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Event ID 2080

Event ID 2080: EWS Connection Error - Complete Fix Guide

Complete troubleshooting guide for Exchange Web Services (EWS) Event ID 2080 connection errors. Learn to diagnose EWS failures, fix virtual directory issues, and restore Free/Busy, Out of Office, and application connectivity.

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Medha Cloud Exchange Server Team
Exchange Database Recovery Team••8 min read

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Understanding Event ID 2080: EWS Connection Error

📌 Version Compatibility: This guide applies to Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Server 2022 (SE). Commands may differ for other versions.

Event ID 2080 indicates that Exchange Web Services (EWS) failed to process a request. EWS provides programmatic access to Exchange mailboxes for applications, Outlook features like Free/Busy and Out of Office, and third-party integrations. When EWS fails, users experience broken calendar availability, non-functional automatic replies, and application connectivity issues.

Event Viewer - Application Log
Log Name:      Application
Source:        MSExchange Web Services
Event ID:      2080
Level:         Error
Description:
EWS request failed for user DOMAIN\user.
Error: The request failed. The remote server returned an error:
(503) Service Unavailable.

-or-

Exchange Web Services request from application 'Outlook'
failed with error: ServiceRequestException: The request
timed out while waiting for a response from the server.

URL: https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx
Feature Impact
Free/Busy, OOO broken
Application API
Integrations fail
Priority: High
Business features down

Symptoms & Detection

Primary Symptoms

  • ●Free/Busy information shows "No information" in calendar
  • ●Out of Office/Automatic replies don't work
  • ●MailTips not appearing when composing emails
  • ●Outlook for Mac cannot connect to Exchange
  • ●Third-party applications report Exchange connectivity errors
  • ●Room Finder shows no rooms available

Common Causes

1. EWS Virtual Directory Misconfiguration

EWS virtual directory has incorrect internal/external URLs, wrong authentication methods, or is not properly configured in IIS.

2. Application Pool Issues

MSExchangeServicesAppPool stopped or crashing, preventing EWS requests from being processed.

3. EWS Throttling

Applications exceeding EWS throttling limits, causing requests to be rejected. Default policies limit concurrent connections and request frequency.

4. Certificate Problems

SSL certificate doesn't include EWS URL, expired, or not trusted by clients making EWS requests.

5. Authentication Failures

OAuth, NTLM, or Basic authentication misconfiguration preventing successful authentication for EWS requests.

Diagnostic Steps

Step 1: Check EWS Virtual Directory

# Check EWS virtual directory configuration
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Format-List Server, Name, InternalUrl, ExternalUrl,
    InternalAuthenticationMethods, ExternalAuthenticationMethods, WSSecurityAuthentication

# Test EWS connectivity
Test-WebServicesConnectivity -ClientAccessServer YOURSERVER | Format-List Scenario, Result, Error

# Check EWS URL accessibility
$ewsUrl = "https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $ewsUrl -UseBasicParsing -UseDefaultCredentials

Step 2: Check Application Pool

# Check EWS app pool status
Import-Module WebAdministration
Get-WebAppPoolState -Name "MSExchangeServicesAppPool"

# Check for recent crashes
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{
    LogName = 'System'
    ID = 5011
    StartTime = (Get-Date).AddDays(-1)
} | Where-Object {$_.Message -like "*Services*"} | Format-List TimeCreated, Message

# Restart app pool if needed
Restart-WebAppPool -Name "MSExchangeServicesAppPool"

Step 3: Check Throttling

# Check EWS throttling policy
Get-ThrottlingPolicy | Format-List Name, EWSMaxConcurrency, EWSMaxBurst,
    EWSRechargeRate, EWSCutoffBalance

# Check user's effective policy
Get-ThrottlingPolicyAssociation -Identity user@domain.com | Format-List

# Check for throttling events in logs
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{
    LogName = 'Application'
    ProviderName = 'MSExchange Web Services'
    ID = 2080
    StartTime = (Get-Date).AddHours(-4)
} | Format-List TimeCreated, Message

Quick Fix (5-15 minutes)

🚀 Immediate Resolution: Reset EWS Configuration

# Reconfigure EWS virtual directory URLs
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl "https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx" -ExternalUrl "https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx"

# Set authentication methods
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -InternalAuthenticationMethods Ntlm, WindowsIntegrated -ExternalAuthenticationMethods Ntlm, WindowsIntegrated -WSSecurityAuthentication $true

# Restart app pool
Import-Module WebAdministration
Restart-WebAppPool -Name "MSExchangeServicesAppPool"

# Restart IIS
iisreset /noforce

# Test connectivity
Test-WebServicesConnectivity | Format-List Scenario, Result

💡 Pro Tip

If Free/Busy is the main issue, also check the Availability service configuration using Get-AvailabilityConfig and ensure the OrgWide account is properly set.

Detailed Solutions

Solution 1: Recreate EWS Virtual Directory

# Remove existing EWS virtual directory
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Server YOURSERVER | Remove-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Confirm:$false

# Create new EWS virtual directory
New-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Server YOURSERVER -WebSiteName "Default Web Site" -InternalUrl "https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx" -ExternalUrl "https://mail.domain.com/ews/exchange.asmx"

# Configure authentication
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Server YOURSERVER | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -InternalAuthenticationMethods Ntlm, WindowsIntegrated, OAuth -ExternalAuthenticationMethods Ntlm, WindowsIntegrated, OAuth

# Restart IIS
iisreset /noforce

Solution 2: Adjust Throttling Policy

# Create custom throttling policy for applications
New-ThrottlingPolicy -Name "EWSHighLimit" -EWSMaxConcurrency 50 -EWSMaxBurst 300 -EWSRechargeRate 50 -EWSCutoffBalance 3000000

# Assign to specific mailbox
Set-ThrottlingPolicyAssociation -Identity serviceaccount@domain.com -ThrottlingPolicy "EWSHighLimit"

# Or for organization-wide adjustment
Get-ThrottlingPolicy "GlobalThrottlingPolicy_*" | Set-ThrottlingPolicy -EWSMaxConcurrency 30 -EWSMaxBurst 200

# Verify assignment
Get-ThrottlingPolicyAssociation -Identity serviceaccount@domain.com

Solution 3: Fix Availability Service

# Check availability configuration
Get-AvailabilityConfig | Format-List

# Set OrgWide account if missing
Set-AvailabilityConfig -OrgWideAccount "YOURSERVER$"

# Check per-user availability address space
Get-AvailabilityAddressSpace | Format-List

# Test availability
$cred = Get-Credential
Get-MailboxFolderStatistics user@domain.com -FolderScope Calendar

# Test Free/Busy for specific user
Test-OutlookWebServices -Identity user@domain.com -MonitoringContext |
    Where-Object {$_.Id -like "*Availability*"}

Verification Steps

# Comprehensive EWS verification
Write-Host "=== EWS Verification ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan

# 1. Virtual directory check
$ews = Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory
Write-Host "Internal URL: $($ews.InternalUrl)"
Write-Host "External URL: $($ews.ExternalUrl)"

# 2. App pool status
Import-Module WebAdministration
$poolState = (Get-WebAppPoolState -Name "MSExchangeServicesAppPool").Value
Write-Host "App Pool: $poolState" -ForegroundColor $(if($poolState -eq 'Started'){'Green'}else{'Red'})

# 3. Connectivity test
$testResult = Test-WebServicesConnectivity -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host "EWS Test: $($testResult.Result)" -ForegroundColor $(if($testResult.Result -eq 'Success'){'Green'}else{'Red'})

# 4. HTTP test
try {
    $response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "$($ews.InternalUrl)" -UseBasicParsing -UseDefaultCredentials -TimeoutSec 10
    Write-Host "HTTP Response: $($response.StatusCode) OK" -ForegroundColor Green
} catch {
    Write-Host "HTTP Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
}

# 5. Client verification
Write-Host "`nClient Steps:"
Write-Host "1. In Outlook, check Free/Busy in calendar"
Write-Host "2. Test Out of Office configuration"
Write-Host "3. Verify MailTips appear when composing"

Prevention Strategies

📊 Monitoring

  • • Monitor EWS connectivity tests
  • • Track Event ID 2080 occurrences
  • • Alert on app pool crashes
  • • Monitor throttling events

🔧 Configuration

  • • Document EWS URLs and authentication
  • • Set appropriate throttling limits
  • • Configure proper certificates
  • • Test after Exchange updates

When to Escalate

Professional Support Required If:

  • 🔴EWS fails across all users organization-wide
  • 🔴Complex hybrid Exchange/Office 365 EWS routing
  • 🔴Third-party application integration issues

Expert Exchange EWS Support

Microsoft-certified engineers with 15 Minutes response time, 24/7

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Frequently Asked Questions

EWS is a SOAP-based API that allows applications to access Exchange mailbox data including email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. It's used by Outlook Mac, third-party applications, mobile apps, and integrations. Many Outlook features like Free/Busy, MailTips, and Out of Office also rely on EWS.

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