XCON: Perfmon Work Queue and MTA/Queues Tab Conflict

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When you view the Performance Monitor Work queue, there may be a certain number of items always present. At the same time, the MTA/Queues tab in the Exchange Administrator program may show a conflicting number of items.

CAUSE

Messages with deferred delivery may appear in the Performance Monitor Work Queue and may not be accounted for on the MTA/Queues tab. Also there may be a "broken pointer" to the Db00002b.dat file. The Performance Monitor Work Queue counter points to this file for an accurate reading of the amount of messages to be processed. Occasionally, this pointer or the file produces an inaccurate reading.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, perform the following steps:

1. Stop the Message Transfer Agent (MTA) service in the Control Panel Service icon.

2. Go to the <drive>:\Exchsrvr\MTADATA directory and rename the Db0002b.dat file.

3. Restart the MTA service. The file will be recreated and Performance Monitor should report the correct number of items in the MTA work queue.