XADM: Naming Exchange Server Computers to Optimize KCC Performance

ID: Q224592

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

The naming of Exchange Server computers within an Exchange Site influences the performance of the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) and the amount of network traffic that the KCC creates.


MORE INFORMATION

Each Exchange Server computer in a site runs a KCC check every three hours to verify its knowledge of other Exchange Server computers in the site. To verify this knowledge, an Exchange Server computer will contact another Exchange Server computer in the site to compare their information. Which Exchange Server computer is contacted depends on its alphanumeric name.

For example, site A has six servers: ServerA through ServerF. ServerA's KCC will contact ServerB, ServerB's will contact ServerC, and so on. The last Exchange Server computer alphanumerically, ServerF, will contact the first Exchange Server computer, ServerA, creating a virtual ring. The closer this virtual ring is to the actual network topology, the less network traffic will be caused by the KCC.

Extending the above example, if ServerA, ServerC, and ServerE are on one subnet, and ServerB, ServerD, and ServerF are on another subnet, one full KCC cycle will cross subnets six times, in the following order:

  1. ServerA across to ServerB.


  2. ServerB across to ServerC.


  3. ServerC across to ServerD.


  4. ServerD across to ServerE.


  5. ServerE across to ServerF.


  6. ServerF across to ServerA.


However, if the first subnet's servers are named ServerA, ServerB, and ServerC, and the second subnet's severs are named ServerD, ServerE, ServerF, one full KCC cycle will only cross subnets twice, in the following order:
  1. ServerC across to ServerD.


  2. ServerF across to ServerA.


Generally, the more servers there are in a site, the larger the gains that will be made by naming Exchange Server computers as detailed above.

More information on this subject can be found in Managing and Maintaining Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 from Microsoft Press.

Additional query words: intrasite replication 


Keywords          : 
Version           : winnt:5.5
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: May 18, 1999