XADM: Remote Monitoring Increases Open Handles on Server

When you start Performance Monitor and connect to a remote Microsoft Exchange Server computer, the number of handles open on the server increases. When you quit Performance Monitor, the number of handles open on the server decreases, but it may still be higher than before you connected to the server. If you repeatedly start and quit Performance Monitor remotely, the increase in the number of open handles may be significant.

This problem also occurs with other programs that are used to remotely monitor the performance of a Microsoft Exchange Server computer. The problem does not occur when you use Performance Monitor locally.

When a program connects to the registry on a remote server to obtain information about the server's performance, multiple handles are opened by one or more Microsoft Exchange Server dynamic-link libraries (DLLs). When the connection ends, the DLLs do not properly close the handles.

To prevent this problem from occurring, use Performance Monitor locally instead of remotely.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

When a program connects to a remote registry to obtain performance information, it uses a different method than it uses to connect to the local registry. The problem described in this article only occurs when the remote method is used.