XIMS: No NDR Generated When Inbound SMTP Message Exceeds "Max Recipients on Submit"

ID: Q246051

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When the "Max Recipients on Submit" registry value is specified, and a message is received through the Internet Mail Service that exceeds the number specified, the message is not delivered. The message is moved into the Archive folder and the sender does not receive a non-delivery report (NDR). The following Event ID is logged at the server receiving the SMTP message.

Event ID: 4117
Source: MSExchangeIMC
Type: Error
Category: Internal Processing
Description:
An error was returned from the messaging software the Internet Mail Service uses to process messages on the Microsoft Exchange Server. As a result, the message in spool file WXJXSG2D failed to be delivered. The message has been moved to the IMCDATA\IN\ARCHIVE directory.

Data:
0000: 0001037f 80004005

CAUSE

The information store is the entity responsible for enforcing the "Max Recipients on Submit" functionality. The threshold includes the total number of recipients to deliver the message to. This is the sum of the recipients listed on the To, Cc, and Bcc lines. If any recipient is a Distribution List (DL), this DL will be expanded before the threshold value is evaluated.

When the Internet Mail Service attempts to deliver a message that exceeds this threshold, the store tries to generate an NDR for the message. The NDR itself contains a reference to the message received and because it exceeds the threshold value, the information store policy does not allow the NDR to be created (this applies to embedded messages within messages as well).

RESOLUTION

A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Microsoft Exchange version 5.5 service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

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

Component: Internet Mail Service

File name	Version
Msexcimc.exe	5.5.2651.53
Imcmsg.dll	5.5.2651.53

STATUS

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

MORE INFORMATION

The Internet Mail Service has been modified to produce a non-delivery report (NDR) to the originator of the e-mail that exceeds the "Max Recipients on Submit" threshold.

The NDR looks similar to the following:


From: IMSAdmin (IMS Admin on Destination Server)
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 2:03 PM
To: Sender (User Sending Original Message)
Subject: Undeliverable: Testing

The following recipients did not receive the attached mail. Reasons are listed with each recipient:

</o=Organization/ou=Site/cn=Recipients/cn=User1> User1
	MSEXCH:IMS:Organization:SITE:DESTSRVR 0 (00010256) Too many recipients.
</o=Organization/ou=Site/cn=Recipients/cn=HugeDL> Huge DL
	MSEXCH:IMS:Organizatino:SITE:DESTSRVR 0 (00010256) Too many recipients.
</o=Organization/ou=Site/cn=Recipients/cn=User2> User2
	MSEXCH:IMS:Organization:SITE:DESTSRVR 0 (00010256) Too many recipients.

The message that caused this notification was:

< ATTACHED MESSAGE THAT CAUSED THE NDR >

For additional information about the Max Recipients on Submit registry value, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q126497 XADM: Limiting the Number of Recipients of a Message

Additional query words:

Keywords : exc55
Version : winnt:5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug