Email alerts not working

[mritchie]

We're running BAB901 (build 2020) on Windows 2003 Server. The Alert Manager is version 7 (build 684). We can not get email alerts from within Brightstor to work via either exchange/mapi or smtp. Other alerting via event log for example seems to work ok.

If we try smtp alert, configured from within Alert Manager, this seems ok. When we config the email alert within Brightstor manager, it fails..

When we try smtp, we dont receive any email alert, nor can we find any error message. We have tried sending to several different smtp addresses at various mail servers.

We are presuming that Brightstor has its own smtp server built into the product, as the smtp email alert config does not ask for a smtp server ip address.

When we try via outlook/mapi, BAB console crashes and closes itself when we select email..server..and select a profile and enter the password for the profile. The profile is valid and outlook is communicating with exchange ok.

Has anyone experienced this problem.??? Any thoughts out there..??? Are we simply experiencing BAB problems/bugs with Windows 2003..??

Regards,

Mark R.

 

[davidmichel]

Try debuging it. faq478-4023 This faq was not updated for 9.0 (one more thing for my todo list) so the path will be a little different for you.

 

[mritchie]

David,

I think I had seen one of your other posts, and I had turned on the log, and captured the ALBUILD.LOG, however, I've got to say that it didnt reveal/mean much.

I can seen from the "[AlBuild] numberOfSMTP == [2]" line that it seemed to attempt to send the 2 smtp emails, which were configured in the Brightstor backup job, however they disappeared into the ether somewhere.!!!


-----------------------------------------------
[AlBuild] GetPackDataSize returns 4486
[AlBuild] ===========================================================================
[AlBuild] ALMakeAlert2()
[AlBuild] Parameter == [C:\Program Files\CA\BrightStor ARCserve Backup\LOG\cas_user_logs\caroot\J0000009.LOG]
[AlBuild] _access(C:\Program Files\CA\BrightStor ARCserve Backup\LOG\cas_user_logs\caroot\J0000009.LOG,04) == [0]
[AlBuild] Dumping PackData...
[AlBuild] -------------------------------------------------------
[AlBuild] STATICINFO
[AlBuild] -------------------------------------------------------
[AlBuild] Structure Version == [2]
[AlBuild] numberOfBroadcasts == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfPages == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfAPages == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfEMails == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfFaxes == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfSnmps == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfTTickets == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfEventlogs == [1]
[AlBuild] numberOfLotusNotes == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfCommandLines == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfUnicenterTNG == [0]
[AlBuild] numberOfSMTP == [2]
[AlBuild] -------------------------------------------------------
[AlBuild] APPCONFIGSTRUCT
[AlBuild] -------------------------------------------------------
[AlBuild] TicketHeader1 == []
[AlBuild] TicketHeader2 == []
[AlBuild] TicketHeader3 == []
[AlBuild] Email Subject == []
[AlBuild] Email Attachment Count == [0]
[AlBuild] Attachment [0] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [1] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [2] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [3] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [4] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [5] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [6] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [7] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [8] == []
[AlBuild] Attachment [9] == []
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: ServerName []
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: Delivery Type [-3]
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: Priority [3]
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: Application [ARCserve]
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: Message [SERVER1: [JobID:9 test email alerting] Backup Operation Successful.]
[AlBuild] MakeAlert1() :: Parameter [C:\Program Files\CA\BrightStor ARCserve Backup\LOG\cas_user_logs\caroot\J0000009.LOG]
[AlBuild] AlertType BEFORE MASK= -3

[AlBuild] Call GetEventNum with CurrentServerAlertDir==C:\Program Files\Common Files\CA\Alert
[AlBuild] In GetEventNum szEVFile=C:\Program Files\Common Files\CA\Alert\EV.CTL
[AlBuild] Return code from _access==0
[AlBuild] In GetEventNum CreateFile succeeded
[AlBuild] Create directory C:\Program Files\Common Files\CA\Alert\ev58

[AlBuild] Open Source File [C:\Program Files\CA\BrightStor ARCserve Backup\LOG\cas_user_logs\caroot\J0000009.LOG][0X0] : OK
[AlBuild] Open Destination File [C:\Program Files\Common Files\CA\Alert\ev58\J0000009.LOG][0X0] : OK
[AlBuild] Write file epath

[AlBuild] AlertType AFTER MASK = 8189

[AlBuild] GenerateJobCfg succeeded fname==C:\Program Files\Common Files\CA\Alert\ev58.CFG
-----------------------------------------------


Are you able to make any clues from this log file..???

Regards,

Mark R.

 

[mritchie]

I'm starting to feel that this may be a Windows 2003 compatiblity thing..??

I've got to say that the email logging has always worked on WinNT and Win2000....

Mark R.

 

[davidmichel]

Looks like you are right in that the message is getting sent. Going back to an entry inthe original post. BAB/BEB does not have it's own server. Last time I set up Alert for SMNP I think there was a place to enter the address for the sever in the Alert Manager. When I get back into the office I look into it, hopefully you will have found the answer by then.

 

[mritchie]

We have now applied:

(a) "

http://support.ca.com/Download/patches/basb9/QO38491.html"

- Update 1
(b) "

http://support.ca.com/Download/patches/basb9/QO44844.html"

- Patch 4

Problem still exists. Email based reporting still not working out of BSB901.

Any thoughts out there..??

Regards,
Mark R.

 

[mritchie]

Applied Alert patch QO36911, and SMTP alerts are now working.

However the MAPI alerts throught Outlook/Exchange are still broken. BAB901 definately has alert issues on Win2003.

When we try and define a mapi alert in a backup job, we are prompted for the profile name and password. You enter the profile and password, and then the BAB GUI/console crashes/closes, and you are left looking at the 2003 server desktop..!!!!

Anyone out there got any clues..???

Regards,
Mark R.

 

[mritchie]

SMTP email not working again after BAB901 re-install. Applied BAB update 1 and patch 4a, and also Alert patch, however still no go. In the Alert manager Activity log, I am seeing "Failed to Send SMTP (20)"..???

Anyone seen this error.??? Have done a few searches and didnt turn up anything other than the Alert patch, outlined above, and already installed...

 

[davidmichel]

Perhaps the debug log will help. faq478-4023

 

[mritchie]

davidmichel,

Thank you for your post. I have the alert debug on (refer above post in this thread). It shows the smtp emails being processed, but doesnt seem to indicate where they go, or why they fail.

Can you see anything in the log above that I missed..???

Regards,
Mark R.

 

[davidmichel]

Isn't the above log from before?
From the description the current problem is different.

 

[mritchie]

davidmichel,

Thanks again for the response. Yes, the above albuild.log was from earlier, however the symptom and fault is still the same at the moment - both SMTP and Exchnage alerting not working. I am back to trying to get the smtp working, and not worrying about he Exchange alerts at the moment.

The albuild.log shows me that the smtp messages are recongnised/queued, so BAB must be talking to Alert Manager ok, but I dont think Alert manager is sending the smtp messages. Or if it is, it is not doing so correctly, and they disappear into the ether - ie. they never deliver..??

Your thoughts..?? And thanks again for your interest in the problem.

Thanks again, and look forward to your reply.

Regards,
M.

 

[davidmichel]

Just today I heard of someone else fighting the same "Failed to Send SMTP (20)" with BAB 9.01. He solved it by going to an older version of Alert. I think he said it was build 661 which he copied over from an old install image. That might be the easiest solution, rather than trying to troubleshoot this.

Oh by the way does sending a test SNMP alert from the Alert Manager get the same failure?

 

[mritchie]

davidmichel,

yep, sending a test message also produces the same failure. I have finally reached a CA support person, who has admitted up front:

"there ARE known alert problems with Acserve901 and Win2003/Exch2003.."

That is the reason why there is no Exchange option in the Alert menu, and also why the Exchange service account/config is greyed out (in the Alert Manager set Service accounts screen).

He did say that the smtp should work. Apparently Alert Manager has a built-in sendmail engine. At this stage he is looking at Win2003 security and default services. Out of the box, Win2003 Server is totally locked down and exposes no services. You now need to enable any service you require on Win2003. Microsoft claims that this approach will reduces the attack/vulnability exposure of the 2003 Server OS.

So - we're still looking/diagnosing the problem.. Will certainly update this thread as the issue progresses.

So for now, if you plan on installing BAB on 2003, my advise would be wait for version 11 in a few weeks time.

Any further thoughts are most welcomed. Lets hear them.


Regards,

Mark R.

 

[mritchie]

Update - BAB901 on Windows2003

The broadcast alert service was not working. Found that Windows2003 has the "messenger service" disabled by default. Enabled the "messenger service" and set for autostart, and broadcast alerts now working. I think this was similar on Windows2000, if I recall correctly..

Regards,

M.

 

[mritchie]

Have just tested BAB 11, and I can report that broadcast, event and smtp logging works fine - straight out of the box, so to speak. Exchange alerting still not working. Have been told that this is a Mapi/outlook problem on 2003 server, however I still do not know the fix.

Regards,

Mark R.

 

[Waelder]

BEB 10.5 Alerting with SMTP

If it works depends on your SMTP Server
because Alert does not correctly use the <> signs at the email Address. The Recipient Address must be enclosed in <> manually to be SMTP conform


Regards.

 

[mritchie]

Waelder,

Thanks for the post. I will retest on BAB901 on 2003...

Cheers,

M.

 

[HelpdeskHack]

Using
Release 11.0 (Build 2670)
I know this is an old thread but I also am unable to configure alerts via Exchange. SMTP works fine. It brings up the add recipiants page, but displays nothing. Any ideas? Exchange 2000 is installed on same box, using Outlook 2k3.


thanks.
Rich

 

[HelpdeskHack]

Bump.....Any Ideas?