How to Fix Common Email Sync Issues in SCSM 2012 Exchange Connector
The System Center Service Manager (SCSM) 2012 Exchange Connector automates ticket creation and updates from emails. When synchronization fails, IT service delivery stalls. Below are the most common causes of email sync failures and how to resolve them. 1. Validate the Connector Account Permissions
The most frequent cause of synchronization failure is incorrect or expired credentials for the Exchange Connector Run As Account.
The Fix: Open the SCSM Console and navigate to Administration > Security > Run As Accounts. Locate the account used by the Exchange Connector and ensure the password is up to date.
Exchange Rights: Verify that this service account has ApplicationImpersonation rights in Exchange, or explicit Full Access permissions to the monitored shared mailboxes. 2. Clear the Watermark Table
If the connector stops processing new emails entirely but shows no errors, it may be stuck on a corrupted or massive email. SCSM uses a “watermark” to remember the last processed email timestamp.
The Fix: You must clear the watermark in the Service Manager database. Run the following SQL query against your ServiceManager database to reset the sync pointer for the specific connector: SELECTFROM ExchangeConnectorState Use code with caution.
Resolution: Locate the row for your malfunctioning connector and update the Watermark value to a date slightly in the past, or clear the state to force a re-read of the mailbox. Always back up your database before running update queries. 3. Resolve Missing Routing Rules
If the Exchange Connector processes emails but fails to create work items, the incoming emails might be missing required properties that match your SCSM routing rules.
The Fix: Check the LyncAndExchangeConnector.log file on the management server. Look for errors stating that a user could not be found.
Resolution: The sender’s email address must match an existing Configuration Item (CI) user profile in SCSM. If the sender is unknown, ensure your connector settings allow ticket creation from unknown users. Go to Administration > Connectors, edit the Exchange Connector, and check the box for “Create work items for unrecognized users.” 4. Fix Max Receive Size and Timeout Limitations
Large attachments or deeply nested email threads can cause the connector to time out or crash during processing.
The Fix: Increase the timeout settings and maximum message size limits.
Resolution: In the Exchange Management Shell, verify the MaxReceiveSize for the monitored mailbox. Next, update the SCSM management server registry if necessary to extend the timeout values under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\System Center\2012\Service Manager\DiscoveredConnectors\Exchange. 5. Restart the System Center Management Service
Sometimes, the internal workflows responsible for triggering the connector become unresponsive.
The Fix: Log into the primary SCSM Management Server. Open services.msc and locate the System Center Management service (also known as Microsoft Monitoring Agent).
Resolution: Restart the service. This forces SCSM to reinitialize all workflow modules, including the Exchange Connector polling cycles.
To help troubleshoot your specific environment, let me know:
Are you seeing specific error event IDs (like 26319 or 33333) in the Operations Manager event log?
Did this issue start after an Exchange upgrade or password change?
Is the connector failing to create new tickets, or is it failing to update existing ones?
I can provide the exact SQL script or registry path based on your setup.
Leave a Reply