XCON: MTA Shows High CPU Usage and Messages Not Delivered (159192)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q159192 SYMPTOMS
The Microsoft Exchange message transfer agent (MTA) shows very high CPU
usage and messages do not move from their queues. This high CPU usage (near
100 percent) persists for extended periods of time and is viewable using
Performance Monitor. The computer running Windows NT Server and Microsoft
Exchange Server may perform slowly.
To observe the MTA CPU Usage using Performance Monitor:
- Start Performance Monitor
- On the Edit menu, click Add to Chart.
- For the Object, select Process.
- For the Instance, select emsmta.
- For the Counter, select "% Processor Time."
- Click Add.
You should view the CPU usage over time to see if it persists at a high
value (close to 100 percent). It can be quite normal for the MTA to run
with high CPU usage, but it should not persist indefinitely. (You should
analyze your systems using this technique to establish a baseline for
comparison purposes.)
CAUSE
In rare cases of message corruption, the Microsoft MTA can incur high
CPU overhead while processing messages with Distribution Lists. The
most likely cause of this corruption is improper shutdown of the computer
running Microsoft Exchange Server.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange
version 4.0.
This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Exchange 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 4/28/2005 |
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| Keywords: | kbbug kbfix KB159192 |
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