Microsoft KB Archive/178204

= XCON: X.400 Messages with Attachments May Cause 100% CPU Usage by the MTA =

Article ID: 178204

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q178204



SYMPTOMS
Performance Monitor shows a constant 100 percent CPU utilization caused by the message transfer agent (MTA). The computer running Microsoft Exchange Server still responds to user input, but does so slowly. The service MSExchangeMTA cannot be stopped using either Control-Panel Services or the "Net Stop" command.



CAUSE
The MTA may cause 100 percent CPU usage when receiving a specific message. The message must originate from Microsoft Mail and be sent via its X.400 Gateway. It can either be sent directly to the Exchange Server MTA or routed through an intermediate third-party X.400 system, such as MAIL.X, to Exchange Server. Additionally, the message has to contain an attachment. On processing the attachment, the MTA enters an infinite loop, thus causing 100 percent CPU usage.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the fix described below or wait for the next Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 service pack.

The fix installs the following files in the following folders:

  File           Location(s) --  Address.dll    Exchsrvr\Bin (See note below) Dbserver.sch  Exchsrvr\Mtadata Dcprods.cat   Exchsrvr\Bin Exchsrvr\Mtadata Ems_rid.dll   Exchsrvr\Bin Emsmta.exe    Exchsrvr\Bin Infotlog.cfg  Exchsrvr\Mtadata Infoxlog.cfg  Exchsrvr\Mtadata Mapi32.dll    Winnt\System32 Mmiext.dll    Exchsrvr\Bin (See note below) Mtacheck.exe  Exchsrvr\Bin Mtamsg.dll    Exchsrvr\Res P2.xv2        Exchsrvr\Bin Exchsrvr\Mtadata P3.tpl        Exchsrvr\Mtadata P772.tpl      Exchsrvr\Mtadata X400om.dll    Exchsrvr\Bin X400omv1.dll  Exchsrvr\Bin (See note below)

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0.

This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K



MORE INFORMATION
The problem described in this article was introduced with an Exchange Server 5.0 post SP1 hotfix. Only MTA versions with build numbers 1459.17 and higher will show the above-described behavior.

Keywords: kbbug kbfix KB178204

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