XFOR: MTA Stops Processing Messages and Generates Event ID 210

• Microsoft Exchange Server versions 4.0 and 5.0

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent (MTA) might stop processing messages and report an access violation when it receives a message from a foreign X.400 MTA. The Microsoft Exchange Server will generate a Windows NT Event Viewer Event ID 210 with a conversion error of 4097. The MTA will generate a Non-Delivery Report (NDR) and return a messages with the error:

   Content-type unsupported.

CAUSE

This is caused by invalid encoding of a message by the foreign X.400 system. One specific cause is the message lists an improper length of the IPN ID. This can be detected by generating text event logging with logging level set to maximum for the APDU and X400 Services. Parsing the message at fault and reviewing the IPN ID will show that the length for the IPN ID field is invalid.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0. A supported fix is now available, 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.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.0. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. 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