Knowledge Base

The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding when you try to back up your Exchange 2003 database files by using a program that uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service

Article ID: 892514

Article Last Modified on 11/21/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to back up your Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 database files, the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding. This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

The computer is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
The program that you use to back up the database uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service in Microsoft Windows Server 2003.
You dismount the database after the Volume Shadow Copy Service backup is finished.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because of a deadlock condition that may occur when you dismount the Exchange database after the Volume Shadow Copy Service backup operation is finished.

This deadlock condition occurs if all the following conditions are true:

The freeze period of the Volume Shadow Copy Service backup operation starts.
During this freeze period, Exchange receives a commit operation, or Exchange receives another operation that performs logging and that then waits for the log files to be flushed.
You dismount the Exchange database after the Volume Shadow Copy Service backup operation is finished.

Under these conditions, the operation that Exchange receives enters the buffer in Exchange. However, the signal to flush the log file does not run because of the Volume Shadow Copy Service freeze. When the freeze is finished, the thread that performs the thaw operation does not try to flush the log. Therefore, the operation that Exchange receives waits indefinitely. Because of this, the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service stops responding.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem, submit a request to Microsoft Online Customer Services to obtain the hotfix. To submit an online request to obtain the hotfix, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6294451

Note If additional issues occur or any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. To create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Prerequisites

Because of file dependencies, your computer must be running Exchange Server 2003 SP1 to install this hotfix. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

836993 How to obtain the latest service packs for Exchange Server 2003

Restart requirement

If you are running a program that locks one or more .dll files when you apply this hotfix, you might have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
--------------------------------------------------------------
01-Feb-2005  21:17  6.5.7232.76     2,114,560  Ese.dll

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates