Memory usage may increase over time when a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 uses the SMTP service to process many outgoing messages

A computer that is running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 uses the SMTP service to process many outgoing messages that are sent to many distinct domains. When this occurs, memory usage may continue to increase over time. You must restart the computer or the SMTP service to reset memory and to resume typical Windows services.

Note For more information about how to monitor memory usage in this scenario, see the "More Information" section.

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

You must install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) before you apply the hotfix.

Note X64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 do not require Windows Server 2003 SP1. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Restart Requirement

If the SMTP service is running when you apply the hotfix, you must restart the computer after you apply the hotfix.

Hotfix Replacement Information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File Information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. Microsoft Windows Server 2003, x64-based versionsMicrosoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based SystemsMicrosoft Windows Server 2003, 32-bit versionsWarning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.After you apply the hotfix, you must enable the following registry entry to resolve the problem. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Registry Editor.
2. Locate and then click to select the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SMTPSVC\Queuing
3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:
   
   Value name: ZombieDomainEntryThreshold
   Data type: DWORD
   Value data: 0000003E8
4. Exit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

How to monitor memory usage

To monitor memory usage in the scenario that is described in the "Symptoms" section, monitor the following objects in Performance Monitor.

Memory

To monitor the memory that is available to Windows, you must monitor the value of the following counter:

• Memory\Available Bytes - value decreases over time

IIS

To monitor the memory that is used by Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), you must monitor the Working Set for Inetinfo.exe.

• Process\Working Set\inetinfo - value increases over time

For more information about how to monitor IIS performance, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

To monitor memory usage in the scenario that is described in the "Symptoms" section, monitor the following objects in Performance Monitor:

• Memory that is available to Windows
• Memory that is used by Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

To monitor the memory that is available to Windows, monitor the value of the "Memory\Available Bytes" counter. The value of this counter should decrease over time.

To monitor the memory that is used by IIS, monitor the value of the "Process\Working Set\inetinfo" counter. This counter is the Working Set for Inetinfo.exe. The value of this counter should increase over time.

For more information about how to monitor IIS performance, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

For more information about a similar issue in Windows 2000 Server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: