XCON: Event 9234 Reports Sockets Error 10038

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5

SYMPTOM

During heavy load, the Microsoft Exchange Message Transfer Agent (MTA) may report the following error:

   Event 9234:  MSExchangeMTA   Operating System
   A sockets error BASE IL on a select() call was detected.
   The MTA will attempt to recover the sockets connection.
   Control block index: 10038. [TCP/IP ASYNC 11 280 %6] (12)

CAUSE

This is a non-critical error that most often shows up when the MTA is processing a high number of messages and/or on multi-processor servers. The sockets error, 10038, indicates that the MTA has attempted to open an invalid socket. As soon as another MTA thread releases a socket, the MTA thread in error will claim and use it.

No data loss will occur as this activity is by design under heavy load. For more information on the 10038 sockets error, please see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q155738
   TITLE     :  Application Coding Error Results in Error 100038
                  (WSAENOTSOCK)

Keywords          : XCON
Component         : MTA
Version           : 4.0, 50., 5.5
Platform          : winnt
Issue type        : kbbug