Link Queues

When a message is submitted to an Exchange server, it is grouped with other messages with the same final destination domain, for instance, all messages addressed to Microsoft.com. The Exchange routing engine then determines the most efficient path to the final destination, which often involves travelling between one or more relaying servers along the way. The next server on a message's path to the recipient is known as the next-destination server. In Exchange, messages with the same next-destination server are transferred into the same queue. This queue is known as a link queue. Messages reside in the link queue until an active connection is made with the next-destination server, and that server agrees to process the messages.

Notes   SMTP link queues are named for the next-destination server. X.400 link queues are named for the Windows 2000 Active Directory CommonName attribute of the connector or gateway they are connected to. The exception is when an X.400 object is connected to an Exchange 5.5 MTA. In this case, the link queue will be named for the Exchange 5.5 server.

While system queues are always visible, link queues may disappear after all messages have been sent to the next-destination server. The link queue will appear again when new messages are queued.

In some cases, when the Exchange routing engine hasn't found the next-destination server for a message, the message will be placed in a link queue named after the final-destination server.

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