[fltmstr]

Hello, I am running BES 4.1.x.x with about 40 users. I am having a couple of issues.

-User 1: User had Sprint and his blackberry was working fine. The User switched to verizon, and I cannot get his new blackberry to activate. I have already tried the following:

-I have deleted him from the BES server, and re-added.
-I've triple-checked the activation password.
-I've verified the BESAdmin account has "send as" and full mailbox rights in Active Directory / Exchange.
-Data services do work, I can use the browser.
-Verizon did verify that he's on a BES plan, not a BIS plan.
-I have wiped the handheld, and started over.
-I have left the server completely off for 30 minutes as a last effort.




-User 2: This user had Sprint, and one day, he could no longer send e-mails. He can receive e-mails fine. He got Verizon also, and the problem is still present. When he tries to send or reply to an e-mail message, a red X appears.

-I have deleted him from the BES server, and re-added.
-I've verified the BESAdmin account has "send on behalf" and full mailbox rights in Active Directory / Exchange.
-I have wiped the handheld, and started over.
-I have left the server completely off for 30 minutes as a last effort.
-Keep in mind this problem has existed across multiple handhelds on multiple services... so I'm assuming it's an active directory or BES problem... although I have compared his mailbox rights to mine which works fine and they're identical.



I have googled... I have spoke with the service providers... and short of paying $1700 for a RIM service contract, I'm trying here... please help, it's very much appreciated.


EDIT: Neither user is a member of any built-in groups.

[knottyrope]

For the first user, is there just one email address for the user? Do you see the etp.dat file get picked up?

For the second, Is the member in a protected group, Domain admin etc.
Have you looked at the MAGT logs on the BES?

[fltmstr]

Originally Posted by knottyrope

For the first user, is there just one email address for the user? Do you see the etp.dat file get picked up?

For the second, Is the member in a protected group, Domain admin etc.
Have you looked at the MAGT logs on the BES?

Correct, there is just 1 e-mail address for the user.

No etp.dat message, or any registration message, in the users inbox or blackberry.

The second is a member of no protected groups, he's a member of a few distribution lists, and maybe 1 security group. I will look into this though now that you mention it.

I'd have to google "MAGT" logs...




Edit: IIRC, when a user is a member of a protected/built-in gruop, the rights to the mailbox are stripped correct? User 2's rights are not being stripped.

[knottyrope]

Look here for the sending issue.

View Document

[knottyrope]

Logs are located near here
C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry Enterprise Server\Logs


What are the log files?
View Document

[fltmstr]

Originally Posted by knottyrope

Look here for the sending issue.

View Document

Thanks. According to the article I can either stop the blackberry router service for 2 hours, or have that user power down his blackberry for 2 hours... I just had him remove the battery, and I'm going to leave it out 2 1/2 hours... I guess we'll know if that fixed it about 4pm est.


Thanks for the replies and help.

[knottyrope]

OK let us know when you fire it back up then.

[fltmstr]

While that's waiting, I'm working on the activation deal... I just got another activation (This is a new one, that's on Sprint), and I'm having the same trouble... it won't activate.

I looked in the log that you said, and there is nothing about an activation attempt or anything, basically it's just messages like "Ignored - let other server/desktop do it, EntryId=91538"... the activation process is acting as if it's never reaching the server.

[knottyrope]

That sound like provissioning issue with carrier.

Call them up and have then remove all data plans and wait 5 min then have them add in the more expensive BES data plan and try again. Sounds wierd but it works when they think its ok.

[fltmstr]

Originally Posted by knottyrope

That sound like provissioning issue with carrier.

Call them up and have then remove all data plans and wait 5 min then have them add in the more expensive BES data plan and try again. Sounds wierd but it works when they think its ok.

It doesn't sound weird to me, I hit that so many times a year ago when I was dealing with sprint... luckily on verizon, *228 & sending the HRT message re-provisions the phone... or at least I thought so... I did call in and have verizon verify that he is on the correct plan for this to work. I have the "new" user calling in now to verify they're on the right plan.

[fltmstr]

On User 1, tier 1 and tier 2 have said that it is provisioned correctly... did another HRT send, re-program, and phone reset... still a no go... I'm beginning to think it's the equipment, if I can get the other user activated, I'm 99% sure it is.

[fltmstr]

User 2 (can't send email, btu receives fine) left his battery out for nearly 3 hours... still gets a red X. I guess I need to shut down the routing service for 2 hours.

[Nuff]

The missing etp messages for user one make me go "hmmm". Two suggestions for User 1:

1) Check for (and disable, if present) any Outlook rules which could be redirecting inbound mail out of the Inbox. I've tripped over that a couple of times in my own environment.

2) Use message tracking in Exchange System Manager to look for the ETP messages, starting from the user's mailbox, and working back through any Bridgehead(s) if present. If you have some sort of anti-spam appliance that tracks incoming mail, you can try tracing the inbound messages from that end.

For User 2, check your ALRT and MAGT logs for entries related to this user. The failure message in the logs would help. Also, if you open the "red x" messages on the device, the Message Status there might be a clue as well.

Are all users involved on the same Exchange server? I've had isolated message transmission failures on one or more mail servers when the active DC is rebooted. Restarting the BES services (as it appears that you have already done) fixes that, however.

[fltmstr]

Yep, all users are on the same exchange server.

I just deleted myself from the BES server... on user 1, I can activate my account on his blackberry, however his account won't activate on my blackberry. This tells me that everything is provisioned correctly on the lines, and that my servers activation process is working correctly. Just to double check myself, the only permissions that I need to "add" on exchange are the "send on behalf" permission, and give the besadmin account full access to the mailbox?

I will look into the users outlook settings that can't send mail, I think you may be onto something.

[fltmstr]

I can go to mail.mydomainhere.com/exchange/usersemail address and access the users email and send for him... It's just the activation process, and come to think of it, every "new" user that I've added in the past month or so, I've had extreme trouble with the activation process... we gave up on one guys, then magically 2 weeks later his blackberry starts receiving mail.

[WMedley]

Originally Posted by fltmstr

I can go to mail.mydomainhere.com/exchange/usersemail address and access the users email and send for him... It's just the activation process, and come to think of it, every "new" user that I've added in the past month or so, I've had extreme trouble with the activation process... we gave up on one guys, then magically 2 weeks later his blackberry starts receiving mail.

fltmstr,

If you want to contact me privately I have a few things I can try for you.

[fltmstr]

User 1 is now resolved, the user can send email now from the blackberry. For those that stumble upon this page:

The "security" tab had all permissions that working accounts had. They were identical, and I didn't see any "special permissions" that look different. I decided that since it couldn't hurt anything, I gave the BES admin account "full control" to the mailbox just as a shot in the dark. It triggered something and it's working now.

Beats me!

Thanks for everyones help... now concentrating on the user that can't activate.