Knowledge Base

Handles used by the Windows Management Service increase over time in an Exchange Server 2003 clustered environment

Article ID: 893000

Article Last Modified on 10/25/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you monitor a computer that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in a clustered environment, the following symptom may occur:

Performance Monitor shows that the number of handles increases over time. These handles are used by the Windows Management Service process.

The handle leak occurs when an asynchronous query is made to the ExchangeClusterResource Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) class object.

Note The Windows Management Service process is named wmiprvse.exe in Microsoft Windows Server 2003. In Windows 2000 Server,the process is named winmgmt.exe. Server.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server 2003. For more 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

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

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 must be installed to apply this hotfix.

For more 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

You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix. However, the Windows Management Instrumentation and dependent services will be restarted.

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
         ------------------------------------------------------
   25-Feb-2005  12:16  6.5.7232.87    11,476,480  Excluadm.dll     
   26-Feb-2005  01:49  6.5.7232.87     1,605,120  Exwmi.dll

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, you can disable any monitoring that queries the ExchangeClusterResource WMI class object.

STATUS

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

This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

For more 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