Event ID 6857 (Windows SharePoint Services health model)

Applies To: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 sends alerts and other administration messages by using an SMTP mail server. You can specify which SMTP server to use, and you can set the e-mail address to use for sending alerts and receiving replies for all sites, by using the Outgoing E-Mail Settings page in Central Administration.

Event Details

Diagnose

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 could not send an SMTP e-mail message. This error might be caused by one of the following conditions:

• The SMTP host is not running

• The SMTP service is not running on the SMTP server

• The SMPT host is not correctly configured in Central Administration

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer:

To confirm that the SMTP server is running and configured correctly

1. In Internet Information Services Manager, connect to the SMTP server.

2. Expand the server node and look for the SMTP virtual server. There might be more than one virtual server.

3. The service should be running.

4. To check the configuration, open the service's properties.

5. On the Delivery tab, click Outbound Security.

6. In the Outbound Security dialog box, either the Anonymous access or Integrated Windows Authentication option must be selected. If the Integrated Windows Authentication check box is selected, ensure that the Windows SharePoint Services Central Administration application pool account has access by checking the Account and Password boxes.

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer:

To confirm that the SMTP service on the local computer is running

1. In the Services MMC snap-in, look for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service.

2. The service should be started.

3. To fix this, see the section titled Start and configure the SMTP service.

You must be a member of the SharePoint Administrators group to perform this task:

To confirm the SMTP host settings in Central Administration

1. In Central Administration, on the left-side navigation pane, click Operations.

2. On the Operations page, in the Topology and Services section, click Outgoing e-mail settings.

3. The SMTP server should appear in the Outgoing SMTP server box on the Outgoing E-Mail Settings page, under Mail Settings.

Resolve

To resolve this issue, use the resolution that corresponds to the cause you identified in the Diagnose section. After performing the resolution, see the Verify section to confirm that the feature is operating properly.

Start and configure the SMTP service

You must be a member of the Administrators group to perform this action.

To start and configure the SMTP virtual server

1. In Internet Information Services Manager, connect to the SMTP server.

2. Expand the server node and look for the SMTP virtual server used by Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

3. Right-click the correct virtual server and click Start.

4. To configure the virtual server, open the virtual server's properties.

5. On the Delivery tab, click Outbound Security.

6. In the Outbound Security dialog box, either the Anonymous access or Integrated Windows Authentication option must be selected. If the Integrated Windows Authentication check box is selected, ensure that the Windows SharePoint Services Central Administration application pool account has access by checking the Account and Password boxes.

Configure outbound e-mail settings in Central Administration

You must be a member of the SharePoint Administrators group to perform this task.

To configure outgoing e-mail settings in Central Administration

1. In Central Administration, on the left-side navigation pane, click Operations.

2. On the Operations page, in the Topology and Services section, click Outgoing e-mail settings.

3. On the Outgoing E-Mail Settings page, under Mail Settings, type the correct SMTP server in the Outgoing SMTP server box.

Verify

Create a new instant alert and ensure that an e-mail message is sent properly.

To create an immediate alert e-mail message

1. Navigate to a site that has a list of any type.

2. Open an item on the list.

3. Click Alert Me.

4. On the New Alert page, in the Send Alerts To section, type your account name in the Users box.

5. After verifying other settings, click OK.

   This should send an e-mail message to your e-mail Inbox informing you that you have created a new alert.

Related Management Information

E-mail (Health model)

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 health model