Message restrictions are not set correctly

[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: 2010-04-01

When Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based computers are installed in an organization, the Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer examines the CN=Transport Settings object in the Active Directory directory service to determine whether message restrictions are set correctly. If the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer determines that one or more message restrictions are not set according to Exchange best practices, the tool generates a best practices message, as appropriate for the particular message restriction. The message resembles the following:

The Exchange Best Practices Analyzer verifies the following message restrictions:

• Whether the incoming message size is set

• Whether the outgoing message size is set

• Whether the incoming message size is set too high

• Whether the incoming message size is set too low

• Whether the outgoing message size is set too high

• Whether the outgoing message size is set too low

• Whether the maximum allowable incoming message size matches the outgoing message size

Earlier versions of Exchange use the CN=Message Delivery object to set message restrictions. In Exchange 2007 SP1, the information store only uses the CN=Transport Settings object to set message restrictions. This container has the following distinguished name (DN) in Active Directory:

CN=Transport Settings,CN=<organization_name>,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com

By default, incoming and outgoing message restrictions are enabled in Exchange 2007 SP1. Message restrictions that are set too low or too high may cause mail delivery issues in the organization. Also, it is best if the maximum incoming message size limit matches the maximum outgoing message size limit.

To obtain the current message restrictions in Exchange 2007 SP1, use the Get-TransportConfig cmdlet. To set message restrictions, use the Set-TransportConfig cmdlet.

The following table lists the message restriction-related properties in the CN=Transport Settings container together with the default values:

To address this issue, use the Set-TransportConfig cmdlet to configure message restrictions.

To set message restrictions

1. Start the Exchange Management Shell.

2. To obtain the current message limit settings, run the following cmdlet:

   Get-TransportConfig
   

3. Run the Set-TransportConfig cmdlet together with one of the parameters in the previous table to set the appropriate message limit. For example, to set the maximum message receive size to 6 megabytes (MB), run the following cmdlet:

   Set-TransportConfig -MaxReceiveSize 6MB
   

   Note

   You must specify KB, MB, or GB in the command-line. If you do not specify one of these values, Exchange uses a value of kilobytes (KB).

get-help Set-TransportConfig -detailed