XCON: How to Disable Internet Information Services Socket Pooling on the SMTP Service

Article ID: 281760 - View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q281760
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the metabase. Before you edit the metabase, verify that you have a backup copy that you can restore if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, see the "Configuration Backup/Restore" Help topic in Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
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SYMPTOMS

On a Windows 2000-based server that is running the SMTPSVC service with dual Network Interface Cards (NIC) installed, each bound to unique IP addresses as follows
NIC 1 --10.1.2.219 - third-party SMTP utility assigned to port 25 on this IP address

NIC 2 --10.1.2.250 - Windows 2000 SMTP service (Exchange 2000 is NOT involved)
when you attempt to start the SMTP virtual server that is configured to use the 10.1.2.250 IP address bound to NIC 2 (not "All Unassigned") on Windows 2000, the following is recorded in the Application event log:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: SMTPSVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 115

Description:
The service could not bind instance 1. The data is the error code.
Data:
0000: 40 27 00 00 @'..
If you telnet to the 250 address on port 25 while the virtual server is not running, you get no response. The third-party utility is not listening on that IP. You can stop the third-party software, and then the virtual server will start.

If you run the netstat -an command, it returns the following information when the default virtual server is started:
TCP 0.0.0.0:25 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING
This shows that the SMTP virtual server is listening on all unassigned IP addresses even though you specified only the 10.1.2.250 IP address.
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CAUSE

The SMTP service listens to port 25 on all unassigned IP addresses even if you specify a specific IP address for the default virtual server. You need to disable the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) socket pooling feature (DisableSocketPooling). This property is not exposed in ADSI for SMTP.
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RESOLUTION

The easiest way to resolve this issue is to download MetaEdit, and then set the value on the virtual service instance.

WARNING: If you edit the metabase incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall any product that uses the metabase. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result if you incorrectly edit the metabase can be solved. Edit the metabase at your own risk.

NOTE: Always back up the metabase before you edit it.

  1. Install and run MetaEdit on the server.
  2. Expand LM and SmtpSvc.
  3. Right-click SmtpSvc, click New, and then click DWORD.
  4. In the Id list, click DisableSocketPooling. The field to the right should now read 1029. If DisableSocketPooling is not in the list, click (Other), and then type 1029 in the box.
  5. In the Data field, type 1.
  6. Click to select the Inherit attribute.
  7. Restart the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) service.
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STATUS

This behavior is by design.
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Properties

Article ID: 281760 - Last Review: February 26, 2007 - Revision: 3.5
APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition
Keywords: 
kbprb KB281760
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