Connection dropped by IMAP server
Hello Everyone, I need some help!
We have an Xserve G5 running 10.4.2 Server as our mail server. On-campus, people use Entourage to get their mail; off-campus they use Squirrelmail.
Here's the problem: Now and then a user will not be able to use Entourage to connect to their email account. Squirrelmail also doesn't work and when they try to login in SM, they get the following error: "ERROR: Connection dropped by IMAP server."
I used 'ps -ax' to view all processes on the mail server. There are a bunch (like 30) lines that say 'imapd: localhost [::1]' with no username afterwards. Also, in Server Admin's Mail Service window, there are a bunch of lines (about 30) in the Connections pane that have no username and the address is localhost. My guess is these are Squirrelmail sessions that didn't completely close because the user didn't click Sign Out or something. Just a guess. I don't know. I also don't know if this is related to my problem, or another issue going on at the same time.
Anyway. So, let's say johndoe gets the "dropped by IMAP server" error. There is a line in 'ps -ax' that says 'imapd: localhost [::1] johndoe user.johndoe' and for the life of me, I can't kill the process. I can kill everything else.
So I stopped the Mail Service via Server Admin and refreshed the Connections pane. Everyone disappears except johndoe. 'ps -ax' shows all other connections are gone except johndoe. Start Mail Service, johndoe still gets "dropped by IMAP server" error when trying to login.
So I tried to restart the server via Apple menu, Restart. Server hangs after dock and desktop items disappear. Just shows background...endlessly. Have to hold down Xserve power button for 5 seconds. Wait a few seconds, turn it back on, everything boots up fine. johndoe can now log in.
Seems trivial, eh? Well, I've had this happen to two other users in the last 2 months. If the pattern holds, johndoe's account is likely to do this again a few times in the next week. I'll have no idea why and no way to fix it except restart the entire server. And I think that's awful that I can't resolve this issue without cutting off ALL email access to resolve one account. But anyway. Plus, johndoe will not receive any email while this is happening. Messages to him get put in La La Land. I can't find them to deliver into his mailbox once he can log in again. Grrrr. I'm guessing they're just lost forever.
Does anyone have any ideas? Have you seen that SquirrelMail error before? Does anyone know which log files I should start monitoring to maybe find more answers??? (Please be specific: for example, tell me the full location.)
Thanks for your help!
We have an Xserve G5 running 10.4.2 Server as our mail server. On-campus, people use Entourage to get their mail; off-campus they use Squirrelmail.
Here's the problem: Now and then a user will not be able to use Entourage to connect to their email account. Squirrelmail also doesn't work and when they try to login in SM, they get the following error: "ERROR: Connection dropped by IMAP server."
I used 'ps -ax' to view all processes on the mail server. There are a bunch (like 30) lines that say 'imapd: localhost [::1]' with no username afterwards. Also, in Server Admin's Mail Service window, there are a bunch of lines (about 30) in the Connections pane that have no username and the address is localhost. My guess is these are Squirrelmail sessions that didn't completely close because the user didn't click Sign Out or something. Just a guess. I don't know. I also don't know if this is related to my problem, or another issue going on at the same time.
Anyway. So, let's say johndoe gets the "dropped by IMAP server" error. There is a line in 'ps -ax' that says 'imapd: localhost [::1] johndoe user.johndoe' and for the life of me, I can't kill the process. I can kill everything else.
So I stopped the Mail Service via Server Admin and refreshed the Connections pane. Everyone disappears except johndoe. 'ps -ax' shows all other connections are gone except johndoe. Start Mail Service, johndoe still gets "dropped by IMAP server" error when trying to login.
So I tried to restart the server via Apple menu, Restart. Server hangs after dock and desktop items disappear. Just shows background...endlessly. Have to hold down Xserve power button for 5 seconds. Wait a few seconds, turn it back on, everything boots up fine. johndoe can now log in.
Seems trivial, eh? Well, I've had this happen to two other users in the last 2 months. If the pattern holds, johndoe's account is likely to do this again a few times in the next week. I'll have no idea why and no way to fix it except restart the entire server. And I think that's awful that I can't resolve this issue without cutting off ALL email access to resolve one account. But anyway. Plus, johndoe will not receive any email while this is happening. Messages to him get put in La La Land. I can't find them to deliver into his mailbox once he can log in again. Grrrr. I'm guessing they're just lost forever.
Does anyone have any ideas? Have you seen that SquirrelMail error before? Does anyone know which log files I should start monitoring to maybe find more answers??? (Please be specific: for example, tell me the full location.)
Thanks for your help!
