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Error message when you prepare an Active Directory forest for Exchange Server 2007: Schema update failed

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©2005-©2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Trademarks

Article ID: 947282 - Last Review: March 25, 2008 - Revision: 3.0

Error message when you prepare an Active Directory forest for Exchange 2007: "Schema update failed"

SYMPTOMS

You run the setup.com /prepareschema command in a Microsoft Windows 2003 domain. You do this to prepare a Windows 2003 Active Directory directory service forest for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

When you do this, you receive the following error message:
Schema update failed: An attribute with the same link identifier already exists.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because another schema attribute with the same linkID already exists in the forest. The most common reason this behavior is that a third-party schema extension defined this linkID. This does not necessarily mean that the third-party program violated Microsoft best practices. Methods and recommendations for defining linkIDs have changed over time.

For recommendations for forests that are running a functional level that is earlier than the Windows Server 2003 forest functional level, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms806968.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms806968.aspx)
For more information about Windows Server 2003 forest functional level, visit the following MSDN Web site:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb891955.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb891955.aspx)

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, modify the linkIDs in the .ldf files to change the conflicting linkID values. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. In the ldif.err file, locate the conflicting linkID values:
    Entry DN: 
    CN=attribute,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=domain,DC=com
    Add error on line XXX: Unwilling To Perform 
    The server side error is "Schema update failed: An attribute with the same link identifier 
    already exists." An error has occurred in the program
    
  2. Copy the contents of the Exchange 2007 CD to a location on a local hard disk.
  3. In the Exchange setup files, locate each “CN=attribute” string in the *.ldf files.
  4. Edit each schema file (.ldf) to assign non-conflicting linkIDs from 1138 through 1177.

    LinkIDs must be edited in pairs. The forward link attribute must be assigned an even ID. Typically, this forward link attribute ends in the following: –Link. The associated back link must be assigned an odd ID. Typically, the back link attribute has a similar name as the forward link attribute but ends with the following: –BL. This odd ID must be one higher than the forward linkID.
  5. From the folder to which you copied the contents of the Exchange 2007 CD, run the following command:
    setup.com /prepareschema

MORE INFORMATION

The Exchange Server Product Group has approved these steps as a supported workaround for the issue that is described in this article. These steps do not damage Active Directory. LinkIDs 1138 to 1177 are reserved for Exchange 2007 and do not conflict with future Microsoft products.

Important After you import objects into the Windows Server 2003 Active Directory schema, you cannot remove them. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully consider any changes to the Active Directory schema. If you incorrectly extend the Active Directory schema, you may experience problems with Active Directory.

APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition
Keywords: 
kbtshoot kbexpertiseinter kbprb KB947282
       

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