XCON: MTA Unable to Start on Invalid Object

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

After using MTAcheck to validate Exchsrvr\Mtadata, the Microsoft Exchange Server MTA service may not start, reporting an error on an invalid object.

CAUSE

MTAcheck incorrectly "awakens" invalid objects, due to a missing case statement.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Exchange 4.0 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

MORE INFORMATION

In addition to resolving the invalid objects, this bug fix also added two command-line parameters to MTAcheck: /RD and /RP. These parameters are useful if you have inadvertently flooded the MTA with directory replication and public folder replication messages, preventing e-mail messages from being processed. Given time, the MTA will eventually work through all the messages.

This circumstance may occur if you configure your replication connectors to replicate very frequently, or to resynchronize with all other servers several times during a short period of time. This circumstance may also occur if several servers are down and unable to accept messages.

To permanently rectify this situation, reconfigure your replication connectors, and ensure that all servers are up. /RD removes any messages in Exchsrvr\Mtadata that are directory replication messages. /RP removes any messages in Exchsrvr\Mtadata that are public folder replication messages. Using these command-line parameters will affect the directories and public folders across your Microsoft Exchange Server organization.

If the directory replication messages are removed, the directory thinks that updates have been sent when they actually were not. The next time servers ask for updates, each directory will realize that the previous updates did not get assimilated, and will send the earlier updates again. This may result in a flood of replication messages to the MTA again. To avoid this, reconfigure your replication connectors so that replication messages are staggered throughout the day or night.

If public folder replication messages are removed, the other public folders will request backfill to bring all replicas to a consistent state. If there is a large amount of public folder replication messages to many replicas, this may again result in many messages going through the MTA. To avoid this, reconfigure you public folder replication schedule to selected times, to evenly distribute the load on the MTA.

Keywords          : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp4 XCON kbusage kbidea
Version           : 4.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix