4.0 Message Transfer Agent Problems

For a list of error messages related to the Message Transfer Agent (MTA), see Message Transfer Agent Error Messages in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 1: Error Messages.

Suggested solutions are provided for the following problems:

MTA Won’t Start

Problem: The MTA does not start.
Possible Cause: The --home switch is missing.
Action: Make sure the --home switch provides the correct path to the domain directory where the domain database (wpdomain.db) resides. This switch is required to start the MTA and must be provided either in the MTA startup file or on the command line when you start the MTA.
Possible Cause: The --home switch points to an unavailable location.
Action: Make sure the location specified by the --home switch is currently available to the MTA.

If the domain is located on a different Windows server from where the MTA will run, you must create the drive mapping to the domain and post offices in the domain before starting the MTA.

Possible Cause: The server where the domain resides is down.
Action: Check the status of the server where the domain resides.
Possible Cause: The --work switch points to an unavailable location. Although not required, the ‑‑work switch is useful to specify a local working directory for the MTA when the domain it services is located on a different server. Using the --work switch to provide a local working directory on the server where it is installed is highly recommended for MTA performance. If the --work switch is not used, the working directory is placed in the directory specified by the --home switch.
Action: Make sure the location of the MTA working directory is available to the MTA.
Possible Cause: The MTA does not have sufficient rights to the domain directory.
Action: Make sure the network rights in the domain are correct.
Possible Cause: The domain database (wpdomain.db) is damaged.
Action: If the domain database (wpdomain.db) is available to the MTA but cannot be read, it might be damaged. In ConsoleOne, perform maintenance to correct any problems with the domain database. See Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases in Databases in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The MTA server has inadequate resources.
Action: Make sure the server where you are trying to run the MTA has adequate resources to run the MTA, especially adequate available memory and the current versions of any required network system files. See Agent System Requirements in Installing GroupWise Agents in the GroupWise 2012 Installation Guide.
Possible Cause: The MTA is not installed correctly.
Action: Make sure all files required to run the MTA are installed. For a complete list, see Agent Installation Directories in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure.
Possible Cause: Language-specific files are missing.
Action: If you are using the --language switch to run the MTA in a particular language, the corresponding language files must be installed for the MTA to run in that language. To determine what language-specific files are required, see Agent Installation Directories in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure.
Possible Cause: The MTA is encountering a problem with one specific aspect of its functioning.
Action: MTA switches are available to disable specific MTA functions while allowing other functions to continue normally. For example, the --noada switch disables the MTA admin thread. If a specific MTA function is causing the MTA to shut down, you might be able to disable that particular function with a switch. See Using MTA Startup Switches in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The MTA encounters an error condition.
Action: If you receive an error message when trying to start the MTA, look it up in Message Transfer Agent Error Messages in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 1: Error Messages.

MTA Shuts Down Unexpectedly

Problem: The MTA has been running smoothly, but stops unexpectedly.
Action: If the MTA server console is still displayed, exit it. If the normal exit procedure does not work, use the system procedure for terminating a program.

Linux:

Kill the first MTA process. You might need to use kill -9.

Windows:

Close the MTA window.
Action: After the MTA server console is no longer displayed, restart the MTA as you normally would. See Setting Up the GroupWise Agents in the GroupWise 2012 Installation Guide.
Action: If the MTA shuts down again, exit it again, reboot the server, then start the MTA again.
Action: Set the MTA log level to Verbose for troubleshooting. See Using MTA Log Files in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Occasionally, a badly damaged message file can cause the MTA to shut down.
Action: Check the contents of the MTA input queues in the domain and post offices. For the locations of the MTA input queues, see Message Transfer/Storage Directories in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure.

Move the message files out of the priority subdirectories of each input queue, start the MTA, then copy the message files back in groups, watching the MTA carefully to see if it shuts down on a particular message file. If it does, delete the problem message file so normal processing can resume.

Possible Cause: Occasionally, a damaged domain database (wpdomain.db) can cause the MTA to shut down.
Action: In ConsoleOne, perform maintenance to correct any problems with the domain database. See Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases in Databases in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Network connections are unstable.
Action: Make sure the connections between the server where the MTA is running and the servers where the domain database (wpdomain.db) and post office database (wphost.db) are located are stable. Repeatedly losing connections to servers can cause damage to databases.
Possible Cause: The MTA is encountering a problem with one specific aspect of its functioning.
Action: MTA switches are available to disable specific MTA functions while allowing other functions to continue normally. For example, the --noada switch disables the MTA admin thread. If a specific MTA function is causing the MTA to shut down, you might be able to disable that particular function with a switch. See Using MTA Startup Switches in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Another program on the server is interfering with the operation of the MTA.
Action: If the MTA continues to be unstable, eliminate other programs running on the server. If the MTA is stable when another specific program is not running on the same server with it, a conflict might exist between the two programs.

MTA Status Box Shows a Closed Location

Problem: At the MTA server console, the Status box shows a closed location. The MTA Web console provides comparable information on the Status page.
Action: Check for details about why the location is closed. See Displaying MTA Status Information in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Action: Check the configuration status for the closed location. See MTA Configuration Status Isn’t Open.
Action: Check the last closure reason. This information can help you determine the source of the problem. Common last closure reasons include:

For more information, see Message Transfer Agent Error Messages in GroupWise 2012 Troubleshooting 1: Error Messages.

Action: In Configuration Status Details, check the directory paths for mapped and UNC connections or the IP addresses and port numbers for TCP/IP links. Make sure the correct locations are displayed. Make sure the locations exist, and verify that the database (wpdomain.db for a domain or wphost.db for a post office) is there in the specified location. Do not use eDirectory paths.
Action: If it is a new location that has never been open, verify the links between domains and post offices. See Understanding Link Configuration in Domains in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide. Make sure mapped and UNC path specifications are in the correct format. Do not use eDirectory full context paths.
Possible Cause: A domain or post office has been moved incorrectly.
Action: When you move a domain or post office to a new location or change its link type, you must make various configuration changes in ConsoleOne. If the domain or post office becomes closed as a result, the reconfiguration changes might not have replicated down to the agent in the reconfigured location before other changes prevented the replication from happening at all. Rebuild the location database (wpdomain.db or wphost.db). See Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases in Databases in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide. This ensures that the reconfiguration changes are replicated to the location. Then restart the agent for the location.
Possible Cause: The MTA server has insufficient memory.
Action: Make sure the server where the MTA is running has adequate memory. If the MTA starts running out of memory, it starts shutting down connections. See Agent System Requirements in Installing GroupWise Agents in the GroupWise 2012 Installation Guide.

MTA Statistics Box Shows Undeliverable Messages

Problem: At the MTA server console, the Statistics box displays a large number of undeliverable messages. The MTA Web console provides comparable information on the Status page.
Action: The number of undeliverable messages indicates how many messages could not be routed by the MTA. For strategies, see Message Has Undeliverable Status.

MTA Statistics Box Shows Errors

Problem: At the MTA server console, the Statistics box shows a large number of message errors have occurred. The MTA Web console provides comparable information on the Status page.
Action: The number of message errors indicates how many messages could not be processed by the MTA. For strategies, see Message Is Dropped in the problem Directory.

MTA Configuration Status Isn’t Open

Problem: At the MTA server console, the Configuration Status box displays the connection status as something other than Open. The MTA Web console provides comparable information on the Status page.
Action: If the configuration status is Closed, the MTA cannot access the database in the domain or post office. Make sure the server where the closed location resides is not down. Make sure the MTA can access the server. Verify the UNC path or drive mapping to the closed location.
Action: If the connection status is Suspended, resume the MTA. See Suspending/Resuming MTA Processing for a Location in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Action: If the connection status is Open Pending, post offices in the domain are in the process of opening and the MTA is clearing its holding queues. After this is accomplished, the MTA begins processing current messages and the status changes to Open. No action is necessary.

MTA Fails to Update the Domain Database Version

Problem: You are updating the MTA software in a secondary domain and the MTA fails to update the database version for the domain. You might see conflicting database version information depending on whether you are connected to the secondary domain or the primary domain.
Possible Cause: You installed and started the MTA for the secondary domain before the MTA for the primary domain had finished updating the primary domain database.
Action: Wait until the MTA for the primary domain has finished updating the primary domain database. For a large domain database, you might need to wait as much as 20 minutes or more. Verify that the primary domain database version has been updated by checking the Domain object’s Identification page in ConsoleOne. Then stop and restart the MTA for the secondary domain to update the secondary domain database.
Action: If restarting the MTA for the secondary domain does not update the domain database version:

  1. Compare the dates on the .dc files (gwdom.dc and gwpo.dc) in the secondary domain directory with the dates on the .dc files in the update source.

  2. If the dates on the .dc files in the secondary domain are older than the dates on the .dc files in the update source, copy the .dc files from the update source into the domain directory.

  3. At the MTA server console or Web console, recover the domain database. See Recovering the Domain Database Automatically or Immediately in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.

    When the recovery process is finished, the database version should be updated.

  4. In ConsoleOne, connect to the secondary domain, then check the Domain object’s Identification page to verify that the database version has been updated.

  5. Connect to the primary domain database, then check the Identification page for the primary domain to verify that the database version information matches in both domain databases.

Action: If recovering the secondary domain database does not update the version, then connect to the primary domain and rebuild the secondary domain database. See Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases in Databases in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: There are one or more closed links between the secondary domain and the primary domain that are preventing the administrative messages from flowing between the domains to accomplish the database version update.
Action: Check the links between the domains and open any closed links. See MTA Configuration Status Isn’t Open. After all links are open, recover the secondary domain database. See Recovering the Domain Database Automatically or Immediately in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.

MTA Starts in the Wrong Language

Problem: You have installed the MTA in more than one language and it is starting in a different language than you want.
Action: Start the MTA using the --language switch to specify the language.

MTA Is Involved with Network Operating System or Hardware Problems

Problem: The MTA is interacting with the network operating system or hardware in an undesirable way.
Possible Cause: The MTA server is overburdened, resulting in SYN attacks.
Action: Make sure overall server utilization is not too high. Increase the MTA’s tolerance for slow connections. See Adjusting the MTA Wait Intervals for Slow TCP/IP Connections in Message Transfer Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.