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Exchange System Attendant Errors

I have recently been setting up a virtual network to get more experience in upgrading the applications listed below in the same environment. I am utilizing the following Microsoft products:

Windows Server 2008 domain controller (version: Server Core)
Windows Server 2003 application servers (possible upgrade to Server 2008 in the future)
Exchange (version: 2003 upgrading to 2007)
Live Communications Server (version: 2003 upgrading to OCS 2007)
Windows SharePoint Services (version: 2.0 upgrading to 3.0)
SharePoint Portal Server (version: 2003 upgrading to MOSS 2007)
SQL (version: 2005 upgrading to 2008)

The DC has two NICs, one is Local only and the second has external access. The first Application server has one NIC, local only.

Right now I am at the point where I have my DC setup and I have finished installing Exchange 2003 on the first Application server that will host LCS 2003 as well. However, after I rebooted, I encountered the following errors within the Windows Application Log:

Event ID: 1005
Source: MSExchangeSA
Type: Error
Body: Unexpected error The logon attempt failed ID no: 8009030c Microsoft Exchange System Attendant occurred.

Event ID: 1004
Source: MSExchangeSA
Type: Error
Body: Microsoft Exchange System Attendant failed to start

Event ID: 1005
Source: MSExchangeSA
Type: Error
Body: Unexpected error The clocks on the client and server machines are skewed. ID no: 80090324 Microsoft Exchange System Attendant occurred

Also there is a Kerberos (Event ID: 5) error in the Windows System log.

My first thought was that due to the 1005 errors, the Application server wasn't getting its time from the DC. Since it was a Server Core implementation, I did miss something (oops!): I did not start the w32time service. So, I entered the following commands:
>net start w32time
>sc config w32time start= auto

Now that the service was started, I did a reboot of the Application server just to make sure everything was working well. Same errors.

Since the error stated the times were “skewed”, I checked the time on the DC (by just typing “time” at the cmd prompt) and Application server….they were the same. What now?
I tried a manual time sync on the Application server using the w32tm command. This told me that the time between the server and the DC (its time authority) was exactly 2 hours off. That raised a flag! Timezone!

I checked the timezone for the Application server and it was correct. I went to the DC and at the prompt I typed >control timedate.cpl and one of the only remaining GUIs in Server Core gave me my answer….the DC was using the wrong timezone.

I updated the timezone, rebooted the Application server, and the System Attendant started without any problems.

Now on to installing LCS.


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