E-mail enabled list alias information is not synchronized between configuration database and content database

  • Article

BEHAVIOR/SYMPTOMS:
====================
A WSS 3.0 or MOSS 2007 site has one or more incoming e-mail enabled document libraries or lists. New emails sent to the library's e-mail address stop being
added to the library: The e-mails are received by the server, the .eml file is placed into the e-mail drop box, and then the .eml disappears from the dropbox as
SharePoint picks up the e-mail. However, the incoming email is lost and is never added to the document library.

ERROR MESSAGE:
====================
In the Application log of the Event Viewer, the following Warning is found:
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3
Event Category: E-Mail
Event ID: 6873
Date: <date>
Time: <time>
User: N/A
Computer: <Computer Name>
Description:
An error occurred while processing the incoming e-mail file
C:\Inetpub\mailroot\Drop\<ID number>.eml. The error was: Unknown alias.
In the ULS log, this Warning may appear:
12/18/2008 12:33:27.03 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x0C54) 0x06A0 Windows SharePoint
Services E-Mail 6873 Warning An error occurred while processing
the incoming e-mail file C:\Inetpub\mailroot\Drop\<ID number>.eml. The error was:
Unknown alias.

CAUSE:
====================
The configuration database stores the email alias information in the Alias column
of the dbo.EmailEnabledLists table. The content databases stores the email alias
in the tp_EmailAlias column in the dbo.Alllists table. Comparing the information
between those two locations, the alias information will not match or will not be
present in the configuration database.
Because the configuration database is unaware of the alias which has been set in
the content database, the email will be discarded rather than sent to the document
library. Also, the "Unknown alias" error will be recorded in Event Viewer and ULS
trace logs.
In at least one case, we observed this behavior when a customer joined an incoming
e-mail server to the farm with a version mismatch. This server was at an earlier
version than the rest of the farm.

RESOLUTION/WORKAROUND:
============================================================
Running the command stsadm.exe -o refreshdms -url <URL name> will pull the e-mail
alias information from the content database and write it to the configuration
database.
Note:
In some cases, this problem has been observed to recur. Running the stsadm -o
refreshdms command will temporarily resolve the problem. In cases where it is
recurring, it is prudent to script the stsadm -o refreshdms command to run at
regular intervals in order to minimize the chances of data loss as e-mails are
discarded.