XCON: Exchange MTA Logs Event 1136 When Using a Large Checkpoint Size Over an X.400 Connector

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When you send messages from a third-party message transfer agent (MTA) to Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 using the X.400 Connector, sending may fail and the Event 1136 may be logged as follows:

   An interoperability error occurred with entity
   /O=Org/OU=Site/CN=CONFIGURATION/CN=CONNECTIONS/CN=X400.
   A reliable transport service element (RTSE) error occurred.
   ASN.1 decode failure.
   Server error code 164 was detected at offset 28711.
   Node label Pusep.
   Control block index 2001. [PLATFORM RTSE 31 151] (14) 

CAUSE

This error is only logged, if the third-party MTA uses a large checkpoint size, 64 for example. The error is very dependent on the size of the message or attachment. The error may occur when you send attachments of a very specific size and not with others that are a little smaller or larger. Setting the checkpoint size to a lower value, for example to 15, resolves the issue.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server version 5.5. For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q191014 XGEN: How to Obtain the Latest Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Exchange Server version 5.5

Keywords : exc55sp2fix
Version : WinNT:5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug