Unified messaging makes outlook slow

[mwright]

I have a Win2k3 Server with Sp1 running Exchange 2k3 with Sp1. Dual 3.4Ghz procs with 3.5G of RAM.

I have a separate Win2k server running unity. Was just implemented 8 weeks ago.

Since unified messaging, all users experiencing slow email responsiveness and also some slow access to Unity voicemail. Always getting the stupid outlook 2003 bubble stating "outlook is trying to access the exchange server."

My Global Catalog server, my Unity, my CCMpub/sub and Exchange are all plugged into the same Cisco switch. No errors reported on any ports. My Exchange and Global Catalog servers have 1Gb connectivity. Unity only has a 100Mb Nic.

Running perfmon on Exchange shows periodic jumps in Pages/sec and Disk Queue length. Doesnt seem unreasonable however.

Slowness seems worse during peak periods of the day, but is very random - my coworker can be slow and Ill have no problems. A few seconds later, I experience the slowness. Its rather random. Calls to different inbox folders or other outlook folders invariably result in the stupid outlook bubble.

Opened ticket with TAC. They say install Exchange 2k3 SP2. I have a feeling that wont help.

What else can i do to performance tune Unity and Exchange? We have only 110 users, about 127 vmail boxes, and about 200 exchange mailboxes. Considering the size of our Exchange server and lack of network problems, I dont understand the the horrbile responsiveness.

[Tommer Catlin]

ith AD problem, it's probably not just Unity. Check your DNS settings on all your servers and clients. Make sure that name resolution is taking place on the correct machines and point to the correct machines. More than half of the slowness problems is related to AD DNS issues. I would also have to agree to TAC on the SP2 upgrade. Having the same Exchange enviroment on each server is critical. (Service pack level, etc.)

If you are using Unified Messenging, Unity probably has nothing to do it with. Remember that Unity records the messenge, then dumps it over to Exchange.

If you are using VoiceMail Only with Unity, your Exchange servers should be physically seperated, not on the same AD segment.

If you have any users that have large inboxes (over 1.5 gigs) I would have them move all the messages to another folder off the inbox. Typically when end users do not file or move messages from the inbox, Outlook clients have issues with the amount of messages (20k+, etc). Unity will then have to poll the "inbox" of the client on the Exchange server to check for MWI (new voicemails, messege waiting lights, etc)

[carl.newman]

I would like to know if you ever found the answer to your issues of outlook clients not responding timely when opening just VM attachments. I have a issues much like yours.

[Tommer Catlin]

Again, you have to look at AD/Exchange and the outlook client.

- size of inbox on Exchange users, if the inbox folder has 10,000 items in it, Exchange iis going to be doggy slow with the outlook client trying to shuffle through 10,000 in the "inbox" folder

-Exchange/AD and DNS. Normally the number problem is DNS. If your Outlook client and machine contact AD and Exchange in sufficient time, DNS could be slowing your network down. Name resolution is key. If you think you have DNS problems, try taking out all DNS enteries in the TCP/IP and set it to some static random addres. Edit your LMHOST file on the windows client and add your Exchange and AD servers in. See what you get. Is it faster?

- Different versions of Outlook, upgraded outlook, upgrade 2000 to XP Machines, all react differently with outlook snappins. Try a fresh loaded XP machine with Outlook and patches loaded. Then load the the VM snap in to see if you get the same result as the troubled machine.

VM attachments are simply WAV Files.

Try a couple of these and see what you get. Post your responses back and see what we can do to help

[amyguysignore]

but doesnt the LMHost file only deal with Netbios?