We are in the process of a step-wise migration from an existing Exchange 2003 installation to a new Exchange 2007 installation, with the latter being in a resource forest. We are going to move the mailboxes in small groups to the Exchange 2007 servers. To make this transparent to the end users, we've used Identity Integration Server to create contacts in the 2007 GAL based on the mailboxes/users in the 2003 org. Likewise, 2007-migrated users will have a corresponding 2003 contact created once their mailbox is decommissioned. Tests so far have revealed no problems with this part.We want to replicate the free/busy data from 2003 to 2007 so that 2007-migrated users can intelligently schedule meetings with users still part of the 2003 org, and 2003 users can do likewise. We've set up the Inter Org Replication utility. After going through a number of sample setups, we found the right combination of settings so that the scheduled replication runs consistently without errors. We can see in the log that messages are being replicated, consistent with the number of schedule changes happening in the given interval.However, when a user tries to view the free/busy data for a user in the opposite forest, i.e. for a contact, Outlook and OWA always show "no data available." So, it appears free/busy data are being replicated, but they aren't being matched to the correct contact. Since the free/busy data are associated with contacts, not mailboxes, there's no way for me to log in as the user and check the calendar.How can we validate that free/busy data are being associated with the correct contact? This post says I should be able to examine a virtual directory called "non_IPM_subtree" on the public folder server and see the free/busy data, but I get a 404.0 error when accessing that directory. Does anyone have any experience with a configuration like this?

Issue description: Outlook users cant see free/busy data for cross-forest users Check info: 1. Please describe the exchange topology on the both forests 2. Can users see free/busy info from the other mailboxes in their own forests? 3. You didnt get any error or warning in InterOrg log on both forests, right? Troubleshooting: 1. Please base on this article to verify the free/busy configuration between two forests 2. Please verify that target Contacts' proxyAddresses attribute (primary SMTP address) and legacyExchangeDN attribute match the source users by using ADSIEditor 3. Please use PFDavAdmin to compare the content of SCHEDULE + FREE BUSY folders between two forests a. Launch tool on client [Install NET Framework 1.1 at first] b. File menu->connect->set the parameters->OK c. Expand System Folders-> SCHEDULE + FREE BUSY folder->right-click /o=OrgName/ou=AGName folder->select Check for item-level permissions->select The selected folder only option, and click OK d. Compare the output of corresponding folders between two forests Resources: How to Transition from Single Forest to Cross-Forest Installing, configuring, and using the InterOrg Replication utility Configuring Interorg Replication Tool for replicating the Public Folder & Schedule Free Busy between the forests Configuring Interorg Free/Busy between a single server Exchange Server 2007 organization and another forest How to Configure the Availability Service for Cross-Forest Topologies

Wow, lots of useful information, there. Thanks. You hit on it with troubleshooting point #2. Since this was my had-to-get-done project, I decided to spin my wheels further last night and eventually I hit on the right combination of search terms that pointed out the need to run the Update-Recipient cmdlet on newly created contacts. Once I did, I saw free/busy information roughly 15 minutes later.Is it true schedule+ based free/busy is only updated every 15 minutes? I've seen conflicting information.Now I'm on to a more esoteric issue. Namely, when I have a contact and a mailbox with the same display name (regardless of SMTP address matching or not), I can't see the replicated free/busy data for the contact.Assume I have an Ex 2003 user, we'll call Johnny User. His SMTP address is j.user@ex2003.prod. He has a mailbox in the Ex 2003 org. I then set up a test mailbox in the new Ex 2007 org, with the SMTP address johnny.user@ex2007.test. He was then replicated to the Ex 2007 domain/org as a contact. In both cases his display name is "Johnny User" but his active directory name and NetBIOS names are both different in the two domains. I can view free/busy data for the 2007 Johnny User mailbox, but not for the 2003 Johnny User contact. The GAL does have both entries, as it asks me to pick which one I want if I type in the display name.Is this scenario workable, or have I pushed past the limits of what InterOrg can do?

Q: Is it true schedule+ based free/busy is only updated every 15 minutes? A: Thats default time publish interval for outlook users if we are using outlook 2007 or earlier with exchange 2003 or earlier. However, its not required to publish the data in the exchange 2007/outlook 2007 since availability service will provide a direct look at the users free/ busy info in the mailbox ============ Q: The free/busy info isnt showed for a contact if a mailbox has the same display name as that contact in the exchange 2003 organization, is that the question? Please correct me if I have misunderstood it Quote: I then set up a test mailbox in the new Ex 2007 org, with the SMTP address johnny.user@ex2007.test. He was then replicated to the Ex 2007 domain/org as a contact Did you type it wrong? Did you mean that He was then replicated to the Ex 2003 domain/org as a contact Troubleshooting: 1. In the exchange 2003 organization, whats the value in the proxyAddresses attribute of Johnny contact object, is it also johnny.user@ex2007.test? Also, whats the value in the legacyExchangeDN attribute of contact object? 2. Please check if the free/busy data exists for Johnny contact based on legacyExchangeDN attribute 3. Since the duplicated part is the display name, lets try to change it for contact object, see if the issue still persists When we try to create the user with same display name as a contact, the following error will occur: Windows cannot create the new user object because the name variable is already in use When we try to create the contact with same display name as a user, the following error will occur: Windows cannot create the object variable because: An attempt was made to add an object to the directory with a name that is already in use As you see, same display name isnt allowed to be created in the windows, but since your contact is created by replication process, the warning may not occur. However, potential risk will exist Resources: Different access methods for free/busy info are used in the environment that consists of various versions of outlook and exchange [Version Issues section in Exchange 2007 Availability Services]

Second question:Actually, I did mean he was replicated to the Exchange 2007 domain/org. Since this is a resource domain, I'm creating linked mailboxes in Ex 2007 which link back to corresponding Ex 2003 domain accounts. Using our Johnny User example, the migration process will go something like this:A. Create/replicatecontacts inEx 2007 domain from all Ex 2003 mailbox-enabled accounts. Reply addresses will be @ex2003.prod, additional address will be ex2007.testB. Set up free/busy replication with InterOrg(these are "baseline" steps before any users are migrated)1. For each specific user:2. Export Ex 2003 mailbox to PST3. Remove Ex 2003 mailbox4. Create Ex 2007 linked mailbox5. Create address attribute in Ex 2003 AD to associate account with address johnny.user@ex2007.test. This will cause mail to be forwarded.6. import PST into Ex 20077. remove corresponding contact replicated to Ex 2007N.B. step 7. The lightbulb went on after my last reply, that it makes no sense to have both a contact and a mailbox representing the same user. Once a user is migrated to Exchange 2007, and other Exchange 2007 user will be sending mail and scheduling appointments "natively" in Ex 2007. Contacts only need to exist for users yet to be migrated. So, my concern was warrantless. Once I run Update-Recipient against a replicated contact, I get the free/busy data after the next push.However, you do bring up an interesting point about the need for replication, or lack of it, to Exchange 2003. It seems to me we don't need contacts replicated back to Ex 2003 at all. Since the AD account is still there, associated with all the necessary SMTP addresses, the free/busy data replicated from Ex 2007 should be assoicated with the AD account without the need for a contact. Right now, we can't see free/busy data from users migrated to Ex 2007 in Ex 2003, but I believe it's related to either the proxyAddress or LegacyDN attribute(s) in Ex 2003. I'm not a domain admin in Ex 2003, so I have to coordinate my changes with another person who works a different schedule.

I was able to use ASDIedit to look at the accounts in both domains, and the proxyAddresses values match, but the legacyExchangeDN doesn't. I assume I want the Ex 2003 value to match the one for the corresponding account in Ex 2007 for the free/busy data to match up? Is there any fallout from making this change?

Well, it wasn't an issue of the legacyExchangeDN not matching. In fact, the value in the Ex 2003 domain most definitely should not match the one in Ex 2007, or replication will fail.No, the answer was simpler, and a function of my own spectacular idiocy. I only had one instance of InterOrg set up, with Ex 2003 as the publisher and Ex 2007 as the subscriber. Despite having gone over the case studies, blog entries, tech notes, &c &c, it totally blew past me that I needed a second instance of InterOrg with Ex 2007 as the publisher and Ex 2003 as the subscriber. I was going through the InterOrg help when I happened to notice a blurb about free/busy only replicating one way. On a whim, I set up a second instance, and within 15 minutes I was seeing bidirectional replication. I suppose I can take as consolation that I spent five hours on a call today with MS support, most of it in a Live Meeting where they were going over all my work and settings, and they never suggested this either.Thanks very much for your help in any case.

O, yes, only replication for public folder can create one session [instance] since it can use bi-directional replication. Glad you found the cause