Folders not getting synced in Active Sync devices post migrating from 3rd party Messaging Solution to Exchange 2013

Recently we worked on an Interesting issue where in we noticed that some of the Folders/Subfolders were not getting Synced in different Active Sync devices.

Environment:- >Exchange 2013 Cu4, different Active sync devices in place.

In outlook and OWA we were able to see these Folder's/subfolder's fine.

This issue started post migration from 3rd party Messaging solution to Exchange 2013.

During the course of Troubleshooting , ActiveSync virtual Directory was recreated for testing purpose,

We then removed the Active Sync devices for one of the Mailbox through Mfcmapi, set Activesyncmailbox logging to true, and then reconfigured Active Sync Profile and reproduced the issue.

Exchange ActiveSync Mailbox Logging enabled by running the below command:->

Set-CASMailbox -Identity "Test" -ActiveSyncDebugLogging:$True

Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity and Exchange remote connectivity analyzer result passed successfully .

We took note of the exact time when we triggered Sync process by creating Active Sync device Profile and we notice that

Client sending the FolderSync command with the folderhierarchy:SyncKey and server responding with the folder hierarchy.

Still same issue noticed ( Folders not getting Synced in Active Sync devices even though those folders were visible in OWA/Outlook).

Step for removing ActiveSync device partnership using Mfcmapi->

I. Set up a profile in Outlook for “user” - profile must be in online mode and not in cached mode
II. Start MFCMapi
III. Menu Session > Logon [choose the correct Outlook Profile]
IV. Double click the "Mailbox - User1"
V. Expand the "Root Container"
VI. Expand the "ExchangeSyncData"
VII. Remove every device (a folder named AirSync-* under ExchangeSyncData in a device)
VIII. Logoff from the mailbox
IX. Close MFCMapi

We then eventually took Mfcmapi Dump of the working and non working Folders and that's when we got the crucial Breakthrough.

  • Message property PR_CONTAINER_CLASS for Non Working folder was IPF.Imap.
  • Message property PR_CONTAINER_CLASS for Working folder was IPF.Note.

Exchange does not recognize IPF.Imap as a IPM format.

We changed the PR_CONTAINER_CLASS using Mfcmapi from IPF.Imap to IPF.Note for the affected Folders and recreated Profile. Folder's then got synced fine.

Conclusion:->

Some how while migration from 3rd party Messaging solution to Exchange, Folder property PR_CONTAINER_CLASS might have got changed to IPF.IMAP whereas it should be set as IPF.Note Format.

References :

3.1.5.3 Synchronizing a Folder Hierarchy

Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity

Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer

Exchange ActiveSync Mailbox Logging

Download MFCMAPI