XFOR: Chat Server 2.0 Can Fail with Extremely Heavy Usage

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When an extremely high number of users log on and off the Microsoft Internet Chat Server version 2.0 in a short period of time, the Chat Server can silently stop without writing an error to the Event log. The Chat Server can also produce an application exception in CHATSVC.

CAUSE

This problem was found when a stress test application was written with Visual Basic and the Chat.ocx. The application logged users on and off without actually simulating a chat dialog. When run against Internet Chat Server 1.0, the server generated an error indicating that the NICK was already in use. This means that the user is connected but not logged on. The Internet Chat Server 2.0 did not process authentication messages correctly when the NICK was already in use.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

Keywords          : XFOR 
Version           : WinNT:5.5
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug