Novell GROUPWISE 8 Troubleshooting
Novell®
www.novell.com
Troubleshooting: 2 Solutions to Common Problems
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
AUTHORIZED DOCUMENTATION
GroupWise
8
November 17, 2008
®
GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
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novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
Contents
About This Guide 7
Part I General Troubleshooting Strategies 9
1 General GroupWise Troubleshooting Strategies 11
2 General Hardware/Network Troubleshooting Strategies 15
3 Useful Linux Commands for Administering a GroupWise System 17
3.1 Basic Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.2 File and Directory Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.3 Process Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.4 Disk Usage Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.5 Package Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.6 File System Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.7 Network Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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Contents 5
Part II Strategies for Agent Problems 21
4 Post Office Agent Problems 23
5 Message Transfer Agent Problems 33
6 Internet Agent Problems 41
7 WebAccess Agent Problems 57
8 Monitor Agent Problems 61
Part III Strategies for Message Delivery Problems 63
9 Message Does Not Arrive 65
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10 Message Delivery Is Slow 77
11 Message Has Undeliverable Status 81
12 Message Is Dropped in the problem Directory 85
Part IV Strategies for Administration Problems 87
13 GroupWise Administrator Snap-In to ConsoleOne Problems 89
14 Document Management Services Problems 93
Part V Strategies for Client Problems 97
15 GroupWise Client Problems 99
16 GroupWise Remote Problems 105
6 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
About This Guide
This Novell® GroupWise® Troubleshooting 2 Guide provides troubleshooting strategies for
GroupWise problems that can occur with GroupWise clients, GroupWise agents, message delivery,
and ConsoleOne
“General Troubleshooting Strategies” on page 9
“Strategies for Agent Problems” on page 21
“Strategies for Message Delivery Problems” on page 63
“Strategies for Administration Problems” on page 87
“Strategies for Client Problems” on page 97
Other sources of troubleshooting assistance include:
Novell Support and Knowledgebase (http://www.novell.com/support)
GroupWise 8 Support Forums (http://forums.novell.com/novell-product-support-forums/
groupwise)
GroupWise Cool Solutions (http://www.novell.com/communities/coolsolutions/gwmag)
®
. The guide is divided into the following sections:
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
Audience
This guide is intended for network administrators who install and administer GroupWise.
Feedback
We want to hear your comments and suggestions about this manual and the other documentation
included with this product. Please use the User Comment feature at the bottom of each page of the
online documentation, or go to www.novell.com/documentation/feedback.html and enter your
comments there.
Documentation Updates
For the most recent version of GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems,
visit the Novell GroupWise 8 Documentation Web site (http://www.novell.com/documentation/
gw8).
Additional Documentation
For additional GroupWise documentation, see the following guides at the GroupWise 8
Documentation Web site (http://www.novell.com/documentation/gw8):
Installation Guide
Administration Guide
Multi-System Administration Guide
Interoperability Guide
Troubleshooting 1: Error Messages
Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure
About This Guide 7
GroupWise Client User Guides
GroupWise Client Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Documentation Conventions
In Novell documentation, a greater-than symbol (>) is used to separate actions within a step and
items in a cross-reference path.
A trademark symbol (TM, ®, etc.) denotes a Novell trademark. An asterisk denotes a third-party
trademark.
When a single pathname can be written with a backslash for some platforms or a forward slash for
other platforms, the pathname is presented with a backslash. Users of platforms that require a
forward slash, such as Linux*, should use forward slashes as required by your software.
When a startup switch can be written with a forward slash for some platforms or a double hyphen for
other platforms, the startup switch is presented with a forward slash. Users of platforms that require
a double hyphen, such as Linux, should use double hyphens as required by your software.
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
8 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
I
General Troubleshooting
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Strategies
This part of Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems helps you resolve GroupWise®
problems that are not related to specific error messages or components of your system. It can also
help with problems that have not been resolved by more specific troubleshooting strategies.
Chapter 1, “General GroupWise Troubleshooting Strategies,” on page 11
Chapter 2, “General Hardware/Network Troubleshooting Strategies,” on page 15
Chapter 3, “Useful Linux Commands for Administering a GroupWise System,” on page 17
Other sources of assistance include:
Novell
Novell Support Knowledgebase (http://www.novell.com/support/supportcentral)
GroupWise 7 Support Forums (http://support.novell.com/forums/2gw.html)
Novell GroupWise Support Community (http://www.novell.com/support/
GroupWise Cool Solutions (http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/index.html)
®
Support (http://www.novell.com/support)
browse.do?WidgetName=BROWSE_PRODUCT&BROWSE_PRODUCT.TaxoName=SG_Su
pportGoals&NodeType=leaf&NodeName=GroupWise&TaxoName=SG_SupportGoals&BRO
WSE_PRODUCT.isProductTaxonomy=true&BROWSE_PRODUCT.NodeId=SG_GROUPWI
SE_1_1&BROWSE_PRODUCT.NodeType=leaf&BROWSE_PRODUCT.thisPageUrl=%2Fpr
oduct%2Fproducts.do&NodeId=SG_GROUPWISE_1_1&id=m1&AppContext=AC_SiteCent
ral)
I
General Troubleshooting Strategies
9
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10 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
1
General GroupWise
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Troubleshooting Strategies
“Checking GroupWise Agent Log Files” on page 11
“Assigning a GroupWise Administrator” on page 11
“Checking IP Addresses and Port Numbers for TCP/IP Links” on page 11
“Recovering and Rebuilding Domain and Post Office Databases” on page 12
“Analyzing and Fixing User and Message Databases” on page 12
“Verifying GroupWise System Information” on page 12
“Understanding Message Flow” on page 13
Checking GroupWise Agent Log Files
Problem: You are experiencing message delivery problems.
Action: Use the POA and MTA log files to help you track message delivery problems.
Set the logging level to Verbose so all processing information is displayed.
This information can help you determine what the problem is. You should also
verify that the information is being logged to disk. See the following sections
in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
“Using POA Log Files” in “Post Office Agent”
1
“Using MTA Log Files” in “Message Transfer Agent”
“Using Internet Agent Log Files” in “Internet Agent”
“Using WebAccess Log Files” in “WebAccess”
“Configuring Monitor Agent Log Settings” in “Monitor”
Assigning a GroupWise Administrator
Problem: No one is receiving error messages generated by the MTA and the POA.
Action: Make sure each domain has an administrator who receives error messages
generated by the agents. See “Notifying the Domain Administrator” in
“Message Transfer Agent” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Checking IP Addresses and Port Numbers for TCP/IP Links
Problem: Incorrect IP addresses and port numbers can cause problems for the
GroupWise
Possible Cause: The GroupWise client is set up with the wrong IP address and/or TCP port
number.
Action: Make sure the GroupWise client is set up with the correct IP address and port
number for the POA in each user’s post office. See “Client” in the GroupWise
8 Administration Guide.
®
client and agents when TCP/IP connections are used.
General GroupWise Troubleshooting Strategies
11
Action: Make sure the GroupWise name server is running so that IP addresses and port
numbers can be looked up automatically. See the “Simplifying Client/Server
Access with a GroupWise Name Server” in “Post Office Agent” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The POA is set up with the wrong IP address and/or TCP port number.
Action: Make sure the POA is set up with the correct IP address and port number. See
“Using Client/Server Access to the Post Office” in “Post Office Agent” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The MTA is set up with the wrong IP address and/or TCP port number.
Action: Make sure the MTA is set up with the correct IP address and port number. See
“Using TCP/IP Links between Domains” and “Using TCP/IP Links between a
Domain and its Post Offices” in “Message Transfer Agent” in the GroupWise 8
Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Multiple programs on the same server are set up with the same TCP port
number.
Action: Make sure no duplicate port numbers are in use.
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Recovering and Rebuilding Domain and Post Office Databases
Problem: Problems with a domain database (wpdomain.db) or post office database
(wphost.db) can cause access problems for GroupWise Administrator and
the GroupWise client, as well as cause message delivery problems. Database
problems can also cause information in your system to be out of sync (for
example, a user’s information in one post office being different than that user’s
information in another post office).
Action: See “Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases” in “Databases” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Analyzing and Fixing User and Message Databases
Problem: Problems with a user database (userxxx.db) or a message database
(msgnnn.db) can cause users to lose access to their mailboxes, have
incorrectly displayed mailbox information, and have message delivery
problems.
Action: See “Maintaining User/Resource and Message Databases” in “Databases” and
“GroupWise Check” in “Standalone Database Maintenance Programs” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Verifying GroupWise System Information
Problem: Messages are not being delivered to post offices or domains, or you are
receiving excessive undeliverable messages.
Possible Cause: Link configuration problems with your GroupWise system can cause message
delivery problems.
Action: Check links between domains. See “Understanding Link Configuration” in
“Domains” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
12 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
Action: Check links to post offices. See “Understanding Link Configuration” in
“Domains” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Incorrect object information can cause message delivery problems.
Action: Check Domain and Post Office object properties. See the following sections in
the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide:
“Editing Domain Properties” in “Domains”
“Editing Post Office Properties” in “Post Offices”
Action: Check Agent object properties. See the following sections in the GroupWise 8
Administration Guide.
“Configuring the POA in ConsoleOne” in “Post Office Agent”
“Configuring the MTA in ConsoleOne” in “Message Transfer Agent”
“Configuring Internet Services” in “Internet Agent”
“Configuring WebAccess Components” in “WebAccess”
“Configuring the Monitor Agent” in “Monitor”
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Possible Cause: Correct information is not being synchronized throughout your GroupWise
system.
Action: If information is correct in some places but incorrect in others, you can
synchronize GroupWise information. See “Synchronizing Database
Information” in “Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Understanding Message Flow
Problem: You are experiencing message delivery problems.
Action: Because each component (GroupWise client, POA and MTA) is responsible
for a specific area of message flow, knowing where the message flow has been
interrupted can help you discover which component is not functioning
correctly. See “Message Flow Diagrams” in GroupWise 7 Troubleshooting 3:
Message Flow and Directory Structure.
General GroupWise Troubleshooting Strategies 13
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14 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
2
General Hardware/Network
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Troubleshooting Strategies
“Checking Available System Resources” on page 15
“Checking Available Disk Space” on page 15
Checking Available System Resources
Problem: The GroupWise
resources are available.
Action: Make sure the servers where agents run meet basic system requirements. See
“GroupWise System Requirements” in “Installing a Basic GroupWise System”
in the “GroupWise 8 Installation Guide”.
Checking Available Disk Space
Problem: When one of the GroupWise programs tries to create or modify a file and there
is not enough disk space available to complete the task, you generally receive a
disk full error message.
Action: Free up space on the disk.
®
agents cannot perform well when inadequate system
2
General Hardware/Network Troubleshooting Strategies
15
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16 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
3
Useful Linux Commands for
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Administering a GroupWise
System
Some GroupWise® administrators might be new to the Linux operating system. This section lists
Linux commands that can help you manage your GroupWise system on Linux.
Section 3.1, “Basic Commands,” on page 17
Section 3.2, “File and Directory Commands,” on page 17
Section 3.3, “Process Commands,” on page 18
Section 3.4, “Disk Usage Commands,” on page 18
Section 3.5, “Package Commands,” on page 19
Section 3.6, “File System Commands,” on page 19
Section 3.7, “Network Commands,” on page 19
3.1 Basic Commands
The following basic commands are available in GroupWise:
3
Command Description
man command Displays information about any Linux command, including the commands used to
start GroupWise programs.
whoami Displays who you are logged in as.
uname -a Displays the kernel version, along with other useful information
eject Ejects the CD from the drive.
3.2 File and Directory Commands
The following file and directory commands are available in GroupWise:
Command Description
pwd Displays your current directory (“print working directory”).
ls -l Lists the files in the current directory, along with useful information
about them.
ls -al Includes hidden system files (those whose names start with a dot) in the
list.
more filename Pages through the contents of a file (forward only).
Useful Linux Commands for Administering a GroupWise System
17
Command Description
less filename Pages through the contents of a file and lets you page back up through
the file.
tail filename Displays the last 10 lines of a file. This is helpful for log files. (The head
commands displays the first 10 lines.)
cp source destination Copies a file or directory.
mv source destination Moves or renames a file or directory.
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find starting_directory -name
filename
grep string file Searches the specified file for the specific string of characters. This is
mkdir directory_name Creates a new directory
rmdir directory_name Deletes an empty directory
rm filename Deletes a file
rm -r directory_name Deletes a directory and recursively deletes its contents.
cat filename Displays a file.
cat filename /printer_device Prints a file.
Find the specified file, starting in the specified directory. Specifying /
would start the find operation in the root directory.
useful for locating specific information in GroupWise agent startup files.
3.3 Process Commands
The following process commands are available in GroupWise:
Command Description
top Lists all processes, sorted by CPU percentage with the highest at the top of
the list.
ps -eaf | grep program Lists all processes and their IDs associated with the specified program.
Wildcard characters can be used to list a group of related programs (for
example, gw*).
ps -aux | grep username Lists all processes and their IDs associated with the specified user.
kill process_ID Stops the specified process like a normal exit.
kill -9 process_ID Stops the specified process after it has failed to exit normally. Temporary
files are not cleaned up.
killall program Kills all processes associated with the specified program.
xkill Closes the window that you click on with the resulting box-shaped cursor.
3.4 Disk Usage Commands
The following disk usage commands are available in GroupWise:
18 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
Command Description
df Lists file system disk space usage in terms that make sense to your computer.
df -h Lists file system disk space usage in terms that make sense to humans.
du Lists disk space usage of each subdirectory below your current working
directory
du -s Lists the cumulative disk space usage of your current working directory.
du -s file_or_directory Lists the disk space usage for a file or the cumulative disk space usage for a
directory and its contents.
3.5 Package Commands
The following package commands are available in GroupWise:
Command Description
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rpm -qa | grep novell Lists all Novell® packages installed on your server
rpm -qi package_name Lists useful information about an installed package, such as name, version,
release date, install date, size description, build date, and so on.
rpm -ql package_name Lists where each file in the package has been installed
rpm -e package_name Uninstalls a package
3.6 File System Commands
The following file system commands are available in GroupWise:
Command Description
mount Lists the file systems that are currently mounted on
your server.
mount -t ncpfs //
NetWare_server_DNS_name /
mountpoint_directory -o user=username -
o ipserver=server_IP_address -o
server=server_hostname
mount -t smbfs //Windows_server_name/
share /mountpoint_directory -o
username=username
Mounts a NetWare
Linux server.
Mounts a Windows* server as a file system on your
Linux server.
®
server as a file system on your
3.7 Network Commands
The following network commands are available in GroupWise:
Useful Linux Commands for Administering a GroupWise System 19
Command Description
ifconfig -a Lists the IP address and other detailed information about
the NIC in your Linux server.
hostname Displays the hostname of your server.
dig Displays host information about your server
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netstat -lnp | grep program netstat -lnp |
egrep ‘program|program|...'
ping IP_address_or_hostname Checks to see if the specified server is responding on the
Lists the port numbers in use by one or more programs. It
is also a handy command for checking to see whether the
specified programs are currently running.
network.
20 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
II
Strategies for Agent Problems
This part of Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems helps you resolve problems with
individual agents, the Post Office Agent (POA) or the Message Transfer Agent (MTA), the Internet
Agent, the WebAccess Agent, or the Monitor Agent. For more information, see the following
sections:
Chapter 4, “Post Office Agent Problems,” on page 23
Chapter 5, “Message Transfer Agent Problems,” on page 33
Chapter 6, “Internet Agent Problems,” on page 41
Chapter 7, “WebAccess Agent Problems,” on page 57
Chapter 8, “Monitor Agent Problems,” on page 61
Other sources of assistance include:
Novell
®
Support (http://www.novell.com/support)
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
II
Novell Support Knowledgebase (http://www.novell.com/support/supportcentral)
GroupWise
Novell GroupWise Support Community (http://www.novell.com/support/
browse.do?WidgetName=BROWSE_PRODUCT&BROWSE_PRODUCT.TaxoName=SG_Su
pportGoals&NodeType=leaf&NodeName=GroupWise&TaxoName=SG_SupportGoals&BRO
WSE_PRODUCT.isProductTaxonomy=true&BROWSE_PRODUCT.NodeId=SG_GROUPWI
SE_1_1&BROWSE_PRODUCT.NodeType=leaf&BROWSE_PRODUCT.thisPageUrl=%2Fpr
oduct%2Fproducts.do&NodeId=SG_GROUPWISE_1_1&id=m1&AppContext=AC_SiteCent
ral)
GroupWise Cool Solutions (http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/index.html)
®
7 Support Forums (http://support.novell.com/forums/2gw.html)
Strategies for Agent Problems
21
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22 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
4
Post Office Agent Problems
For a list of error messages related to the Post Office Agent, see “Post Office Agent Error Messages”
in GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 1: Error Messages.
This section suggests ways to fix the following problems:
“POA Won’t Start” on page 23
“POA Shuts Down Unexpectedly” on page 25
“POA Statistics Box Shows Requests Pending” on page 26
“POA Statistics Box Shows Users Timed Out” on page 26
“POA Statistics Box Shows Undeliverable Users” on page 27
“POA Statistics Box Shows Problem Messages” on page 27
“POA Redirection List Shows Failed TCP/IP Connection” on page 27
“POA Message Transfer Status Box Shows Closed Link” on page 28
“POA Starts Unwanted TCP/IP Thread” on page 28
“POA Fails to Deliver Messages” on page 28
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
4
“POA Fails to Respond to MTP Configuration Changes in ConsoleOne” on page 29
“POA Fails to Respond to Other Configuration Changes in ConsoleOne” on page 29
“POA Fails to Update the Post Office Database Version” on page 29
“POA Runs Repeated Recoveries on the Same Database” on page 30
“POA Starts in the Wrong Language” on page 30
“POA Is Involved with Network Operating System or Hardware Problems” on page 30
POA Won’t Start
Problem: The POA does not start.
Possible Cause: The /home switch is missing.
Action: Make sure the /home startup switch provides the correct path to the post office
directory where the post office database (wphost.db) resides. This switch is
required to start the POA and must be provided either in the POA startup file
or on the command line when you start the POA. See “Installing and Starting
the POA” in “Post Office Agent” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide .
Possible Cause: The /home switch points to an unavailable location.
Post Office Agent Problems
23
Action: Make sure the location specified by the /home startup switch is currently
available to the POA. If the post office is located on a different server from
where the POA will run, preparations for the connection between the POA and
the post office are required:
If you are using the NetWare
®
POA, you must use the /dn startup switch
or the /user and /password startup switches to enable the POA to log in to
the server where the post office is located, or you can provide the
®
username and password in ConsoleOne
, on the Post Office Settings
page of the Post Office object.
If you are using the Linux POA, you must mount the file system where
the post office is located to the server where the POA is running.
If you are using the Windows POA, you must create the drive mapping to
the post office before starting the POA.
See “Installing and Starting the POA” in “Post Office Agent” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The server where the post office resides is down.
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
Action: Check the status of the server where the post office resides.
Possible Cause: The POA does not have sufficient rights to the post office directory.
Action: Make sure the network rights in the post office are correct. Start the POA using
the /rights switch to determine the specific problem the POA is encountering
and make corrections as needed.
Possible Cause: The post office database (wphost.db) is damaged.
Action: If the post office database is available to the POA but cannot be read, it might
be damaged. In ConsoleOne, perform database maintenance to correct any
problems with the post office database. See “Maintaining Domain and Post
Office Databases” in “Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: The POA server has inadequate resources.
Action: Make sure the server where you are trying to run the POA has adequate
resources to run the POA, 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 8
Installation Guide”.
Use your operating system tools to check current server resources.
Possible Cause: The POA is not installed correctly.
Action: Make sure all files required to run the POA are installed. For a list of agent
files, see “Agent Installation Directories” in GroupWise 7 Troubleshooting 3:
Message Flow and Directory Structure.
Possible Cause: A remote document storage area is unavailable.
Action: Make sure the remote server where the document storage area is located is
running.
Action: Make sure the POA has sufficient rights to log in.
24 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
Action: Make sure the /user and /password or /dn switches have been provided in the
POA startup file.
Action: As a temporary workaround, you can start the POA with the /noconfig switch,
so it can start without trying to access the remote document storage area.
Possible Cause: Language files are missing.
Action: If you are using the /language startup switch to run the POA in a particular
language, the corresponding language files must be installed for the POA to
run in that language. To determine what language-specific files are required,
see “Agent Installation Directories” in GroupWise 7 Troubleshooting 3:
Message Flow and Directory Structure.
Possible Cause: A POA is already running on the server.
Action: If you have defined multiple POAs for the same post office in ConsoleOne, the
/name switch is required in each startup file to specify which POA
configuration to use when you start each instance of the POA.
Possible Cause: The POA encounters an error condition.
Action: If you receive an error message when trying to start the POA, look it up in
“Post Office Agent Error Messages” in GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 1: Error
Messages.
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POA Shuts Down Unexpectedly
Problem: The POA has been running smoothly, but stops unexpectedly.
Action: If the POA agent console is still displayed, exit it. If the normal exit procedure
does not work, use the system procedure for terminating a program.
If you are using the NetWare POA on NetWare, use the NetWare unload
command. If you have other POAs running on the same server, you
should exit them before using the unload command. The unload
command unloads all POAs running on the same server and might not
enable them to terminate gracefully.
If you are using the Linux POA, kill the first POA process. You might
need to use kill -9.
If you are using the Windows POA, close the POA window.
Action: After the POA agent console is no longer displayed, restart the POA as you
normally would. See “Installing and Starting the POA” in “Post Office Agent”
in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide. If the POA shuts down again, exit it
again, reboot the server, then start the POA again.
Action: Set the POA log level to Verbose for troubleshooting. See “Using POA Log
Files” in “Post Office Agent” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Occasionally, a badly damaged message file can cause the POA to shut down.
Action: Check the contents of the POA input queue in the post office. For the location
of the POA input queue in the post office, see “Post Office Directory” in
GroupWise 7 Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure.
Post Office Agent Problems 25
Move the message files out of the input queue subdirectories, start the POA,
then copy the message files back in groups, watching the POA 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.
Action: Rename the post_office\wpcsout\ofs directory, then start the POA.
This creates a new, empty input queue and the POA should run smoothly. Then
copy the message files from the 0-7 priority subdirectories of
wpcsout\ofs back into the correct priority subdirectory so the POA can
process them. Copy them in small groups so the damaged message file can be
identified and removed.
Possible Cause: Occasionally, a damaged database in the post office can cause the POA to shut
down.
Action: In ConsoleOne, perform maintenance to correct any problems with the
databases in the post office. See “Maintaining Domain and Post Office
Databases” and “Maintaining User/Resource and Message Databases” in
“Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: Although increasing the number of POA threads from their default settings
can, in many cases, improve POA performance, creating too many POA
threads can have undesirable results.
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Action: For guidance is setting an appropriate number of POA threads, see
“Optimizing the POA” in “Post Office Agent” in the GroupWise 8
Administration Guide.
Possible Cause: On a NetWare server, Upgrade Low Priority Threads is set to On.
Action: The POA might run more smoothly if you set Upgrade Low Priority Threads
to Off. At the server console where the POA is running, type set upgrade
low priority threads=off.
Possible Cause: Another program on the server is interfering with the operation of the POA.
Action: If the POA continues to be unstable, eliminate other programs running on the
server. If the POA is stable when another specific program is not running on
the same server with it, a conflict might exist between the two programs.
POA Statistics Box Shows Requests Pending
Problem: GroupWise client users are using TCP/IP links to the post office. At the POA
console, the Statistics box shows a large number of pending client/server
requests.
Action: Increase the number of POA connections so that more users can be serviced by
the POA. See “Adjusting the Number of Connections for Client/Server
Processing” in “Post Office Agent” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
POA Statistics Box Shows Users Timed Out
Problem: GroupWise client users are using TCP/IP links to the post office. At the POA
console, the Statistics box shows a large number of users timed out.
Action: Having users timed out does not indicate a problem with the POA, but rather a
problem with users. Users who have timed out are users for which the POA
has closed the connection because the GroupWise client was no longer
26 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
communicating. Timed out users might not be exiting GroupWise normally or
might be having other problems with their workstations. The number of timedout users might tend to increase on a daily basis during the hour after users
leave to go home. This is not a problem.
POA Statistics Box Shows Undeliverable Users
Problem: At the POA console, the Statistics box shows a large number of undeliverable
users. Undeliverable users can be encountered using either mapped drive
connections or TCP/IP connections. Undeliverable users are counted
differently from undeliverable messages. For example, a single message could
be addressed to 10 users; perhaps 9 users received the message successfully
but 1 user was undeliverable.
Possible Cause: If messages cannot be delivered to a particular user, that user might have a
damaged user database (userxxx.db).
Action: In ConsoleOne, perform maintenance to correct any problems with the user
database so messages can be delivered. See “Maintaining User/Resource and
Message Databases” in “Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
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Action: Check the POA log file for other reasons why messages cannot be delivered to
specific users. See “Using POA Log Files” in “Post Office Agent” in the
GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
POA Statistics Box Shows Problem Messages
Problem: At the POA console, the Statistics box shows that problem messages have been
encountered.
Action: The problem messages number indicates how many messages could not be
processed by the POA. For strategies, see “Message Is Dropped in the problem
Directory in the Post Office” on page 85.
POA Redirection List Shows Failed TCP/IP Connection
Problem: At the POA console, client/server statistics show a failed TCP/IP connection.
Action: Under Client/Server Statistics, use Show Redirection List to list existing POAs
and the IP addresses of the computers they are running on.
Action: Under Client/Server Statistics, use Check Redirection List to determine which
connections are currently valid.
Action: If a connection is listed as failed for a POA, use the ping command to see if the
server is alive. If the server does not respond to the PING command, you must
resolve the TCP/IP problem before the POA can use the link successfully.
Possible Cause: TCP/IP is not functioning correctly on the POA server.
Action: If the POA is running on a Windows server, make sure TCP/IP is correctly
installed and set up on the server where the POA is running.
Possible Cause: Multiple servers are trying to use the same IP address.
Action: Check for conflicting IP addresses between those used by POA servers and
those used by other servers. Only one server at a time can use the same IP
address.
Post Office Agent Problems 27
POA Message Transfer Status Box Shows Closed Link
Problem: The POA is configured to communicate with the MTA by way of TCP/IP.
However, the link between the POA and the MTA displays as Closed.
Action: Check the last closure reason. This information can help you determine the
source of the problem. Common last closure reasons include:
Host refused connection
No peer listening for connection (B30A)
Port already in use (B309)
TCP/IP connection failure (8908)
TCP/IP disconnected (890F)
TCP/IP read timeout (8912)
Action: See also “POA Fails to Respond to MTP Configuration Changes in
ConsoleOne” on page 29.
POA Starts Unwanted TCP/IP Thread
Problem: Even though you have started the POA using the /notcpip startup switch or
disabled the Enable TCP/IP option in the POA Agent Settings page in
ConsoleOne, the POA still starts a TCP/IP thread.
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Explanation: When you select Client/Server Only or Client/Server and Direct as the access
mode for a post office and use the /notcpip switch when starting a POA, that
POA does not accept incoming client/server connections from GroupWise
clients. However, it still starts a single TCP/IP handler thread if TCP/IP is
configured on the server. The purpose of this TCP/IP thread is to notify any
GroupWise clients connecting to another POA in the post office via TCP/IP
they should reread the database because a new message has been delivered by
a POA that is not using TCP/IP.
Action: To totally disable TCP/IP processing in a post office, set the access mode for
the post office to Direct Only and start all POAs servicing that post office with
the /notcpip switch, or deselect Enable TCP/IP in the Agent Settings page in
ConsoleOne.
POA Fails to Deliver Messages
Problem: The POA is running but no messages are being delivered.
Possible Cause: The post office is closed.
Action: From the MTA console, check the status of the post office from the point of
view of the domain. See “Displaying MTA Status Information” in “Monitoring
the MTA” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide. If the post office is
closed, messages are not arriving in the post office. Correct the problem with
the MTA. See “MTA Status Box Shows a Closed Location” on page 36.
Possible Cause: Message file processing has been turned off.
Action: Make sure that message file processing for the POA has not been turned off
using the /nomf, /nomfhigh, or /nomflow switches.
28 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
POA Fails to Respond to MTP Configuration Changes in ConsoleOne
Problem: You change a POA link configuration or network address setting in
ConsoleOne, but the POA does not respond to the change. For example, you
change from a mapped or UNC link to a TCP/IP link between the POA and the
MTA, or you move the POA to a different server and change its IP address. If
the configuration change does not replicate successfully to the post office
database, the MTA link to the post office becomes closed.
Action: If you do not want to stop and restart the POA to open a closed post office link,
change the configuration information back to what it was before you tried to
change it. The MTA should then be able to open the post office link again.
After communication between the POA and MTA is re-established, make the
configuration changes again. Wait for the configuration changes to be
replicated to the post office database (wphost.db), then start the POA in its
new location.
Action: Stop the POA, then start the POA using the /mtpinipaddr and /mtpinport
switches to specify the new IP address and port the POA should use for
Message Transfer Protocol (MTP) communication with the MTA. After the
link is established and all administrative messages have been processed, you
do not need to use these startup switches again.
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Action: Stop the POA. Rebuild the post office database (wphost.db) to replicate the
configuration changes. See “Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases” in
“Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
POA Fails to Respond to Other Configuration Changes in ConsoleOne
Problem: You change a POA configuration setting in ConsoleOne, but the POA does not
respond to the change. For example, you change from direct access to client/
server mode, or you want to turn off error mail to the administrator.
Action: Synchronize the post office database (wphost.db) with the domain database
(wpdomain.db). See “Synchronizing Database Information” in “Databases”
in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
Action: Stop the POA. Rebuild the post office database (wphost.db) to replicate the
configuration changes. See “Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases” in
“Databases” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
POA Fails to Update the Post Office Database Version
Problem: You are updating the agent software on a server where both the POA and the
MTA are running. The MTA successfully updates the database version for the
domain but the POA fails to update the database version for the post office.
Possible Cause: You let the Installation program start both agents automatically. As a result, the
POA checked the domain version in the post office database before it had a
chance to process the administrative message from the MTA that would update
the domain version in the post office database.
Action: Wait until the MTA has updated the domain database. For a large domain
database, you might need to wait as much as 20 minutes or more. Verify that
the database version has been updated by checking the Domain object’s
Post Office Agent Problems 29
Identification page in ConsoleOne, then stop and restart the POA to update the
post office database. Check the Post Office object’s Identification page in
ConsoleOne to verify that the database version has been updated.
Action: If restarting the POA does not update the post office database version:
1 Compare the dates on the .dc files (gwpo.dc and ngwguard.dc) in
the post office directory with the dates on the .dc files in the update
source (the GroupWise 7 Administrator CD or the software distribution
directory if it has been updated from the GroupWise 7 Administrator CD).
2 If the dates on the .dc files in the post office are older than the dates on the
.dc files in the update source, copy the .dc files from the update source
into the post office directory.
3 At the POA console, recover the post office database. See “Recovering
the Post Office Database Automatically or Immediately” in “Post Office
Agent” in the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
When the recovery process is finished, the database version should be
updated.
4 View the Post Office object’s Identification page in ConsoleOne to verify
that the database version has been updated.
novdocx (en) 11 July 2008
POA Runs Repeated Recoveries on the Same Database
Problem: The POA continually attempts to recover a particular database but never
succeeds.
Action: The recovery operation that the POA can perform while the database is in use
is not as powerful as a rebuild operation. Rebuild the problem database. See
“Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases” and “Maintaining User/
Resource and Message Databases” in “Databases” in the GroupWise 8
Administration Guide.
Action: If the problem is occurring with a user database and it cannot be rebuilt, re-
create the user database. See “Re-creating a User Database” in “Databases” in
the GroupWise 8 Administration Guide.
POA Starts in the Wrong Language
Problem: You have installed the POA in more than one language and it is starting in a
different language than you want.
Action: Start the POA using the /language switch to specify the language.
POA Is Involved with Network Operating System or Hardware Problems
Problem: The POA is interacting with the network operating system or hardware in an
undesirable way.
®
Possible Cause: If you just updated the NetWare
POA software, you might not have unloaded
the agent engine (gwenn5.nlm), resulting in a series of Loader cannot
find public symbol: symbol errors on the server console.
Action: Unload gwenn5.nlm, then start the NetWare POA, so that the newly
installed agent engine is loaded along with it.
30 GroupWise 8 Troubleshooting 2: Solutions to Common Problems
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