How to Improve IMAP Fetch Response Time with Remote File Server

ID: Q248821

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Commercial Internet System version 2.0

SYMPTOMS

IMAP service is very slow to fetch a mail message if the mail directory is located on a remote server.

CAUSE

When processing the IMAP fetch command to retrieve a portion of a mail message the IMAP service uses the WinSock TransmitFile API to send the data back to the IMAP client.

The TransmitFile function uses the file system cache to retrieve file data in order to improve performance (for details please refer to the TransmitFile documentation in the Platform SDK).

If the mail store is located on a remote file server, the use of the TransmitFile API can be very inefficient and negatively affect the fetch response time.

RESOLUTION

The metabase property (MD_IMAP_NO_TRANSMITFILES = 49353 decimal) allows to instruct the IMAP server to switch to another transfer method.

To set this property for a specific IMAP server instance number (in the following sample IMAPSVC/1 is the IMAP server instance), use the following command:


mdutil.exe SET IMAPSVC/1 0 -prop 49353 -utype UT_SERVER -dtype DWORD<BR/>

You need to stop and restart the IMAP server instance to activate this change.

Additional query words:

Keywords :
Version : winnt:2.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb