Understand Security Management Appliance (SMA) Processing Queues

Introduction

This document describes what are Processing Queues and how they work on the Security Management Appliance (SMA).

Prerequisites 

Requirements

Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of these topics:

• Email Security Appliance (ESA)
• Security Management Appliance (SMA)

Components Used

The information in this document is based on these software and hardware versions:

• Virtual Security Management Appliance running software 12.5.x

The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, ensure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

Background Information

The Security Management Appliance (SMA) is used to centralize services from Email Security Appliances (ESAs) and Web Security Appliances (WSAs).

The centralized services are:

• External Spam Quarantine

• Centralized Policy, Virus, and Outbreak Quarantines

• Centralized Reporting

• Centralized Tracking

• Centralized Configuration Management for Web Security Appliances

What are the SMA Processing Queues?

The Processing Queues are buffers that store centralized Reporting and Tracking files as they await to be processed by the SMA. Normally, the SMA receives batches of Reporting and Tracking files to process. The percentage of Reporting or Tracking files in the processing queue typically fluctuates as the files are transmitted from managed appliances and processed by the SMA.

Note: Processing Queue percentages gauge the number of files in the queue. They do not take file size into account. The percentages provide only a rough estimate of the SMA processing load. 

Why is the Message Tracking or Reporting Processing Queue Always High?

If the Processing Queue usage percentages remain consistently high over several hours or days, then this is an indicator that the system is running at or beyond capacity.

In that case, consider the removal of some of the managed appliances from the SMA, the installation of additional SMAs, or both.

Troubleshoot

Check the disk utilization of the centralized services:

Navigate to Management Appliance > System Administration > Disk Management

If the Tracking or Reporting disk quotas are exceeded, you can add more disk space as long as there is some available.

Consider to decrease some other disk quotas and allocate this space to those that need it urgently.

Note: If the disk quota of a centralized service is exceeded, the SMA purges the oldest data to make room for new data. If the SMA receives Tracking/Reporting files from the managed devices (ESA/WSA) too fast, then, it piles up these files to parse in the Processing Queue until there is enough disk space to allocate more data.

Related Information 

• Technical Support & Documentation - Cisco Systems

Revision History

Revision	Publish Date	Comments
3.0	21-Jul-2026	Formatting, title, introduction
1.0	28-Jan-2020	Initial Release