[Build 7817] EAS - SYNC KEY MISMATCH

Problem reported by Martin Schaible - 5/31/2021 at 6:48 AM

Submitted

Hello

Yesterday i update the server to the latest Build 7817. I'm not sure, if it's a coincident, but my outlook doesn't show my tasks anymore. I can see the tasks in the webmail on on my smartphone.

I have this error in the activeSync.log:

15:37:58.316 [645814420] SYNC KEY MISMATCH (PerformSync) (f404717782c444738290578970e2fd94): Device=[20210530.134333.448600] Server=[20210531.121038.23387] User=[martin@netfusion.ch]
15:37:58.316 System.NullReferenceException: Der Objektverweis wurde nicht auf eine Objektinstanz festgelegt.
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.Helpers.SyncTasks.FillApplicationData(db_task cd, SyncApplicationData& ad, SyncOptions options, VersionHandlerBase handler)
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.Helpers.SyncBase.GetCachedApplicationDataNoEmail[T](T item, Boolean isUpdate, Boolean isFetch)
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.Helpers.SyncBase.ProcessChanges(Int32 globalAllowedChanges, List`1& addedItems, Dictionary`2& updatedItems, Dictionary`2& deletedItems, Dictionary`2& softDeletedItems)
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.Helpers.SyncBase.PerformSync(Int32 allowedChanges, Boolean& requiresImmediateResponse, Boolean& saveLastSyncRequest)
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.Commands.Sync.Execute()
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.VersionSpecific.VersionHandlerBase.ProcessCommand()
   bei MailService.Protocols.ActiveSync.ActiveSyncProcessor.ProcessCommand(EasCommandRequest request)

Any idea what is going on here?

No more tasks, what a present. Its time for vacation :-)

Thanks!

14 Replies

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Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

5/31/2021 at 6:59 AM

What version of Outlook are you using?

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins at SERSIS

Currently manages 6 SmarterMail installations (1 in the cloud for SERSIS which provides services to a few hundred third-party email domains + 5 on-premise for customers who prefer to have their mail server in-house)

Employee Replied

5/31/2021 at 9:41 AM

Employee Post

Often times, especially with Outlook, which is unsupported with ActiveSync per Microsoft, will require the account to be removed and readded if you get the Sync Key mismatch.

The issue is that Outlook will get a newer Sync Key from server but then in the subsequent request use older keys, thus the mismatch.

Martin Schaible Replied

5/31/2021 at 10:08 AM

It's Version 16.0.5161.1002.

Maybe a silly question: If Outlook, which is unsupported with ActiveSync per Microsoft, why we have ActiveSync as SmarterTools says "The Exchange Alternative"?

So the only mail client from microsoft is not compatible (anymore) with EAS? Sounds to weard to me.

Employee Replied

5/31/2021 at 10:43 AM

Employee Post

You can't connect Outlook via ActiveSync with Exchange. Being an alternative SmarterMail at least will permit the connection. The SyncKey Mismatch has a work around "fix" of remove and readd.

See this article: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/troubleshoot/profiles-and-accounts/outlook-cannot-use-activesync-connect-exchange

Martin Schaible Replied

5/31/2021 at 10:57 AM

I deleted the account in my outlook. After recreating not even the tasks won't work again, even everything will not sync again.

That means, overnight happened something magical, that a account which worked for years with SmarterMail and EAS will not work anymore? I feel kinda pissed off. I have around 25 customers working with Outlook and EAS now sitting on a timebomb?

So what is the alternative, that we can continue to use SmarterMail as you advertise in big letters?

Thanks!

Martin Schaible Replied

5/31/2021 at 11:14 AM

I deleted the account again, i also deleted the ost.file and the content of the "EasCache" and "RoamCache".
After adding the account, the sync downloaded the mails. The next sync cleared the inbox and other data as well.

I deleted a different account which runs on the same SmarterMail server with EAS and the inital sync was working properly.

So the problem isn't generic, it is in conjunction with this account.

Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

5/31/2021 at 12:01 PM

With Outlook 2016 and later the correct protocol to use is MAPI, and SmarterMail supports it very well.

