Microsoft KB Archive/95521

= CONN: WA0728: Troubleshooting the Mail Connection Gateway =

Article ID: 95521

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Mail Connection 1.0b

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This article was previously published under Q95521



SUMMARY
Application Note WA0728, &quot;Troubleshooting the Mail Connection Gateway,&quot; is designed to help you troubleshoot and correct common problems encountered with the Microsoft Mail Connection gateway, version 1.0b.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:
 * Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
 * The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
 * The Microsoft Network (MSN)

For complete information, see the &quot;To Obtain This Application Note&quot; section at the end of this article.

The TEXT OF WA0728
====================================================================== Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File) WA0728: TROUBLESHOOTING THE MAIL CONNECTION GATEWAY

=
=========================================================                                                  Revision Date: 2/93 No Disk Included

The following information applies to Microsoft Mail Connection Gateway version 1.0b.


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INTRODUCTION ============

This application note is designed to help you troubleshoot and correct common problems encountered with the Microsoft Mail Connection gateway, version 1.0b. Additional information is available in the &quot;Mail Connection Administrator's Guide&quot; and the README files located on the Mail Connection distribution disks.

HOW THE MAIL CONNECTION WORKS =============================

The Microsoft Mail Connection can be broken down into two separate gateway components, a Macintosh component and a PC component. Both gateway components perform the same tasks and operate independently. Each is responsible for extracting outgoing gateway messages and importing incoming gateway messages to their respective mail servers. The two gateway components transfer messages and directory lists between each other by depositing and retrieving message files to or from designated directories located on a file server that is accessible to the PC and the Macintosh. The shared directory structure that the gateway components use to transfer their messages is called the &quot;Connection store&quot;.

The Connection store contains two subdirectories, MACTOPC and PCTOMAC. The names of the directories describe the direction in which the message files stored within them are traveling. Message files found in the MACTOPC directory originate from the AppleTalk Mail network and are destined for the PC Mail network. Message files stored in the PCTOMAC directory are traveling in the opposite direction, from the PC Mail network to the AppleTalk Mail network.

The PC and Macintosh gateway components perform the same basic task, importing and extracting messages to/from their Mail database, but they operate quite differently from each other. Because the two components operate independently, one may be functioning normally while the other is not.

THE MACINTOSH GATEWAY COMPONENT ---

The Macintosh gateway component is integrated with the AppleTalk Mail server and is an &quot;extension&quot; of the server process. The AppleTalk Mail server communicates with its loaded gateways via the MS Mail GW Chooser extension. Gateway resources are extracted from the gateway server by the MS Mail GW Chooser extension and are stored in the MS Mail GW Cache file. The AppleTalk Mail server &quot;triggers&quot; the gateway at the times specified in the Gateway Connect Times configuration screen.

THE PC GATEWAY COMPONENT

The PC component of the Mail Connection consists of a dedicated PC running the MACGATE application. The &quot;Macgate PC&quot; must be connected via the local-area network (LAN) to the PC Mail gateway postoffice and the Connection store. The Macgate PC periodically checks for incoming gateway message files in the MACTOPC directory and deposits any outgoing gateway messages in the PCTOMAC directory. The MACGATE application calls the Microsoft Mail File Format Application Programming Interface (FFAPI) modules MACGET and MACPUT to import and extract gateway messages to/from the PC Mail postoffice database.

Use the MSGATE.INI file and command-line options to configure the MACGATE application.

DIRECTORY EXCHANGE --

Directory exchange is controlled from the Macintosh side of the Mail Connection using the Connection Name Utility (CNU). The CNU extracts the AppleTalk Mail user list and sends it to the Macgate PC as a special directory exchange mail message. The Macgate PC processes the message and passes the AppleTalk Mail user list to the FFAPI IMPORT.EXE program.

The CNU can also send a request message to the Macgate PC to request the PC Mail user list. The Macgate PC extracts the PC Mail user list by calling the FFAPI IMPORT.EXE program and mails the list to the network manager of the gateway AppleTalk Mail server. If the CNU is running, it intercepts the message, processes the list of PC Mail addresses, and adds the address names to the AppleTalk Mail server as gateway recipients (gateway recipients can be seen in the Define Gateway Recipients screen). The CNU can also be used to remove the AppleTalk Mail names from the PC Mail network, or to remove the PC Mail names from the AppleTalk Mail server.

The Macintosh gateway component configuration screen contains a section for configuring directory synchronization options. Directory synchronization has not been implemented in this version of the Mail Connection, so leave these fields blank. (Entering values in the directory synchronization fields may cause the Mail Connection to stop functioning.)

NOTE: Directory exchange messages are similar to regular gateway messages and can be affected by many of the same problems that would prevent a gateway message from being delivered. If you experience problems with directory exchange, verify that regular gateway messages are being delivered.

MONITORING THE MAIL CONNECTION ==============================

Use the following information to help you monitor the activity of the Mail Connection Gateway. By tracking a message through the gateway, you can determine where problems are occurring and which component is responsible.

TRACKING A MESSAGE FROM PC MAIL TO APPLETALK MAIL -

Messages that are composed by PC Mail users and addressed to AppleTalk Mail recipients are written to the Mail Connection gateway mailbag file. The messages remain in the gateway mailbag file until the Macgate PC extracts them and deposits them in the PCTOMAC directory.

The PC Mail administrator can use the ADMIN.EXE program to check the status of messages waiting in the gateway mailbag. A list of the outgoing gateway messages can be viewed by selecting Queue from the top menu bar and entering &quot;MSMAIL&quot; as the network name. The gateway messages can be deleted or returned to the sender by the administrator.

The Macgate PC periodically checks the Mail Connection gateway mailbag on the postoffice and extracts any waiting gateway messages. Each message is written as a separate file in the PCTOMAC directory of the Connection store. The Macgate PC updates the status screen and displays a summary of each gateway message it processes.

The gateway message files wait in the PCTOMAC directory until the Macintosh gateway component retrieves them. The MS-DOS directory (DIR) command can be used to display the contents of the PCTOMAC directory; it shows the number of messages waiting to be delivered to AppleTalk Mail users, the date and time the Macgate PC deposited them, and the size of each message file.

The AppleTalk Mail server periodically executes the Macintosh component of the Mail Connection gateway at the times defined in the Gateway Connect Times configuration screen. The Macintosh gateway component checks for new message files in the PCTOMAC directory. The message files are imported by the Macintosh gateway component and are passed to the AppleTalk Mail server via the MS Mail GW RDEV (resource device). The Macintosh Gateway Services Monitor (GWS Monitor) can be used to monitor the message traffic as it is passed from the gateway component to the AppleTalk Mail server. (Launch the GWS Monitor and choose Show Trace Window from the Trace menu.)

The AppleTalk Mail server delivers the gateway message to the recipient's inbox and notifies the user of the new mail (if notification is turned on).

TRACKING A MESSAGE FROM APPLETALK MAIL TO PC MAIL -

Messages that are composed by AppleTalk Mail users and addressed to PC Mail recipients are retained by the server in a special outbound gateway queue. The network manager can view a list of the messages waiting in the outbound gateway queue by launching the Mail Network Administrator application and requesting a Global Server Report. The Global Server Report displays the status of each mail server your server is aware of and the status of the messages waiting in the outbound gateway queue (at the bottom of the report). The network manager can delete messages from the outbound gateway queue by choosing Delete Queued Mail from the Admin menu of the Mail Network Administrator application.

The AppleTalk Mail server triggers the Macintosh component of the Mail Connection Gateway at the times specified in the Gateway Connect Times configuration screen. The Macintosh gateway component uses the MS Mail GW RDEV to extract the messages from the outbound gateway queue. The Gateway Services Monitor can be used to monitor the message traffic as it is passed from the AppleTalk Mail server to the gateway component.

The Macintosh gateway component deposits the extracted gateway messages into the MACTOPC subdirectory of the Connection store. The MS- DOS directory (DIR) command can be used to display the contents of the MACTOPC directory; it shows the number of messages waiting to be delivered to the PC Mail network, the date and time the Macintosh gateway component deposited them, and the size of each message file.

The Macgate PC periodically checks the MACTOPC directory and retrieves any new messages. Each new message is temporarily placed in the Inqueue mailbag and the intended recipients are copied into a file in the P1 directory. The Macgate PC or any other Message Transfer Agent (MTA) processes the entries in the Inqueue mailbag and delivers the gateway messages to the intended PC Mail recipients' mailbags or external postoffice mailbags.

DIAGNOSING PROBLEMS ===================

Problems with the Mail Connection can often be isolated quickly by checking for message files in the MACTOPC and PCTOMAC subdirectories of the Connection store. Message files should not remain in the Connection store directories for more than one gateway cycle, except when there are more than 50 messages waiting to be processed. The Mail Connection has a limit of 50 messages per processing cycle, so some may be left over if more than 50 are waiting.

MESSAGES ARE NOT DELIVERED FROM APPLETALK MAIL TO PC MAIL -

If you suspect that the Mail Connection is not delivering messages from AppleTalk Mail to PC Mail, check for message files in the MACTOPC directory. If the gateway is not depositing message files in the MACTOPC directory, verify the following:

- The Connection store volume is mounted on the AppleTalk Mail server's desktop. - The path to the Connection store is defined correctly in the Gateway Configuration screen. - Gateway connect times are configured to trigger the gateway. - The MS Mail GW Chooser document has the correct gateway server selected. - The AppleTalk Mail server has sufficient access rights (read,  write, create, delete, and scan) to the Connection store volume. - The MACTOPC directory exists in the Connection store.

If you find message files waiting in the MACTOPC directory that are not being delivered by the gateway, verify the following:

- MACGATE.EXE is running. - The Macgate PC has sufficient access rights to the PC Mail postoffice and Connection store volumes. - StorePath and/or StoreDrive are configured correctly in the MSGATE.INI file. - The postoffice INQUEUE.MBG and INQUEUE.KEY files exist with no  hidden attributes, have an owner (if you are using a Novell   network), and can be written to by the Macgate PC. - If you are using a non-MS-NET or Novell network, make sure the file sizes are the same on each platform. - From the Macintosh, verify that the filenames on the Connection store are all uppercase letters or all lowercase letters.

MESSAGES ARE NOT DELIVERED FROM PC MAIL TO APPLETALK MAIL -

If you suspect that the Mail Connection is not delivering messages from PC Mail to AppleTalk Mail, first check for message files in the PCTOMAC directory. If the gateway is not depositing message files in the PCTOMAC directory, verify the following:

- MACGATE.EXE is running. - The Macgate PC has sufficient access rights to the Connection store volume to create and delete files. - The PCTOMAC directory exists in the Connection store.

If the above items are correct, run the PC Mail ADMIN.EXE utility and check the status of the gateway mailbag file by selecting Queue and entering &quot;MSMAIL&quot; as the Network Type. It is possible that the Macgate PC cannot deliver a bad message. If so, return the oldest gateway message to the sender.

If you find message files waiting in the PCTOMAC directory that the gateway is not delivering, verify the following:

- The Connection store volume is mounted on the AppleTalk Mail server's desktop. - The path to the Connection store is defined correctly in the Gateway Configuration screen. - Gateway Connect Times are configured to trigger the gateway. - The MS Mail GW Chooser document has the correct gateway server selected. - The AppleTalk Mail server has sufficient access rights to the Connection store volume to create and delete files. - The MACTOPC directory exists in the Connection store.

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS ===============================

The following describes specific problems, possible causes, and their solutions.

MACGATE.EXE ---

2 - Cannot verify logon user/admin ID. Authorization failure. Bad parameter value. (110)

Possible cause: Admin password is incorrect in the MSGATE.INI file.

The user and password defined in the MSGATE.INI file are used by the Mail Connection gateway when importing and exporting user lists. This user must have administrator privileges on the postoffice.

Possible cause: The Enhanced Security feature is installed.

The Microsoft Mail Connection gateway is not compatible with the Enhanced Security feature of PC Mail version 3.0. Remove the Enhanced Security feature by running the UPDATE.EXE program from the PC Mail 3.0 Server Version - Disk 1 (refer to page 11      of the &quot;Microsoft Mail Administrator's Guide&quot;).

MSGATE.INI cannot be accessed. (125): No such file or directory.

Possible cause: The PC Mail postoffice volume is not at the root of the postoffice directory structure.

The PC Mail postoffice volume must be at the root level of the postoffice directory structure when the MACGATE.EXE program is      executed. Change to the postoffice drive and use the MS-DOS &quot;CD&quot; command to set the default directory to the root of the postoffice. (A directory of the root level of the postoffice      should contain the subdirectories ATT, FOLDERS, GLB, etc.)

Invalid gateway share directory. (130)

Possible cause: StoreDrive or StorePath is incorrect in the MSGATE.INI file.

Verify that the StoreDrive and StorePath parameters in the MSGATE.INI file are defined correctly. The StoreDrive is the letter mapped to the root directory of the gateway store. The StorePath is the path to the gateway store from the root of the StoreDrive.

Possible cause: The PCTOMAC directory is missing or renamed.

Verify that the MSGATE\STORE directory contains a subdirectory named PCTOMAC. If this subdirectory doesn't exist, create a new one using the MS-DOS &quot;MKDIR&quot; command.

52 - A file open error has occurred. Error while processing message: (114)

Possible cause: MACGATE cannot write or create files in the MSGATE\STORE directory.

The PC running the MACGATE program must have sufficient access rights to write and create temporary files in the MSGATE\STORE directory structure.

The Macgate PC status screen shows that incoming messages are being processed, but the messages are not being delivered.

Possible cause: The PC Mail postoffice P1 subdirectory is      missing or the Macgate PC does not have sufficient access rights to create files in this directory.

Create the P1 subdirectory and grant all access rights to the account the Macgate PC uses.

Possible cause: There are not enough file handles available to      deliver the message.

Edit the CONFIG.SYS file of the PC running the MACGATE.EXE program and add a &quot;FILES=20&quot; line. Restart the PC after making this change.

Error running FFAPI program: Not enough core Error importing AppleTalk Mail directory to drive M:

Possible cause: IMPORT.EXE does not have enough conventional memory available to import the AppleTalk Mail address list.

The MACGATE.EXE program spawns IMPORT.EXE when a directory exchange message is received from the AppleTalk Mail network. IMPORT.EXE requires as much conventional memory available as      possible to successfully import a large AppleTalk Mail address list. Remove any unnecessary TSRs and device drivers, and load the remaining drivers into high memory if possible. Use the MS- DOS &quot;MEM /C&quot; command to see a summary of your memory utilization.

Warning [ 1] Error obtaining message #:1 GWTRANS

Possible cause: There are not enough file handles available to      complete the directory import.

Edit the CONFIG.SYS file of the PC running the MACGATE.EXE program and add a &quot;FILES=20&quot; line. Restart the PC after making this change.

Error 940: Cannot add physical address

Possible cause: The Macgate PC is unable to write to the MSMAIL.GLB file in the PC Mail postoffice GLB directory or the MSMAIL.NME file in the NME directory.

Novell users should also confirm that these files are not ownerless.

CONNECTION NAME UTILITY ---

Exporting Macintosh directory to PC Mail: Error Occurred: Out of  memory

Possible cause: The Connection Name Utility requires more memory allocated to it.

The Connection Name Utility has a suggested memory allocation of 384K. Increase this amount if you are exporting a large number of Macintosh names to PC Mail. Increase the Connection Name Utility's memory allocation in the Get Info box by      increasing the Current Size value.

Error Occurred: No Gateway Selected.

Possible cause: The gateway is not selected from within the Connection Name Utility.

To define the gateway, choose Select Gateway from the File menu. From the Select Gateway configuration screen, highlight the installed Mail Connection Gateway and click the Select button.

Gateway Error 4992 (When exporting AppleTalk Mail names to PC Mail  via the Connection Name Utility)

Possible cause: The MS Mail GW Cache file in the Preferences folder may be corrupt.

Restart the AppleTalk Mail server and hold down the &quot;M&quot; key while the server starts up (to prevent the Microsoft Mail      server from loading). Delete the MS Mail GW Cache file and restart the server again (don't hold down the &quot;M&quot; key this      time). Open the Chooser and select the MS Mail GW Chooser document. Choose the gateway Microsoft Mail server and close the Chooser; this will create a new MS Mail GW Cache file (System 6.x users will find the MS Mail GW Cache file in the      root level of the System Folder.)

APPLETALK MAIL --

All gateway messages sent from AppleTalk Mail are being returned to  the sender as &quot;Undeliverable Mail&quot;

Possible cause: Mail Connection is configured to accept messages only from users who have gateway accounts.

The network manager can configure the Mail Connection to accept gateway messages only from specific users whose names have been added to a gateway access account list. To add users to the gateway account list, choose Gateway from the Mail menu, then choose Accounts. If a non-gateway user tries to send a message through the Mail Connection, the message will be returned as      &quot;undeliverable mail.&quot; The Mail Connection is initially configured (by default) to accept gateway messages from any AppleTalk Mail user.

Only some of the PC Mail names appear in the AppleTalk Mail address list.

Possible cause: The AppleTalk Mail server has insufficient memory allocated to hold the entire PC Mail address list.

The network manager must increase the Server Memory Allocation in the Server Setting Configuration screen and restart the AppleTalk Mail server. Import the PC Mail address list again with the Connection Name Utility.

All messages received from PC Mail users are prefixed by the following error message:

This message was sent using a custom form that is not installed on your server. Some information from the original message may not be displayed. To view the complete message, ask your Network Manager to install the form on your server.

Possible cause: The 80 Column message form is not installed on      the AppleTalk Mail server.

All messages received from PC Mail are delivered using the 80 Column message form. Use the Forms Installer HyperCard stack to      add the 80 Column form to your AppleTalk Mail server.

NOTE: This error message will always prefix directory exchange messages that are sent to the network manager. If the Connection Name Utility is running, these messages will be      intercepted from the network manager's mailbox.

PC MAIL ---

PC Mail users are unable to see the AppleTalk Mail address list.

Possible cause: The PC Mail users do not have &quot;External&quot; privileges.

The PC Mail administrator must grant External privileges to      users who are authorized to send messages through the Mail Connection Gateway.

Messages that are sent from the PC Mail 3.0 Windows client and contain a file attachment are returned to the sender with the message &quot;Error processing message - WINMAIL.DAT&quot;.

Possible cause: An older version of the Mail Connection gateway is loaded on the AppleTalk Mail server.

Upgrade your Mail Connection gateway to version 1.0b. Use the Update Gateway option of the Gateway Installer application to      install the updated Macintosh component of the Mail Connection.

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE
You can find WA0728.EXE, a self-extracting file, on the following services:  Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.

Click Knowledge Base, and select the product.

Enter kbfile WA0728.EXE, and click GO!

Open the article, and click the button to download the file. Internet (anonymous FTP)

ftp ftp.microsoft.com

Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.

Get WA0728.EXE The Microsoft Network

On the Edit menu, click Go To, and then click Other Location.

Type mssupport.

Double-click the MS Software Library icon.

Find the appropriate product area.

Locate and Download WA0728.EXE. For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

 If you are unable to access the source(s) listed above, you can have this Application Note mailed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time at (800) 936-4400. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area. To locate your subsidiary, call the Microsoft International Sales Information Center at (206) 936-8661.

Keywords: KB95521

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