Process MSEXCHANGE AD TOPOLOGY SERVICE.EXE (PID=1756). Topology discovery failed, error 0x8007077f

Written by Allen White on December 13, 2011. Posted in Exchange 2007, Exchange 2010, Microsoft, Server 2008

IT Problem

You are experiencing your Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2013 server sitting at starting services. When you check the services console you will find that the information store is in a stopped or in a hung starting state, additionally a number of other services are stuck in a starting state including the Microsoft exchange transport service and the Microsoft exchange topology service.

In Event viewer you see the following errors.Event ID 2142, 2077, 2069, the main ID is 2142.

Log Name:      Application
Source:        MSExchange ADAccess
Date:
Event ID:      2142
Task Category: Topology
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      allenserver.allendomain.com
Description:
Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGYSERVICE.EXE (PID=1756). Topology discovery failed, error 0x8007077f.

The main clue here is the Event ID 2142 and Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGYSERVICE.EXE (PID=1756). Topology discovery failed, error 0x8007077f.

IT Solution

The issue you are seeing here is that your server cannot see active directory, if you have multiple sites you need to make sure that both sites have a sub net assigned to them so that the Exchange 201 or Exchange 2013 server can talk to DNS and DC`s on its subnet. Here we create a site for the Exchange server. Open Active Directory Sites and Services.

Under sub net right click and select new sub net

new subnet sites and services

Once in there enter your sub net, you will then need to assign it to the relevant site. Once done, go to the services console and start the exchange services or you can reboot the server. You will find the exchange will now start fine.

Tags: Active directory

Allen White

Allen is an IT Consultant and holds the following accreditations. MCSA, MCSE, MCTS, MCITP, CCA, CCSP, VCP 4,5, 6 and HP ASE, AIS - Network Infrastructure.

Comments (7)

Allen White

March 27, 2012 at 3:11 pm | #

No problems , glad to help. Click the +1!

Reply
Marcos R.

March 27, 2013 at 8:10 pm | #

Excellent. I lost half a day getting around until I found that help.
Thanks a lot!!!

Reply
faru

September 19, 2013 at 9:55 pm | #

Hi Allen i have a problem, my AD, Exchange and DNS are on the same computer. Does this solution apply

Reply
- Allen White
  
  September 20, 2013 at 9:14 am | #
  
  Only if the Exchange is in a different site/subnet. 🙂
  
  Reply
Robert

May 28, 2016 at 7:58 pm | #

Hi Allen,

I had the same Problem but AD-Site was correct configured.
For some strange reason the GlobalCatalog-Entrys in the DNS where gone ???
Restarting the Netlogon-Service on the DC registered the SRV-Entrys and solved my problem.

Regards,
Robert

Reply
Juty Chen

February 13, 2017 at 12:49 pm | #

Valuable and helpful tip! We were migrating and old Windows 2008R2 DC to a new 2012 DC and we were debugging for weeks why Exchange was so dependant on the old DC. Then we realized the old DC was in a VLAN 10.0.0.0/16 and the new DC was in a new VLAN 10.11.0.0/16. We created a new subnet and all the Exchange 2013 Event Id 2142 error were solved.
“Process Microsoft.Exchange.Directory.TopologyService.exe (PID=2020) Topology discovery failed, error details
No Minimal Required Number of Suitable Directory Servers Found in Forest xxx.xxx Site Default-First-Site and connected Sites”

Thank you very much.

Reply
Milind Kale

February 13, 2018 at 1:05 pm | #

Very helpful! Had this issue when we changed IP range for a site where the DC and Exchange 2010 server was and this resolved the issue. Thanks!

Reply