is looking at the original mailbox server, but when receiving, it is going to the back server and having to wait for replication before it shows up.SnoBoy

There really is no such thing as a backup public folder server. Referrals are used by clients when accessing remote public folders, so there is no need to set that.SMTP messages are going to the 2nd pf server by design since it was installed after the other one:http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2004/09/10/228114.aspxWhy on earth did my email to a public folder go there?http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124684(EXCHG.65).aspxExchange Public Folder Best Practices: Mail-Enabling Public FoldersTo give you the reader's digest version:The msExchOwningPFTreeBL attribute always returns the public folder store that was most recently added first. A public folder store is created when a new server is installed. Therefore, frequently, the most recently installed servers are returned first. If you want to speed up the replication interval between the public folder servers, you can:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb629665.aspxSet the Replication Schedule for a Public Folder Databaseor set the 2nd public folder as the default for the mailbox database:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb629522.aspxChange the Default Public Folder Database for a Mailbox Database

So there is not a way to change the PF server that msExchOwningPFTreeBL returns? I assume this is an ADSI attribute that could be changed via ADSIEdit possibly? I really want to have the first PF database to be the one email is delivered to and also be the default.SnoBoy

You can't edit the msExchOwningPFTreeBL attribute directly because its a backlink per:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996228(EXCHG.65).aspxEditing the msExchOwningPFTreeBL attribute directly is not possible, because it is a back link. However, you can delete the msExchOwningPFTree attribute on a specific public store object. If you delete the msExchOwningPFTree attribute on the public store object that is unavailable, the msExchOwningPFTreeBL back link attribute will be automatically removed from the back link list. By changing the msExchOwningPFTree attribute, you change the list in the msExchOwningPFTreeBL list, and thus alter the public folder routing decision. However, in this case, the public folder is available, so you dont want to that. That's why there is no such thing as a backup public folder server.

Ok - I call that a bug not a feature if you can't change it since there is at least a 15 minute lag while replication happens. I know email is not supposed to instantaneous, but try to convince users of that. :DWhich leads me to this thought:When I build my Exchange 2010 server structure, I will put in the "backup" (in quotes because there really isn't supposed to be one) mailbox server first, then the mailbox server I want to be primary gets setup second and point all mail stores I create on it to its own PF store.That should do it, right?SnoBoy

You can change the replication to 1 minute however per that other link:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb629665.aspxSet the Replication Schedule for a Public Folder DatabaseAssuming you have just a basic architecture and both pf servers are local, then yes, the last installed pf server will be the server that SMTP messages sent to mail-enabled folders will be routed to. If the folder the message is being sent to is replicated to that server, then that is where it will be delivered, then replicated. Note that after you install a pf server, its not used for 2 days for routing decisions for SMTP messages to ensure it has the hierarchy. See those links already posted for more info.