You set up the MX records with priorities. The foreign email server will first check to see what mail servers are serving a particular domain. The server will get the MX records and their priorities. The server will try the #1 priority server first. If that server is not available it will go to #2. If that is not available, it will wait a prescribed amount of time and probably try #1 again and then #2 and wait again. If #2 gets the mail it will notice it does not have the mailbox for that user and send it on to #1 because it knows that is where the mailbox is. Larger systems get more complicated with bridgehead servers and lots more stuff. It does not sound like your system is that complicated. Just a server and a second server for backup. Simple. Douglas Jensen Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Voice (952) 402-9821 Fax (952) 402-9815 Network Administrator Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency, Inc. 712 Canterbury Road Shakopee, MN 55379 www.capagency.org <file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/djensen.SCDCAP/Application%20Data /Microsoft/Signatures/www.capagency.org> ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 10:29 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 question if both email server are on the same site and able to send and recieve email depending on weather the isp is up and running how does exchange choose with server to send emial through when they are both online thanks ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jensen, Douglas Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 10:59 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 I am only familiar with the expensive option (second exchange server license). You add another exchange server to the organization. Could be the same site or a different site. Other less expensive options are also available and probably fairly easy to do. No, you would not set up more mailboxes on the second server. That server is there only to collect mail and send it on to the server that houses the user mailbox. Yes, you need a second MX record pointing to the second server. Otherwise no one would know to send mail there if the first server was unavailable. Depending on the speed of your connections between the two physical "sites" you could add it to the Exchange site or to a different Exchange site. The things to consider there are the type of connectors you would establish between the sites. I suggest reading up on Exchange on Microsoft's web site. There are how to documents on adding servers to organizations and sites. Douglas Jensen Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Voice (952) 402-9821 Fax (952) 402-9815 Network Administrator Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency, Inc. 712 Canterbury Road Shakopee, MN 55379 www.capagency.org <file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/djensen.SCDCAP/Application%20Data /Microsoft/Signatures/www.capagency.org> ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of gabriel E. Rincon Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 9:32 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 How does one setup a "catch-all" email system for a domaing? For example, Mycompany.com mx1 points to my main exchanger server each person has a mailbox If I setup and mx2 record pointing to another mail server - do I have to setup one mailbox/user too? Or is there some sort of setting that just temporarily stores all emails into one container? Thanks Gabriel ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 7:39 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 (The best way to do it is contact your ISP (or a mail hosting company) and see if they can setup to catch your mail if your server goes down. Then create a second or third mx record to point to them. if one or both of your servers are down mail will be delivered to them then you can configure your server to collect the mail when you are back up) this is what i want you are right in need a catch server out there on my isp or host provider how would i setup a catch server ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Greg Mulholland Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 2:37 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 quote: I would like a server out there to be able to queue the mail now you want control the servers "out there"? generally most servers will requeue the mail for anywhere from 6 hours-2 days (its up to the other mail admin) If your server doesn't come online before then, generally the user will get a bounce message saying the mail could not be delivered. I am assuming you have either only got one server or both are in a the same site. Chances of both servers going down in your site at once are small, if you have planned right, redundant power supply's, backup internet connection, more than one 5 port switch.. The best way to do it is contact your ISP (or a mail hosting company) and see if they can setup to catch your mail if your server goes down. Then create a second or third mx record to point to them. if one or both of your servers are down mail will be delivered to them then you can configure your server to collect the mail when you are back up. Greg ----- Original Message ----- From: Alex <mailto:alex@xxxxxxxxxx> To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 8:12 AM Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 correct that is a good config how would it work if the backup was in a different site or org what i am trying to accomplish is if my only server goes down i would like a server out there to be able to queue the mail and when the server comes back up the email is sent to the primary or the primary ask for the email ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jensen, Douglas Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 4:01 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: exchange 200 2003 We have 2 exchange servers in 2 different sites. If one is down, the other gets mail and keeps it till the first is back up. It would work the same if you had 2 servers in the same site. They both need MX records and IP addresses on the internet so other servers can find them. Douglas Jensen Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Douglas.Jensen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Voice (952) 402-9821 Fax (952) 402-9815 Network Administrator Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency, Inc. 712 Canterbury Road Shakopee, MN 55379 www.capagency.org <file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\djensen.SCDCAP\Application%20Data \Microsoft\Signatures\www.capagency.org> ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 2:02 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] exchange 200 2003 does anybody have any information on how to setup a exchange server to be able to catch emails from a exchange server that is down and then forward it to the server thanks