EAS isn't supported in Outlook 2016 and later (even if sometimes it can works)

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins at SERSIS

Martin Schaible Replied

5/31/2021 at 1:28 PM

So it worked for years and overnight it stopped. Now i have to pay around 250 Dollars for MAPI to support Outlook and keep EAS for Android and other stuff. It's getting expensive, wonderful.

Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

5/31/2021 at 11:33 PM

I understand you compliants, but that's not a Smarter Tools fault.

It's Microsoft that doesn't support EAS in Outlook 2016+ and indicates MAPI as the right protocol.

Anyway, SmarterTools can (if they want) do their best to make EAS protocol within SmarterMail works better, since it still has problems even with devices such as smartphones and tablets that still do not synchronize correctly with EAS...

I myself have a ticket open for months on this issue, in which they assured me that they are working to support EAS 16.x (they currently support v.14) and every week they update me saying that they hope to release it with the next build , but each time they postpone again...

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins at SERSIS

Sébastien Riccio Replied

5/31/2021 at 11:48 PM

We also still have some sync issue with EAS on mobile device.

As an example, I've recently setup an EAS account on an Android device (Using the built-in Android app).

When I open the app, it doesn't sync the mail folders. It keeps saying the sync is in progress but nothing happens.
I have to send an e-mail from the device (that is finally not sent at all) but it triggers the sync and it is working.

Still after this I've noticed that the Contacts are never sync'ed. It says something like "There is no contacts for this account".

Here I also try to create a contact from the device and store it in the EAS account. It appears on the device but is not sent to the server.

I know EAS should now be restricted to mobile devices and not used anymore on recent Desktop Outlook clients, but even with mobile devices, there are issues that we can't reproduce on real Exchange servers or even on open source server products that provides EAS (like for example sOGO).

So it seems that these are server side EAS implementation issue. Snifff.

Kind regards

Sébastien Riccio

System & Network Admin

https://swisscenter.com

Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

5/31/2021 at 11:54 PM

Hi Sébastien!

These are DEFINITELY server side EAS implementation issue, and I have a ticket waiting for solution for months...

I'll hope that they release v.16 EAS support soon, hoping this solves the issues I continue to have with my customers...

EDIT: we have A LOT of customers that are now using Exchange, Kerio and other Mail Server that have smartphones working flawlessly with EAS...

We want to migrate them all to SmarterMail, but given all the problems that EAS is creating with test users we are stuck and cannot go ahead with the migrations.

I really hope SmarterTools will solve these problems soon...

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins at SERSIS

Sébastien Riccio Replied

6/1/2021 at 12:07 AM

Ciao Gabriele,

Thank you for following the ticket about these issues, I hope it will be fixed sometime.

I would also open a ticket about it but we've already our batch of tickets to follow at the moment.

With luck, we have only a small userbase using EAS like a hundred on 25k accounts, so we have only a few complaints, but these are still important to us, even more because we have to charge an additional fee to the customer to cover the ActiveSync per mailbox license...

So these customers are excepting it to work flawlessly.

Crossing fingers

Sébastien Riccio

System & Network Admin

https://swisscenter.com

Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

6/1/2021 at 12:11 AM

We are now testing EWS support for Android using BlueMail app...

I know it's not the best solution, but maybe that can be a workaround waiting for EAS issue solving...

EDIT: not working... it's seems to be unable to sync with the EWS server.

The account it's created and autenticated correctly during the creation phase, but then when I open the inbox there's no sync and it says "Cannot connect to server"

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins at SERSIS

Webio Replied

6/1/2021 at 1:03 PM

On my end when I moved to P30 Pro I had some issues with EAS which I didn't had on my older Galaxy S9+. I've ended up with EAS ticket still being open and phone where I've move EAS to IMAP and davx5 installed:

https://www.davx5.com/

https://www.davx5.com/download

it costs about 4-5 usd and just works. I actually don't need EAS anymore for my own needs. It even has subpage dedicated to SmarterMail:

https://www.davx5.com/tested-with/smartermail

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