big mail.que file shuts down transport

[Mike]

Over the course of a month or so, the mail.que file on both of our Exchange
2007 CA/HT servers grows to over 1 GB, which causes the transport service to
shut down. When I view the queues (throughout the month prior to the shut
down), I see nothing but normal traffic, with the queues usually empty. We
use two Ironport devices as smarthosts for outbound mail, so there's never a
lot of outbound mail queued up in the Exchange servers, and those same
devices keep out most of the spam we might otherwise receive, so I'm at a
loss to explain why the mail.que files grow so large in the first place. The
server has plenty of disk space, but the size limit on this file does not
seem to be adjustable.

Over the last 6 months, we've had the transport services shut down four
times, stopping all inbound and outbound mail. I've configured MOM to
monitor the size of these files and send me an alert when they grow to over
800 MB, but that just helps me minimize downtime, it doesn't address the
underlying cause. Before I call MS I thought I'd throw it out to you folks.
Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike

[Robbin Meng [MSFT]]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your post.

All the different queues are stored in a single ESE database. By default,
this queue database is located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange
Server\TransportRoles\data\Queue.

Like any ESE database, the queue database uses log files to accept, track,
and maintain data. To enhance performance, all message transactions are
written first to log files and memory, and then to the database file. The
checkpoint file tracks the transaction log entries that have been committed
to the database. During an ordinary shutdown of the Microsoft Exchange
Transport service, uncommitted database changes that are found in the
transaction logs are always committed to the database.

Circular logging is used for the queue database. This means that the
history of committed transactions that are found in the transaction logs is
not maintained. Any transaction logs that are older than the current
checkpoint are immediately and automatically deleted. Therefore, the
transaction logs cannot be replayed for queue database recovery from
backup. Please see:

Managing the Queue Database
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996006.aspx

Therefore, I suggest you first stop the Microsoft Exchange Transport
service and then rename mail.que to OLD_mail. Then restart the Exchange
Transport service to recreate a new one. Please monitor if the newly
created mail.que works normally and if it still increase rapidly or not.

At the other hand, you can also change the Location of the Queue Database
to other bigger area.

How to Change the Location of the Queue Database
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125177.aspx

For more information, you can refer to the following article:

Managing Queues
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125022(EXCHG.80).aspx

In addition, please ensure that the Antivirus software on the Hub Transport
server has been excluded to scan the folder where the mail.que database
file exists. By default, the file is saved in C:\Program
Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\TransportRoles\data\Queue.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Robbin Meng(MSFT)
Microsoft CSS Online Newsgroup Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

[Mike]

Hi Robin,

Thank you for your response, and for the information. I truly appreciate it,
but maybe I didn't explain myself clearly enough.

Since deploying Exchange 2007 back in February, the mail.que file has grown
to over 1GB on six or more occasions. In each instance, I've renamed the
queue folder and restarted the transport service in order to get things
moving again. Moving the queue database to another location is not
necessary, since disk space is not an issue. The volume containing the queue
database has 30GB of free space.

At this point, the queue database grows to over 1GB at least once a month,
shutting down all mail going in and out. I need to find out why and how to
prevent this from happening again. Any advice would be welcome, but in the
mean time, I'm going to open a case with product support.

Thanks,
Mike

""Robbin Meng [MSFT]"" <v-ro...@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:QaTVItNQ...@TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl...

[Robbin Meng [MSFT]]

Hi Mike,

Here I also found a related article which might be of some help. Such as
monitoring and defragment Queue on the Exchange Transport server etc.

Working with the Queue Database on Transport Servers
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124343.aspx

Hope this helps and thanks for your time.

[jerrybrower]

I am having the same problem you described. Did you ever find out why or what the prevention/fix is?

Thanks
Jerry

Mike wrote:

Hi Robin,Thank you for your response, and for the information.
07-Nov-08

Hi Robin,

Thank you for your response, and for the information. I truly appreciate it,
but maybe I didn't explain myself clearly enough.

Since deploying Exchange 2007 back in February, the mail.que file has grown
to over 1GB on six or more occasions. In each instance, I've renamed the
queue folder and restarted the transport service in order to get things
moving again. Moving the queue database to another location is not
necessary, since disk space is not an issue. The volume containing the queue
database has 30GB of free space.

At this point, the queue database grows to over 1GB at least once a month,
shutting down all mail going in and out. I need to find out why and how to
prevent this from happening again. Any advice would be welcome, but in the
mean time, I'm going to open a case with product support.

Thanks,
Mike

""Robbin Meng [MSFT]"" <v-ro...@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:QaTVItNQ...@TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl...

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Thursday, November 06, 2008 12:29 PM
Mike wrote:

big mail.que file shuts down transport

Thanks,
Mike

On Friday, November 07, 2008 5:51 AM
v-robme wrote:

Hi Mike,Thanks for your post.
Hi Mike,

Thanks for your post.

Hope this helps.

On Friday, November 07, 2008 9:43 AM
Mike wrote:

Hi Robin,Thank you for your response, and for the information.
Hi Robin,

Thank you for your response, and for the information. I truly appreciate it,
but maybe I didn't explain myself clearly enough.

Since deploying Exchange 2007 back in February, the mail.que file has grown
to over 1GB on six or more occasions. In each instance, I've renamed the
queue folder and restarted the transport service in order to get things
moving again. Moving the queue database to another location is not
necessary, since disk space is not an issue. The volume containing the queue
database has 30GB of free space.

At this point, the queue database grows to over 1GB at least once a month,
shutting down all mail going in and out. I need to find out why and how to
prevent this from happening again. Any advice would be welcome, but in the
mean time, I'm going to open a case with product support.

Thanks,
Mike

""Robbin Meng [MSFT]"" <v-ro...@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:QaTVItNQ...@TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl...

On Wednesday, November 19, 2008 6:59 AM
v-robme wrote:

Hi Mike,Here I also found a related article which might be of some help.
Hi Mike,

Here I also found a related article which might be of some help. Such as
monitoring and defragment Queue on the Exchange Transport server etc.

Working with the Queue Database on Transport Servers
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124343.aspx

Hope this helps and thanks for your time.

Best regards,

Robbin Meng(MSFT)
Microsoft CSS Online Newsgroup Support

Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
WPF Input Validation with the Enterprise Library
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials/aspnet/f726cd7d-cfcc-43c3-85d8-2afc75e7a08a/wpf-input-validation-with.aspx

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

On Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:36:15 -0800, Jerry Brower wrote:

>I am having the same problem you described. Did you ever find out why or what the prevention/fix is?
>
>Thanks
>Jerry
>

Hi, Jerry - you're replying to a very old post. Please use a
newsreader client to access the MS public newsgroups directly, rather
than the egghead/techarena/google forums - you'll have a much better
experience overall. Please also post new questions as new messages,
not 'me too' replies - give us the full details of the issue you're
having, including version info, etc - and someone will try to help
you.

>
>Mike wrote:
>
>Hi Robin,Thank you for your response, and for the information.
>07-Nov-08
>

<snip>

[leogonza]

Can you resolve the issue , i have the same problem.
Thanks.

Mike wrote:

big mail.que file shuts down transport

06-Nov-08

Thanks,
Mike

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Thursday, November 06, 2008 12:29 PM
Mike wrote:

big mail.que file shuts down transport

Thanks,
Mike

On Friday, November 07, 2008 5:51 AM
v-robme wrote:

Thanks for your post.

Hope this helps.

Mike wrote:

Hi Robin,Thank you for your response, and for the information.

Hi Robin,

Thanks,
Mike

On Thursday, January 07, 2010 5:36 PM
Jerry Brower wrote:

Did you ever find the answer?

I am having the same problem you described. Did you ever find out why or what the prevention/fix is?

Thanks
Jerry

Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice

Is SVG Cool?
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials/aspnet/6bb8bd7d-25a1-4f33-8d5e-7120406f3385/is-svg-cool.aspx

[Ed Crowley [MVP]]

Please describe your particular problem instead of quoting someone else's
from more than a year ago. Exactly what do you see?
--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
.

"leo gonza" wrote in message news:201011253929...@yahoo.com...

[leogonza]

I have two hub/CAS transport to process mail to organization with exchange ccr mailbox.
I recent upgrade certificate to access OWA with third part CA but i see that mail.que increase very fast in order to 8 GB in two days.
I recreate mail.que but repeat the problem.
Thanks.

Ed Crowley [MVP] wrote:

Please describe your particular problem instead of quoting someone else'sfrom

12-Jan-10

Please describe your particular problem instead of quoting someone else's
from more than a year ago. Exactly what do you see?
--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."

..

Previous Posts In This Thread:

Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice

ASP.NET Session State FAQs
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials/aspnet/0c0899ef-932f-4e7a-8bb3-6663b41660b9/aspnet-session-state-faq.aspx

[Ed Crowley [MVP]]

The queue growth probably has nothing to do with the certificate.

Are there any indicators in the queue viewer that suggests what might be
wrong? Which queue is growing?

--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."

.

"leo gonza" wrote in message news:201011375545...@yahoo.com...

>I have two hub/CAS transport to process mail to organization with exchange
>ccr mailbox.
> I recent upgrade certificate to access OWA with third part CA but i see
> that mail.que increase very fast in order to 8 GB in two days.
> I recreate mail.que but repeat the problem.
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Ed Crowley [MVP] wrote:
>
> Please describe your particular problem instead of quoting someone
> else'sfrom
> 12-Jan-10
>
> Please describe your particular problem instead of quoting someone else's
> from more than a year ago. Exactly what do you see?
> --
> Ed Crowley MVP
> "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
> .
>