Multiple issues: search tool hangs on client, services won't stop on server

Question

I apolgize in advance that this is a long post, but I think that the more detail the better. Here goes: We were working on short-cutting several stores of mailboxes over the course of a week. At the end of the week, it was noticed that archiving of any mail had abruptly stopped. It was also noticed under Message Queuing that ex_incoming_queues_0, 1, 2 and 3 (Message_Marshaller_0, 1,2 3) were filling up with messages and that nothing was going to the archive. The LEGATO services were stopped and the server was rebooted. exQuery.exe and exEmail.exe had to be stopped from the task manager as they had timed out with the message ¿the service could not be stopped in a timely manner.¿ After rebooting, the queues eventually emptied and archiving re-commenced. In the two weeks since then, we have had numerous issues with the search tool and continue with the issues with the services on EmailXtender. 1. We are unable to launch the search tool on demand from Outlook 2003. The search tool will hang when opened. Sometimes it will say ¿Authenticating User Privileges¿ but never complete that action; other times nothing will happen. If the services on the EmailXtender server are restarted, then the search tool immediately works. If we try to use it again in about two hours, it no longer works. 2. If trying to restart LEGATO services on EmailXtender server, first the server is unable to stop exQuery.exe (EmailXtender Query). That service has to be forcibly stopped using the task manager (stop process). If that service does stop properly or is forcibly stopped, the next service that is problematic is EmailXtender Data Source (exEMail.exe). Then the services are all able to be restarted properly. This happens several times per day (or as often as we restart the services). The event log is filled with the following events: Event Type: Information Event Source: EmailXtender Event Category: AddrRule Event ID: 0 Date: 5/30/2008 Time: 2:18:47 PM User: N/A Computer: W3EXTEND Description: CoExAddrRule::ShouldArchiveMsg - Waiting for Policy lock to free. Total Timeouts: 5 Event Type: Information Event Source: EmailXtender Event Category: AddrRule Event ID: 0 Date: 5/30/2008 Time: 2:19:13 PM User: N/A Computer: W3EXTEND Description: CoExAddrRule::EnsurePolicyEngine - Waiting for Policy lock to free. Total Timeouts: 5 These events are marked informational and repeat over and over, incrementing by 5 (so next time total timeouts are 10) until the services are stopped. The next time the events start the timeouts start at 0 again. The first time we saw these messages was when the ex_incoming_queues were backing up. They occur periodically after that ¿ if the search tool isn¿t working, chances are these events will occur on the server at the same time. Before this we have had periodic issues with archiving stopping, but each time we could find a definite cause that could be fixed fairly easily, like a message that couldn¿t be processed. Once that message was removed everything worked again. This time, we are at a loss for what is going on! Our environment: Windows 2003 R2 SP2 EmailXtender 4.81.563; using journaling to capture mail. Exchange 2003 SP2 on Windows 2003 SP2- Front End with Back End Cluster SQL Server 2005 SP2 (installed SP2 after the above started in hopes of fixing it) DiskXtender 6.2.090 Centerra Can anyone point me in the right direction or offer any suggestions of where to start?

RKatwal · Answer

Search is dependable on ExQuery.exe which also has conflict with many other applications available because they seems to share the same 1208 port.

Make sure 1208 is being listen by ExQuery.exe

Address rule messages are just information because DLC file be in the process of being built and will be swaped later one its ready.

If search stuck issue is occuring on regular bases please contact EmailXnder Support for troubleshooting and analysis.

Regards,
Rajan

dulceweigel · Answer

Thank you. I actually looked into the port issue and made a registry tweak that I found in another post. The adjustment sets 1208 as a reserved port (HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters). But since it works some of the time and only for a couple of hours after if I stop and restart the services, I have to think it is something else. I plan to open a service request, but I thought I would throw this out to the forums to see if anyone else had encountered this.

Thanks for your response, Dulce

sharkdanger · Answer

We have experienced similar issues with a recent install. If you happen to get resolutions for both issues, please share!

Rod--qI3O · Answer

Hi DulceWe are facing exactly the same problems. Search hangs when started, ExQuery and ExEmail must be shut down by Taskmngr.Same thing with the journaling, it suddenly stops. Then again, we have to restart the services.I had several cases opened by EMC support. I got a new binary (ExQuery) from EMC. This solved the problems with the search. It now works but the authentication of the search takes between 10-30 seconds.ExEmail still doesn't work right.If you know how to resolve this, please post here.

dulceweigel · Answer

I opened a call too. In the meantime, I realized that when I upgraded to EMC 4.81.564 I neglected to update the OWA shortcut support installed on Exchange. Thinking that might be the issue with the search tool, I updated the OWA support on the passive node first and then failed over the cluster to test it. Ever since then the search tool has worked, although it hasn't been that long. But before it was failing every couple of hours, so three days is a big improvement. But without knowing why it was having issues, it could possibly start again.

Of course now the OWA shortcut support no longer works on the node I updated it on, but I guess that's a separate topic.

One note - the reason I thought the OWA support might be the issue is that we only just started shortcutting, so many more people are hitting exQuery than before. I was seeing it called from the IIS logs. But since it works from the old version and not the new correct version, that is not likely a contributing factor.

If I come up with anything else, I will post. At least I know it isn't just me.

Thanks, Dulce

Rod--qI3O · Answer

We don't have OWA shortcut support.

SourceOne

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