Microsoft KB Archive/231730

= XCON: The DSFlags key and the Message Categorizer =

Article ID: 231730

Article Last Modified on 2/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q231730



SUMMARY
The Message Categorizer in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server is tasked with the handling of every message that comes into, or goes out of, the SMTP server, and determining what to do with it. The messages may be destined for the local store, a remote host through the message transfer agent (MTA), or a remote host through SMTP. The Message Categorizer also handles distribution list (DL) expansion.

The Message Categorizer can distinguish between local and remote, as well as between sender and recipient. The value of the DSFlags key is an indication of what the Message Categorizer is set to resolve. Each virtual server instance can be set to have a different value for the DSFlags key.



MORE INFORMATION
The Message Categorizer is included in the Windows 2000 operating system. Using the DSFlags key, the Message Categorizer can be configured to resolve only certain categories. The table below shows the values for the DSFlags key and the associated resolution capability of the Message Categorizer.

On a server that has only Windows 2000 installed, the DSFlags key is set to a value of 9 (0x9). When Exchange 2000 is installed on the server, the DSFlags key is automatically set to a value of 15 (0xF). The table below shows the implication of these values:

Note The Message Categorizer has to be in the enabled state (DSUseCat set to 0xFFFFFFF) for it to function. By default, Windows 2000 has the Message Categorizer set to the disabled state.

The DSFlags key value can be accessed in the Metabase at the following location:

/smtpsvc/ /RoutingSources

The following is an example of a Metabase dump for the RoutingSources of a virtual server instance. It shows the value of the DSFlags key after Exchange 2000 is installed on a Windows 2000 server.

DSUseCAT             : [IS]    (DWORD)    0xFFFFFFFF={-1} DSFlags              : [IS]    (DWORD)    0xF={15} DSPort               : [S]     (DWORD)    0x0={0} DSType               : [IS]    (STRING)   "LDAP" Account              : [IS]    (STRING)   "Administrator" DSDomain             : [IS]    (STRING)   "TROLL" KeyType              : [IS]    (STRING)   "IIsSmtpRoutingSource" BindType             : [S]     (STRING)   "Simple" SchemaType           : [S]     (STRING)   "NT5Exchange"

Important The Exchange code relies on the value of the DsFlags key being set to 196623 (0x3000F). Because of this reliance, Microsoft recommends that you do not change the default setting for this key. The flag tells the categorizer which domains to resolve against the DS (local, non-local, none, etc.).

Keywords: kbinfo KB231730

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