Problem

Consider the following scenario. You perform a database migration to upgrade Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 to Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. To do this, you deploy Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Then, you add the content databases to the Web applications in the new Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 environment.

However, after the migration, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 does not send e-mail notifications when content changes in a migrated list or in a migrated document library. Users experience the following symptoms:

• Users do not receive e-mail notifications for existing alerts for a list or for a document library that was migrated from Windows SharePoint Services 2.0.
• Users do not receive e-mail notifications for new alerts that they create for a list or for a document library that was migrated from Windows SharePoint Services 2.0. To receive e-mail notifications, the user must first delete the existing alert. Then, the user must create a new alert.

Cause

This issue occurs if the URL of the Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 server differs from the URL of the Windows SharePoint 3.0 server. For example, this issue occurs if the URL of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 server is http://ServerNameVersion3, and the URL of the Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 server is http://ServerNameVersion2.

The ImmedSubscription table in the content database has a Siteurl column. If the value in the Siteurl column does not match the URL of the Web application, Windows SharePoint Services does not send e-mail notifications when content in a list or in a document library changes.

Fixes and References

KB936759 – E-mail notifications for alerts are not sent when content in a migrated list or in a migrated document library changes after you perform a database migration to upgrade to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0