Disappearing Voice Mail

[douglas.heppler]

Problem Description: Our client is currently running into issues with our Exchange 2003 \ Cisco Unity system, this is what is happening, their infrastructure is based on W2K3 and Exchange 2003 (Backend 2 node cluster and 2 front end servers), our desktops are running Windows XP with Office 2003 (Outlook 2003 running in Exchange Cached mode and using HTTP over RPC), Also running is Cisco Unity 4.0 and Cisco Call Manager 3.3 with a tie into their Exchange Server so if an IP phone recieves voice mail it automatically sneds a copy (in WAV format) to the users Outlook 2003. They are having an issue with users who recieve a VM, have it sent to their Outlook 2003 and then the message disappearing. No trace of the message is found in the Inbox on the local system though if the user changes to folder view the message is available in their Sync Issues\Server Failures. At this stage the only fix is to recreate their local Outlook profile (Automatically created by a login script) which fixes the issue.

Also occasionally on a working profile the issue occurs and once again the message is in the Sync iuues folder

Any feedback on this issue would be greatly appreciated

[kechambe]

When you say that a copy of the message is set to the users Outlook 2003 do you mean that Unity submits the message to their Exchange mailbox (inbox folder) or have you done something custom here? The message that Unity puts in the inbox isn't a copy -- that is the only place it stores it so I want to make sure we are on the same page.

Can a user call in and check their messages after this has happened?

I just checked my Sync Issues folder and I don't have any messages in it...

Thanks,

Keith

[douglas.heppler]

Hi Keith,

Sorry about that, wrong choice of words. Nothing custom done in Exchange. We're on the same page, yes Unity sends the message not copies and I'll have to check to see if the user can still check messages.

Thx,

Doug

[douglas.heppler]

Hi Keith,

the user can call into their VM but the message will not be there.

Doug

[vharsha]

We ran into the same issue in our lab set up. The issue was traced to the Exchange Cached Mode of Outlook 2003. By disabling the Exchange Cached Mode, your problem should go away. We are currently working with Microsoft to understand why the Exchange Cached Mode affects Unity messages.

[douglas.heppler]

We've made the change you suggested and I'll follow up with you to let you know how we're making out.

Thx,

Doug

[smburke]

Has anyone found a solution to this? I"m experiencing the same issue. Voicemails directly from unity appear in my inbox under Outlook 2003 in cached mode just fine, but forwarded voicemails are immeditaly deleted from my inbox,

This shows up in the sync log:

13:46:28 The following message had an error and synchronization of it was skipped (0x80040304):

13:46:28 "FW: Message from 8186780477"

13:46:28 The following message had an error and synchronization of it was skipped (0x80040304):

13:46:28 "FW: Message from an unidentified caller (22048)"

[smburke]

I think I've just answered my own question. My exchange guy found the following:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=834716

[kechambe]

In short, in exchange 2003, the exchange server began using a property which outlook 2003 uses to synchronize its cache. The property, which is identifier 6000, is in the user defined, non-transmittable property range, as defined by the MAPI headers. Unity defines this tag to be AVP_MESSAGE_TYPE, which it sets on messages to differentiate reports from emails, etc. When Unity sets this property, the outlook2003 cache synchronization breaks down.

We did make a patch in Unity so that we stopped setting this in 4.0(3)SR1. Microsoft also told us that they were working on a patch to correct it on their side. I can't say for 100% sure but it is likely that the patch you found would fix this.

Thanks,

Keith

[smburke]

We're running 4.0(3)SR1 and still experienced the problem with disappearing fowarded (only forwarded) voice messages. The patch from Microsoft did fix the issue.

[vharsha]

Were the messages forwarded using the telephone interface or VMO or Unity Inbox?

[smburke]

They were forwarded by Outlook2003, Outlook XP, and Outlook 2000 with, and without VMO. As soon as the recipient's Outlook 2003 was launched and syncronized the inbox, the message was moved into the failure folder. Once the Outlook 2003 patch was installed on the recipient's platform, everything functioned correctly.

[maratimer_2]

This post states this was fixed in 4.0.3SR1..this seems to be what is happening to me also, I have just installed 4.0.4SR1 with Exchange2003 sys tools and exchange2003 offbox.

I was able to send vm over phone but when I try to retrieve them, unity states that I have no messages and they are not showing up in the users inbox....

Is this happening to anyone else on this version? Any ideas? I have confirmed permissions, etc..and there are NO errors in the app event logs.

[Ginger Dillon]

Hi -

Does the user have a Blackberry device that downloads email/synchronizes from the Exchange server? In our tests, this download process marks voice messages marked as READ in the inbox. Which turns off MWI and the TUI indicates no new messages.

We are running 4.0(4) SR1 with Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2000.

Ginger

[maratimer_2]

Ginger, do you know if there is any way to prevent this? (the blackberry syncs marking the message as read?). I have just finighed a site and was unaware of the blackberry devices in use and this is EXACTLY what is happening. Needless to say, the users werent happy because everytime they accessed vm over the TUI, they were told they had no new messages but found new messages in the saved folder after the fact. Thanks for any input you can provide!