XFOR: Internet News Service Sends "newnews" Command That Is Too Long

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

While using the Exchange Server Internet News Service in conjunction with another NNTP server, you may encounter a problem where the Internet News Service sends an NNTP newnews command that is greater than 512 characters. This violates RFC 977, and could result in the other NNTP server rejecting the newnews command.

This extract from the Exchange Server Internet News Service protocol log shows an example of the problem:

   9/30/98 1:15:14 PM : Connection to [w.x.y.z] established
   9/30/98 1:15:14 PM : <<< 200 nntpserver.domain.com InterNetNews NNRP
    server INN 1.7 16-Oct-1997 ready (posting ok).
   9/30/98 1:15:15 PM : >>> mode reader
   9/30/98 1:15:15 PM : <<< 200 nntpserver.domain.com InterNetNews NNRP
    server INN 1.7 16-Oct-1997 ready (posting ok).
   9/30/98 1:15:15 PM : >>> date
   9/30/98 1:15:15 PM : <<< 111 19980929141134
   9/30/98 1:15:15 PM : >>> newnews <list of news groups to download>
    980929 135848 GMT
   9/30/98 1:15:16 PM : <<< 500 Line too long
   9/30/98 1:15:16 PM : >>> QUIT 

Q164126 XFOR: How to Enable Diagnostic Logging for NNTP

CAUSE

The number of characters in the list of newsgroups to download (also known as the WILDMAT) was too long. This pushed the entire command length over the 512 character limit when the newnews command and other parameters were taken into account.

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

Component: Internet News Service

   File Name     Version
   ------------------------
   Exchins.exe   5.5.2427.0 

STATUS

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

Additional query words: INN pull feed

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