Exchange Clients Appear to Intermittently Hang During Normal Operation

ID: Q239132

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 5.0, 5.0 SP1, 5.0 SP2, 5.5, 5.5 SP1, 5.5 SP2, 5.5 SP3

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft Exchange and Outlook Clients appear to stop responding (hang) periodically during normal operation when used in conjunction with an Exchange Server computer that has clients that connect over slower connections.

CAUSE

The remote procedure call (RPC) Receive Any Thread in use by the Microsoft Exchange Information Store Service is waiting to receive additional information from a client.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or the individual software update. For information on obtaining the latest service pack, please go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/servicepacks/

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

For information on obtaining the individual software update, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. 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

This hotfix has been posted to the following Internet location as Rpslwfxi.exe (x86) and Rpslwfxa.exe (Alpha):

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/NT40/hotfixes-postSP5/Rpcltscm-fix/

This fix requires Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 or greater.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6.

MORE INFORMATION

Clients that are connecting to the Exchange Server computer over slower connections have a higher latency in the sending and receiving of data grams. The RPC Receive Any Thread is waiting on additional data grams before processing the clients request. This causes other clients that are attempting to communicate on the Receive Any thread to the Exchange Information Store to appear to hang while waiting for a response from the Exchange Server computer.

For additional information on performance issues, please refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q232512 TCP/IP may Retransmit Packets Prematurely

Additional query words: 4.00 exchange performance slow client

Keywords : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00 NT4SP6Fix
Version : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.0 SP1,5.0 SP2,5.5,5.5 SP1,5.5 SP2,5.5 SP3
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug