Slow Active Directory directory service calls

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2006-07-14

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool examines the Exchange Function Call Log (FCL), the Store.fcl file, for Active Directory® directory service component events that exceed a response time of 2.5 seconds.

Exchange FCL Active Directory component events represent Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (Store.exe) function calls to the Active Directory component.

Active Directory provides all mailbox information, address list services, and other recipient-related information. Most Exchange Server 2003 configuration information is also stored in Active Directory.

Exchange Server services access information that is stored in Active Directory and write information to Active Directory.

If the Exchange Server Analyzer finds events in the FCL file that reflect a response time of more than 2.5 seconds for Active Directory function calls from the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (Store.exe), the Exchange Server Analyzer displays an error.

When cross-component calls from the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (Store.exe) wait for a response, remote procedure call (RPC) threads can back up behind these requests and lead to Exchange Server performance issues such as delays in server responses to clients.

Calls from the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service to Active Directory that take more than 2.5 seconds can be caused by the following conditions:

  • Network latency between the Exchange server and the Domain Controller.

  • Static or otherwise incorrect configuration of DSAccess.

  • An overloaded domain controller and global catalog.

  • An incorrectly designed Active Directory topology.

To resolve this error, take the following steps:

  • Run the Exchange Server Analyzer for an additional analysis of server issues. You can download the Exchange Server Analyzer at "Microsoft Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer Tool v2.7" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=34705).

  • Check the performance of the Active Directory Domain Controller servers.

  • Review the articles in the For More Information section of this document.

For More Information

For more information about Exchange performance and DSAccess, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 250570, "Directory service server detection and DSAccess usage" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=250570).

For more information about Exchange Server performance, see the "Performance and Scalability Guide for Exchange Server 2003" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47576).

For more information about how to troubleshoot Exchange Server performance issues, see "Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server Performance" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47588).

For more information about how to troubleshoot information store performance, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 257725, "XADM: How to Collect Diagnostic Data for Information Store Troubleshooting" (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=257725).

For more information about Domain Controller performance, see the following Windows Server resources: