SMTP: SMTPPUT 201: Failure Submitting Message to Mail Database (135926)

RESOLUTION

Network File Contention

SMTPPUT.EXE component must access certain files to create a message on a postoffice. Gateways that service postoffices that receive high volumes of message transfers and are serviced by the External Mail program should consider disabling mailer (-md).

The files accessed by Smtpput.exe with mailer disabled are Access.glb, Access2.glb, Master.glb, C850sort.glb, Group.glb, Network.glb, Control.glb, Inqueue3.key, and Inqueue3.mbg. These files may be locked by other processes temporarily while in use.

NOTE: The 201 error has been reproduced by locking the Inqueue3.mbg file.

Postoffices located on Novell servers that operate under high-traffic conditions are recommended to set the postoffice as shareable with a few exceptions. There are certain conditions that dictate that the Control.glb, Tid.glb, Flag.glb, and Master.glb should only be accessed by one process at a time; thus, they should not be shareable.

For additional information, please see the Microsoft Mail Gateway to SMTP "Administrator's Guide" and/or the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The most common problem is the Inqueue3.mbg is being locked by another external or gateway. This problem can be compounded if the other external or gateway is operating on a slow machine or over a slow link. The option -v20 or CompatV20 utilized by the External Mail program will add additional file locking functionality, increasing the amount of network overhead and possibly causing additional network file contention. Additional network file contention can be created by improperly running the External Mail program from a network drive (see page 233 of the "Administrator's Guide").

Insufficient Disk Space

Insufficient disk space will prevent the client from enlarging or creating postoffice files. Novell NetWare file servers can produce a insufficient disk space response to the program when the files have become ownerless or the purge file has used all the available disk space.

Postoffice Directory Structure

The postoffice directory structure consists of 19 main subdirectories.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Insufficient Access Rights

The gateway components should be given full network access rights for the postoffice.

For additional information, please see the Microsoft Mail Gateway to SMTP "Administrator's Guide" and/or the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Insufficient File Handles

Increase the number of file handles to 50 in the Config.sys file of the workstation running the gateway.

Network Problems

The Smtpput.exe utilizes the network components to effectively perform the file commands that create and manipulate each file. Network problems that interfere with the operation of these commands can cause the 201 error to occur.

SMTP Alias Address Larger Than 10 Characters

The SMTP gateway version 3.0.9 resolves an issue that can cause a 201 error to be logged. The Readme.txt file included with version 3.0.9 of the SMTP gateway discusses the problem when an alias name is larger than 10 character.

MMFF file problems

Ensure that the MMFF file TO_NC.API submitted by the gateway follows either the Basic or Extended Message Format for the Smtpput.exe program to properly convert (definition begins on page 50 in the FFAPI SDK).