XCON: MTA Stops Unexpectedly When Receiving Message from Foreign MTA

ID: Q246302

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When a foreign message transfer agent (MTA) sends a large message using a large initial checkpoint followed by much smaller checkpoints, the MTA on the Exchange Server computer may stop unexpectedly and the following event may appear in the event log:

Event ID: 9405
Description: An unexpected error has occurred which may cause the MTA to terminate.

This problem is known to occur with a Software and Systems Engineering, Ltd. (SSE) X.400-MIL MTA running on a Siemens RM600 computer, but it may also occur with any other MTA that behaves in this same manner.

CAUSE

The Exchange Server MTA uses the initial checkpoint size to determine how to decode the data it receives from the foreign MTA. If the initial checkpoint is large, and then subsequent checkpoints are considerably smaller, this may prevent the Exchange Server MTA from properly decoding the data it receives.

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 Server 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: Message Transfer Agent (MTA)

File name	Version
Emsmta.exe	5.5.2651.37
P2.xv2	N/A
P42.tpl	N/A
P772.tpl	N/A
X400om.dll	5.5.2651.37

STATUS

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

MORE INFORMATION

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words: crash hang

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