XADM: High CPU Use by Store.exe on Exchange 2000 Server SP1 Computer

The Exchange 2000 information store (Store.exe) process attempts to compare every folder name within an authenticated GET request for a URL. If the URL contains more than a 100 nested folders the store will compare against each folder name in an attempt to locate a match. This process may cause the system to utilize an increasing amount of available processing time for an extended period of time. This problem was reproduced when the URL had 1000 or more invalid folder names that were nested. (For example: folder1\folder2\folder3\....folder1000).

This problem can occur if an authenticated GET request for an invalid URL that contains a large number of invalid nested folders is performed against a mailbox. The information store attempts to locate a matching folder for each folder name.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Release Date: September 26, 2001

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Component: Information store


NOTE: Because of file dependencies, this update requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 Service Pack 1.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 2.

For more information on this vulnerability, see the following Microsoft Web site: