Is high CPU utilization of the SMSUtilityService.exe and conduit.exe expected behavior for SMSMSE?

Products

• Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Issue/Introduction

 SMSUtilityService.exe and conduit.exe

- Continuously performs Premium AntiSpam updates

- Checks about every 15 seconds for new rulesets to download

- Finds, downloads, and applies these rulesets about every 5 minutes

 

Normal performance:

SMSUtility reaching 100% utilization of 1 CPU about every 5 minutes

conduit hitting 100% utilization of 1 CPU every 5-15 seconds with an extended utilization period about every 5 minutes

 

The above is a common senario for SMSMSE but performance outside of the above criteria is not indicative of an error.

Scenarios that define potential abnormal behavior:

SMSUtilityService.exe constantly runs at 98% or greater CPU

conduit.exe constantly runs at 98% or greater CPU

Resolution

1 - Clearing out potentially corrupt files and re-generating them with SMSMSE:

a - High CPU usage when Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) has Corrupt AntiSpam Rules - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH90420

b - Process conduit.exe constantly consumes at least 50% of CPU cycles at all times and antispam rule sets are not updating - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH172825

 

2 - If conduit is checking too frequently (as defined in TECH145910):

The process conduit.exe is using high CPU with Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) 6.5.2 or Higher - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH145910

 

3 - Potential for conduit to hang (Recommended to upgrade to the latest version per TECH153546):

AntiSpam Rules Are Not Updated When conduit.exe Hangs And AntiSpam Effectiveness Drops - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH153546

 

4 - Ensure that the correct SMSMSE directories are excluded from your virus scanner:

Configuring exclusions when Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange and either Symantec Endpoint Protection or Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition or any other antivirus are installed together - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH85451

 

If there is no apparent improvement from the above options, consider running the MSExchange Best Practices Analyzer. For more information regarding the how to run and utilize the results of the MSExchange Best Practices Analyzer please consult your Microsoft resources.