2000 SP4 Rollup Patch = Problems??

[royalmail]

I installed this at the weekend (Exchange 5.5 on Win 2000 SP4) and the last couple of days has seen very strange behaviour on the MTA X400 queues.

I have 3 Exchange 5.5 servers here, and they simply aren't talking to each other properly, and mail just builds up in the X400 queues, yet I get nothing much in the Event Viewer at all.

Bouncing the MTA service seems to clear it temporariy.

Anyone else seen this?

 

[zbnet]

Have you increased the logging on the X.400 connectors?

 

[royalmail]

Not yet. Will give it a go...

 

[royalmail]

Turned on logging for the X400 Service but it just generates lots of information: no errors as such.

I uninstalled this rollup patch from one of the 3 servers and that no longer gives me problems. However, the other 2 that still have the patch installed still have mail backing up in the X400 queues.

Very few errors pop up in the Event Viewer, but what does come up is pretty irrelevant: 1290 and 289.

I made some changes recommended to counter 289 but they made no difference. 1290 is totally irrelevant. Something about a Raptor Firewall, which we don't have.

A mail will sit at the top of the queue, and you can't do anything with it because it is 'being sent'. In order to clear the queue I can restart the MTA, which generally clears most of the mail. Another method is to promote another mail to high priority, which seems to give things a nudge. However, this trick only works one way! I can use it to clear the queue going from server A to server B, but not if I use that trick from server B to server A

 

[zbnet]

Just a thought - have you installed the latest Exchange update rollup as well?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3B-0489-48DA-B566-6F1343B9F010&displaylang=en

 

[royalmail]

Thanks. I never knew that existed. All our servers are Exchange 5.5 SP4, but they don't have this rollup on them.

This issue is so strange. Even small mails just sit at the front of the queue. It is almost as if the servers don't even bother to try and send them. Then, if you manually up the priority to high, it pushes them through...

 

[zbnet]

Did the Exchange update rollup fix your proiblem?

 

[royalmail]

I have applied it to two of the three servers.

Currently keeping an eye on things...

 

[royalmail]

The patch is now on all servers.

I don't want to count my chickens, but things are looking a lot better. Thanks.

 

[royalmail]

Just to follow up, although patching all 3 servers did seem to improve things a bit, it still isn't right.

I am now 95% certain the 2000 SP4 Rollup Patch is the cause.

Incidentally, when I uninstalled it from one of the servers (from which I haven't had a problem since) it didn't give me any warnings when uninstalling, but when I try to do it on another server it gives me a list as long as my arm for tools that may not work if I uninstall the patch. Anyone else seen this? I haven't taken the risk of uninstalling it yet, but I don't think I have a choice.

 

[royalmail]

I uninstalled the patch from all three servers and now the issues are gone.

If you run several Exchange 5.5 servers running on 2000 on the same LAN with X400 links I strongly advise you not to install this patch.

 

[zbnet]

You need to send Microsoft feedback about this issue.

 

[royalmail]

Sure. Do you know of the best way to do it?

 

[zbnet]

Because you're asking, I'm assuming you don't have an existing support relationship with MS.

http://support.microsoft.com/

is a good place to start. Alternatively there is a Feedback option at the bottom of most Technet articles on the web, click it for the Win 2000 SP4 rollup.

Just a thought, your X.400 connector is using a TCP/IP stack rather than TP4?

 

[royalmail]

Thanks.

Yeah, they all use TCP/IP stack.

 

[sdiesler]

Hi,

we have exactly the same problem. We first thought the problem might be related to the new tcpip.sys (related to MS05-019). But we changed two values in the registry (TCPWindowSize=65535 and EnablePMTUDiscovery=0) and it did not resolve the problem.
Restarting the MTA lets move all mails in the queue to the other side but then the queue fills up again.
We uninstalled the patch now, but thats not the solution, i think.

 

[royalmail]

So removing the rollup patch didn't clear the issue for you?

For us I am 100% sure it was the cause. Now that I removed it from all three servers I haven't had an issue since.

 

[sdiesler]

Sorry, off course to uninstall was the solution for the x.400 problem, but we would like to have the SRP installed. So I just think uninstalling is not the proper solution.

I'm 100% sure that the SRP is the reason for this mess, too!

 

[royalmail]

I see. Yeah, I agree that it would be best if the patch didn't cripple the mail servers too!

Good to hear that it cleared up the issue for you though.

I reported it to MS via the feedback system on their Technet article, but have heard nothing back from them. I imagine it is only a matter of time before this problem starts to affect more and more people. I read that, at present, the patch doesn't download automatically via Automatic Updates, but that it will do before long...

 

[zbnet]

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&c1=508&gprid=1776&

gives additional UK contact details (email and phone) - it mentions you need an existing support contract for this to be effective, but they might still listen to you if you're trying to tell them about an issue with their product.