Unified Messaging fails when Exchange Inbox set to forward all

[matthubach]

Unified Messaging fails when email is set to forward.

Customer Environment

CUC Version:             CUC 8.5

CUC Accounts:          LDAP integrated

CUC SMTP Domain:   company.com

Email Server:             Exchange 2007

Scenario

Unified Messaging fails when the VM message is delivered to an email account that is set to forward all.

The Unified Messaging functionality overall works fine. When a user receives a VM, it will successfully deliver the message to a users email inbox when forwarding is NOT configured.

However, Unified Messaging fails when an email account is set to forward. In this particular example, the VM message is delivered to the exchange email inbox at userA@company.com and is configured within exchange to forward all to userA@company-us.com (different domain within the Exchange enviornment). When reviewing the exchange inbox for userA@company.com, the messages are coming from unityconnection@company.com. However, there does not seem to be any attempt from the exchange side to deliver the message. Nothing in the logs. No NDR. However, all other test emails sent to UserA@company.com from an internal or external user will get forwarded to the userA@company-us.com successfully.

I read through this forum, but I am not sure this applies to us since we have our SMTP domain matching the actual email address for the users. I could be wrong as I do not administer Exchange.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/community/netpro/collaboration-voice-video/unified-comm-application/blog/2011/07/18/unity-connection-851-single-inbox-unified-messaging-forwardreply-in-outlook-fails-with-ndr#comment-8883

[David Hailey]

I haven't tested this configuration so I'm merely shooting in the dark but here's a thought:

The thread you referenced in your post is related to a different issue all together.  I think what you're seeing might be related to message synchronization via web services.  In your case, messages are synced with Exchange 2007 via Exchange Web Services (EWS).  Here is a link to a post that highlights how Outlook Inbox Rules would not be processed for messages synced via WebDAV/EWS:

https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-17854

While your scenario is different in that you are immediately forwarding messages to an alternate address, there may be some relationship that's worth looking into.  If Outlook rules are not applied for messages synced via web services then maybe forwarding could be handled differently as well because the mechanism by which the message is being delivered to your mailbox is not standard SMTP.

I could be way off base but your post caught my attention so I thought I'd share my initial thoughts.  While you wait for responses here, I would open a TAC case and see what comes from that.  Definitely update your post if you find a resolution and/or answer.

Hailey

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[William Bell]

I think Hailey's hypothesis is likely on target (+5 Hailey). I don't think the message sync method used by CUC would trigger the forwarding rule. To test, you could use an Accept+Relay or just Relay message handling method on a test mailbox (configured in CUC). These two methods actually leverage SMTP to send email to the target email alias. You can test to see if that triggers your forwarding rule.

I also have to wonder if using Relay would be a better solution for this user. If your intent is to forward the message to an Exchange mailbox that Unity Connection isn't monitoring then you aren't really doing Unified Messaging. Of course, I am speculating here and assuming your end user's mail client(s) aren't accessing the Exchange mailbox associated to userA@company.com directly.

Note with Relay there is no message store sync and a copy of the message is NOT stored on Unity Connection. With Accept+Relay a local copy is kept but there is still no sync.

HTH.

Regards,

Bill

[David Hailey]

Great follow-on there. Couldn't have put that any better myself.

Hailey

[matthubach]

The resolution was to configure the relay option under message actions for this account. This was acceptable since Unified Messaging was not required.

Thanks everyone!

Matt