Topic Last Modified: 2005-11-18
The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool has analyzed the Exchmem Heap performance counters under the MSExchangeIS performance object to determine whether performance on the Exchange server has decreased. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool reports on the Exchmem counters as follows:
- If the number of Exchmem: Number of heaps with memory
errors is more than zero, the Exchange Server Analyzer reports
a warning. If this value is more than five, the Exchange Server
Analyzer reports an error.
- If the number of Exchmem: Number of memory errors is
more than 500, the Exchange Server Analyzer reports an error.
- If the number of Exchmem: Number Additional Heaps is
more than three, the Exchange Server Analyzer reports an error.
The Store.exe process uses its own heap allocation mechanism and structures. These are called Exchmem. At startup, the Store.exe process creates several Exchmem heaps. Store.exe does not increase the number of heaps unless the existing number is either fully used or is fragmented to a point where an allocation cannot find enough contiguous memory to succeed.
If there is a memory utilization problem or internal fragmentation (that is, fragmentation in the Exchmem heaps, which reside inside the Exchange store's virtual memory space), the Store.exe process creates new Exchmem heaps.
Generally, if the Store.exe process must repeatedly create additional heaps, the overall Exchange store virtual memory becomes fragmented or depleted. By tracking the counters that are listed above, you can determine whether the Exchmem heaps are a source of the problem or if they decrease in performance as the heaps become fragmented.
To correct the warning or error-
Download and install the latest Exchange store updates.
- For the latest Exchange Server 2003 downloads, see the
Downloads for Exchange Server 2003 Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=25097).
- For the latest Exchange 2000 Server downloads, see the
Downloads for Exchange 2000 Server Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=33457).
- For the latest Exchange Server 2003 downloads, see the
Downloads for Exchange Server 2003 Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=25097).
-
Download and install the latest updates for all applications that are running in the Store.exe process. Sometimes third-party applications that are running in the Store.exe process can cause heap fragmentation.
-
Consider moving user mailboxes from the affected server to another server to reduce server load. For more information, see Move User Mailboxes to Another Server.
-
Until you have identified the cause of the problem, you can restart as necessary to reset memory.
For More Information
- For more information about Exchange Server performance, see the
Exchange Server 2003 Performance and Scalability Guide
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47576).
- For more information about troubleshooting Exchange Server
performance issues, see Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange
Server 2003 Performance (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47588).