XFOR: MSMI Stops Processing When Submitting Bad Address

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0 and 5.0

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Mail Connector interchange (MSMI) appears to stop processing inbound mail; thread activity as viewed in Performance Monitor declines on all but thread 5 (single CPU). After a period of time the MSMI service may completely stop. On active mail systems, P1 files may back up in the P1 directory of the shadow postoffice. Additionally, maximum MSMI logging level will repeatedly log the following sequence:

   Event ID: 2384
   Source: MSExchangeMSMI
   Description: MS Mail Connector Interchange has established an MTA
   session for uploading messages to the Exchange server.

   Event ID: 10000
   Source: MSExchangeMSMI
   Description: ...value=:      <<< note, this could vary

   Event ID: 2342
   Source: MSExchangeMSMI
   Description: MS Mail Connector Interchange failed to put into XOM
   stream.
   Return code is 0x15.

   Event ID: 2553           <<< logged at level 0
   Source: MSExchangeMSMI
   Description: The thread in MS Mail Connector that delivers to Exchange
   has failed writing out data to the MTA.

CAUSE

A message containing an invalid address is being submitted to the message transfer agent (MTA) by the MSMI. The MTA returns an error, so the MSMI refreshes the submitting thread (possibly submitting the same message again). This cycle can block the inbound processing thread.

WORKAROUND

No workaround exists. However, stopping and restarting the MSExchangeMTA and MSExchangeMSMI services typically allows some inbound processing to continue until the bad message is submitted once again (event log will start logging the above listed sequence).

On multiprocessor computers, there can be additional inbound processing threads, therefore until all inbound threads become blocked, some inbound processing can continue.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Exchange Server version 4.0. A supported fix to this problem is in development, but has not been fully regression-tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for more information on the availability of this fix.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Exchange 5.0 Server U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K

Keywords          : kbbug4.00 kbbug5.00 kbfix5.00.sp1 XFOR buglist
Version           : 4.0 5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS