Hi,
I have a really wierd problem with a SBS2000 installation and the POP3
connector for Exchange. Everything had been working fine for over a
year but all of a sudden (without any change to the server's
configuration), the POP3 connector has started crashing.
Basically the POP3 connector crashes at the point where it transitions
from completing the POP3 download from the remote mailbox to
connecting to Exchange's SMTP server at the exact point where it trys
to connect to the SMTP service, port 25 (the last event ID is 4020).
However, if the server is rebooted, any mail previously collected
prior to the crash will then be delivered, but the next time the POP3
connector collects new mail it crashes again after downloading them
and then crashes whenever the service is restarted.
Maybe it's a bit clearer if I walk through the exact sequence and what
happens in the application log (I have logging set to maximum).
1. Start with the server rebooting. At this point there are messages
left in the InForward directory from the previous session where the
POP3 connector had crashed.
2. Once server is booted, I check the application log:
I can see that a SMTP connection is attempted (event ID 4020 "The
Delivery Service is logging as an SMTP client on port 25 ") followed
by connection event ID 4013 and then all the messages are delivered
one by one (event ID's 4022 and 4032).
All OK so far - messages have been delivered to the appropriate
mailboxes. Examining the SMTP server's log file also shows everything
was ok.
3. Now I force a Retrieve Now on the POP3 connector.
4. The ADSL connection is established automatically (note that I
currently have a dynamic IP address - hence the reason for using
POP3!)
5. Summary of events that occur now:
Event ID 4010: Checking messages in multiple POP3 mailboxes
Event ID 4028: The POP3 agent is going to open the mailbox...
Event ID 4019: The delivery service is logging as a POP3 client on
port 110
Event ID 4015: The POP3 host ... answered ...
Event ID 4016: We have been granted access to ...
Event ID 4024: There are 21 message(s) with a total of 194156 byte(s)
Event ID 4029: A message was downloaded from the POP3 server. ...
{21 of these}
Event ID 4023: The POP3 session transcript was: ...
<G>: +OK demon POP3 server ready (demon.co.uk)
<C>: USER ***
<S>: +OK
<C>: PASS <secret password>
<S>: +OK
<C>: STAT
<S>: +OK 21 194156
<C> { Downloaded and deleted messages if neccessary. }
<C>: QUIT
<S>: +OK
{This event is repeated once again}
Event ID 4001: The shared POP3 accounts have been checked for incoming
messages
Event ID 4031: The individual POP3 accounts have been checked for
incoming messages
6. At this point it crashes, stating an internal error has occured. No
more events in the application log. The messages are now left in the
INCOMING folder. The POP3 service is not running.
This is an extract from the file VMIMB.TXT:
======================================================
Product: Microsoft Connector for POP3 Mailboxes 5.00.2195.1
Fault Date: 07/16/2003 Time: 20:09:25
======================================================
Exception Code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Fault Address: 004080B3 01:000070B3 C:\Program Files\Microsoft
BackOffice\Connectivity\POP3 Connector\vmimb.exe
7. Restart the POP3 service manually. It now moves the files in
INCOMING into INFORWARD before promptly crashing again. Looking in the
application log I get:
1000: The service is starting. Microsoft Connector for POP3 Mailboxes
5.00.2195.
1001: The service started successfully.
4008: The delivery service is flushing its outgoing and incoming
queues
4009: Flushing transaction complete
4041: LDAP: The entry points where loaded from the image:
<C:\WINNT\system32\WLDAP32.dll>
4008: The delivery service is flushing its outgoing and incoming
queues
4020: The Delivery Service is logging as an SMTP client on port 25
{crash now!}
Every restart of the POP3 connector service now follows this pattern
of crashing and the last event being 4020. Examining the SMTP log file
shows that no connection was attempted. Even if I stop the SMTP
service it still happens this way. The only way to get it to deliver
the mail is to reboot the server. The SMTP connection is then made OK.
I've also tried a manual telnet to the SMTP server to make sure that
responds, and it does.
I'm at a bit of a loss on how to resolve this. Anybody got any ideas?
I've tried reinstalling the POP3 connector and that's not made any
difference.
Regards,
Aled.