LoadGen unable to select target Exchange servers in RecipientBuild   

LoadGen unable to select target Exchange 2007 servers in RecipientBuilder phase

LoadGen was unable to select Exchange servers on the screen "User Settings" 
after having gone through a couple of LoadGen phases

"Start A new Test" "Create a New Test Config" "Specify Test Settings" 
"Continue with Recipient Management"

where the list of Exchange servers was greyed out . 

The affected server was Hub Transport server with no mailbox hosting; 
however, another Hub server in the same domain could select Exchange servers 
and proceed with LoadGen tasks . 

The logging file LOADGENRECIPIENT.2008-05-01.LOG showed a series of errors 
for those servers <Exchange01> <Exchange02>.. in the Exchange org hierarchy

RecipientBuilder Error: 0 : 1/05/2008 12:25:03 PM -- Unable to read 
serialNumber of server <Exchange01>:System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: 
Length cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: length
   at System.String.InternalSubStringWithChecks(Int32 startIndex, Int32 
length, Boolean fAlwaysCopy)
   at 
Microsoft.Exchange.Swordfish.Extensions.RecipientBuilder.Topology.FindDirectoryObject(String[] 
attributesToLoad, DirectoryObjectBase parent, TopologyObjectType objectType, 
Topology topology, String filter, String dc, String baseDn, String 
directoryUsername, String directoryPassword)

One telling warning

Engine.General Information: 0 : 1/05/2008 12:26:19 PM -- There are no 
Topology monitor group object or node monitor group contains no members.

1. Is the setup of LoadGen master client and subordiante clients COMPULSORY 
for LoadGen to work in this environment, i.e mailbox servers, some with both 
private/public store, some just public store, and some functioning as a hub?

2. can LoadGen be invoked concurrently in a domain on several clients , 
rather than relying on dynamic load distribution via master client  ?

3. what the implication of using "Skip Recipient Management and Continue 
with User group Configuration" isntead of "Continue with Recipient 
Management"?

4. Already using Verbose logging inside LoadGen but still no more 
enlightened info . Any way to expose existing LoadGen topology? 

Thanks for any help


Hong

date: Thu, 1 May 2008 00:07:50 -0700   author:   Hong