Topic Last Modified: 2007-02-27
The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Win32_Services Microsoft Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) class to determine whether the startup account specified on StartName property of the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (MSExchangeIS) is using the LocalSystem account. If the Exchange Server Analyzer finds the value for this property on an Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003, or Exchange Server 2007 computer to be any account other than LocalSystem (also known as the SYSTEM account), a warning is displayed. This warning is not triggered for Exchange Server 5.5 computers, where the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service is expected and required to run under a user account.
Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007 must be started under the LocalSystem security context instead of associating a specific user account (and password) to start these services. This assures that password changes or user account deletions will not prevent Exchange from functioning correctly. When an Exchange service that is running as LocalSystem accesses a remote server, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server™ 2003 authenticates it by using the credentials of the computer account.
The password on the computer account is changed every seven days by using the standard change-password mechanism. This helps make the computer account more secure than a typical user account where the password is not only changed less frequently, but is also likely to be less random than a randomly generated computer account password.
Some administrators who have experience with Exchange Server 5.5, where a user account is used for services, change the startup account on Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007 services from using the default LocalSystem account to a user account.
On Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft does not support running the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service under any account other than LocalSystem.
To correct this
error
-
Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
-
In the list of services, right-click Microsoft Exchange Information Store, and then click Properties.
-
On the Log on tab, under Log on as, click Local System account, and then click OK.
-
Right-click Microsoft Exchange Information Store, and then click Restart.
For more information about Exchange services, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 239762, "Exchange Services Run Under LocalSystem" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=239762).