BUG:EXOTransportConfig :System.InvalidOperationException|Before you create a journal rule

[CovidtheDog2024]

Description of the issue

Hi MVP,
Please review this error and assist with the resolution. Thank you!

WorkLoad : Exchange
Resource : System.InvalidOperationException|Before you create a journal rule
Error : The error occurred during export.

Microsoft 365 DSC Version

1.24.1218.1

Which workloads are affected

Exchange Online

The DSC configuration

EXOTransportConfig "EXOTransportConfig"
        {
            AddressBookPolicyRoutingEnabled         = $False;
            AllowLegacyTLSClients                   = $False;
            ClearCategories                         = $True;
            ConvertDisclaimerWrapperToEml           = $False;
            Credential                              = $Credscredential;
            DSNConversionMode                       = "PreserveDSNBody";
            ExternalDelayDsnEnabled                 = $True;
            ExternalDsnLanguageDetectionEnabled     = $True;
            ExternalDsnSendHtml                     = $True;
            HeaderPromotionModeSetting              = "NoCreate";
            InternalDelayDsnEnabled                 = $True;
            InternalDsnLanguageDetectionEnabled     = $True;
            InternalDsnSendHtml                     = $True;
            IsSingleInstance                        = "Yes";
            JournalingReportNdrTo                   = "<>";
            JournalMessageExpirationDays            = 0;
            MaxRecipientEnvelopeLimit               = "Unlimited";
            ReplyAllStormBlockDurationHours         = 6;
            ReplyAllStormDetectionMinimumRecipients = 2500;
            ReplyAllStormDetectionMinimumReplies    = 10;
            ReplyAllStormProtectionEnabled          = $True;
            Rfc2231EncodingEnabled                  = $False;
            SmtpClientAuthenticationDisabled        = $True;
        }

Verbose logs showing the problem

System.InvalidOperationException|Before you create a journal rule, you must specify an email account to receive        journal reports that can't be delivered to the journal destination. To do this, click OK. On the Journal rules page,    select an email address to send undeliverable journal reports to. Browse to select a mailbox in your organization or    an external contact to receive the undeliverable reports.

Environment Information + PowerShell Version

Get-ComputerInfo -Property @(
'OsName',
'OsOperatingSystemSKU',
'OSArchitecture',
'WindowsVersion',
'WindowsBuildLabEx',
'OsLanguage',
'OsMuiLanguages')

$PSVersionTable


OsName               : Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise
OsOperatingSystemSKU : EnterpriseEdition
OsArchitecture       : 64-bit
WindowsVersion       : 2009
WindowsBuildLabEx    : 22621.1.amd64fre.ni_release.220506-1250
OsLanguage           : en-US
OsMuiLanguages       : {en-US}

Key   : PSVersion
Value : 5.1.22621.4391
Name  : PSVersion

Key   : PSEdition
Value : Desktop
Name  : PSEdition

Key   : PSCompatibleVersions
Value : {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
Name  : PSCompatibleVersions

Key   : BuildVersion
Value : 10.0.22621.4391
Name  : BuildVersion

Key   : CLRVersion
Value : 4.0.30319.42000
Name  : CLRVersion

Key   : WSManStackVersion
Value : 3.0
Name  : WSManStackVersion

Key   : PSRemotingProtocolVersion
Value : 2.3
Name  : PSRemotingProtocolVersion

Key   : SerializationVersion
Value : 1.1.0.1
Name  : SerializationVersion

[FabienTschanz]

@CovidtheDog2024 I can't reproduce the issue if I export a EXOTransportConfig resource. Do you still receive the error?

[ricmestre]

This problem is common when you try to create or update the policy, it actually took me ages trying to figure out how to fix it, but it's definitely not an issue doing the export as far as I recall.

[FabienTschanz]

@ricmestre By any chance, do you remember how to fix it or why the error message appears? I‘m not very familiar with Exchange.

[ricmestre]

I must have found some article to do it via the admin portal and that's how I fixed it, but probably it's just a matter of using M365DSC to define JournalingReportNdrTo, as seen in the config provided it's empty <>, this other article I just found [0] explains this in detail.

[0] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/transport-and-mailbox-rules-in-exchange-online-or-on-premises-exchange-server-don-t-work-as-expected-8729e935-4b04-f849-5998-0a5074d594e8

[FabienTschanz]

@CovidtheDog2024 After further review, the error message is pretty clear. You have to set an email address in the JournalingReportNdrTo property so that journal rules can be created. This can be done in the Microsoft Purview portal under Solutions --> Data Lifecycle Management --> Exchange (legacy) --> Settings.

[CovidtheDog2024]

Hi @FabienTschanz ,

Thank you!
Its working now.