XCON: MTA Performance Monitor Counters Continue to Count When 0 Messages

ID: Q214686

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

NEEDS SP1/2 IN APPLIES TO

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Windows NT Performance counters for the MSExchangeMTA object with Oldest Message Queued counter and a specific instance, the counter may indicate a lapsed time for a queue that has no messages currently waiting.

CAUSE

The Microsoft Exchange message transfer agent (MTA) may not properly update the counter when the MTA is started, or after the last message has been deleted.

RESOLUTION

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

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

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Component: Message Transfer Agent (MTA)

File name	Version
Dbserver.sch	5.5.2510.0
Dcprods.cat	5.5.2510.0
Ems_rid.dll	5.5.2510.0
Emsmta.exe	5.5.2510.0
Info4log.cfg	5.5.2510.0
Infodlog.cfg	5.5.2510.0
Infollog.cfg	5.5.2510.0
Infotlog.cfg	5.5.2510.0
Mtacheck.exe	5.5.2510.0
Mtamsg.dll	5.5.2510.0
P2.xv2	5.5.2510.0
X400om.dll	5.5.2510.0
X400omv1.dll	5.5.2510.0

The fix can be applied to computers running Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 2.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5, 5.5 Service Pack 1, and 5.5 Service Pack 2. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce the Problem

Install Exchange Server 5.5, and send no messages.

Start Performance Monitor, and select the MSExchangeMTA Connections object, the Microsoft Private MDB instance, and Oldest Message Queued counter.

-or-

Start the MTA with a connector in which no messages are queued or to which no messages will be routed.

Start Performance Monitor, and select the MSExchangeMTA Connections object, the <connector in step 1> the connector instance, and Oldest Message Queued counter.

The server will show a time elapsing for every queue without a message that has not experienced any message flow since the MTA has started.

Additional query words:

Keywords : exc55sp1 exc55sp2 EXC55SP3Fix
Version : winnt:5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug