Outbound Mail Undeliverable Status Message

[netwod]

I am trying to ensure that if a message is sent to an invalid external
email address, the sender will be notified via email that the message
was undeliverable. I don't want to rely on checking the properties of
the Sent Message.

I've ensured that the Optional Gateway Settings for the GWIA (V6.5.6)
has "Convert Status to Messages" as YES, and "Outbound Status Level"
set to Undelivered (based on what I've read in various places, as
being needed).

The GWIA log shows as follows:

07-03-07 22:10:27 8 MSG 16464 Processing outbound message...
07-03-07 22:10:27 8 MSG 16464 Sender: <my Grpwise email address>
07-03-07 22:10:27 8 MSG 16464 Building message: s68ac951.097
07-03-07 22:10:27 8 MSG 16464 Recipient: <invalid address at valid
external mail server>
07-03-07 22:10:35 8 DMN: MSG 16465 Send Failure: 550 5.1.1 User
unknown
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Analyzing result file: NODDY/DATA:\GWDOM
\WPGATE\GWIA\result\r68ac951.097
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Detected error on SMTP command
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Command: RCPT TO:<invalid address at
valid external mail server>
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Response: 550 5.1.1 User unknown
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 Building undeliverable message
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Building message: s68ac96f.098

I thought the second last line pointed to an undeliverable message
being created to come back to me, but it never arrives... or do I need
to wait 4 days?

I know M$ Exchange provides an immediate undeliverable message, so
surely GroupWise can do the same or better?

Jerome

[Marcel Cox]

netwod,

Your message was not posted to the official Novell news
server or crossposted to a non novell.* newsgroup.
While your news server might show the Novell support
newsgroups, Novell has no official connection with other news
servers, and the message you posted will probably never
propagate to the official Novell server. The SysOps only see
messages on the Novell server and for that reason,
you will probably never get a reply to your
message posted here.

I suggest you post your message directly to the official
novell news server named support-forums.novell.com. The
Novell news server is freely accessible both through HTTP
and NNTP. See http://support.novell.com/forums for details.

This message was posted automatically. Please do not reply
to it.

[Automatic Reply]

netwod,

It appears that in the past few days you have not received a response to your posting. That concerns us, and has triggered this automated reply.

Has your problem been resolved? If not, you might try one of the following options:

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[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

Post by netwod
valid external mail server>
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Response: 550 5.1.1 User unknown
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 Building undeliverable message
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Building message: s68ac96f.098
I thought the second last line pointed to an undeliverable message
being created to come back to me,

Exactly right.

Post by netwod
but it never arrives... or do I need
to wait 4 days?

No, you don't need to wait. Does the GWIA log show any errors shortly
after that, like e.g a 450 host down? That would happen if GWIA cannot
connect to your official MX IP address, e.g when it's behind a NAT.
Lookup route.cfg in the knowledgebase or docs to learn how to tell GWIA
how to connect to the proper IP for it's won domain.

CU,

[netwod]

Post by Massimo Rosen
Hi,

Post by netwod
valid external mail server>
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Response: 550 5.1.1 User unknown
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 Building undeliverable message
07-03-07 22:10:55 0 MSG 16466 Building message: s68ac96f.098
I thought the second last line pointed to an undeliverable message
being created to come back to me,

Exactly right.

Post by netwod
but it never arrives... or do I need
to wait 4 days?

No, you don't need to wait. Does the GWIA log show any errors shortly
after that, like e.g a 450 host down? That would happen if GWIA cannot
connect to your official MX IP address, e.g when it's behind a NAT.
Lookup route.cfg in the knowledgebase or docs to learn how to tell GWIA
how to connect to the proper IP for it's won domain.
CU,
--
Massimo Rosen
Novell Product Support Forum Sysop
No emails please!http://www.cfc-it.de

Massimo,

Thank you for the info. Sorry to be taking a while to respond also.
The system is one where the server with GWIA etc has a single NIC and
behind a firewall router. There are no errors in the log after that
message.

We also found this response below that you provided someone three
years ago, and I am now confused: on the one hand Groupwise is
supposed to tell me if the outgoing message I've sent to a non
existent address will let me know (almost immediately) that it can't
be delivered, but in 2004 you suggested GroupWise would only advise
when it gives up after 4 days.

------------------------------------------------------------
More options Feb 3 2004, 3:02 am
Newsgroups: novell.support.collaboration.groupwise6.gwia
From: "Howard Hyten" <***@NO0SPAMmailbmc.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 17:51:25 GMT

Hi, I'm trying to find where to set undeliverable notification for
users.
I'm used to Unix-y systems that will deliver a message to users about
4 hours after the initial failure, saying roughly, "tried for 4 hours,
failed, will
keep trying for 4 days".

I see where to set the retry period, but where can I set the
notification
for users? If users assume for 3 days (our current retry period) that
a
message was delivered, only to find out at the end that it was not,
that's not good for us admins.

Gracias in advance!

-Howard Hyten

Massimo Rosen

More options Feb 3 2004, 3:35 am
Newsgroups: novell.support.collaboration.groupwise6.gwia
From: Massimo Rosen <***@spamcfc-it.de>
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 18:33:44 GMT
Local: Tues, Feb 3 2004 3:33 am
Subject: Re: Undeliverable notification settings
Hi.

Unfortunately, you can't. Groupwise will only notify the users when it
finally gives up, no earlier. However, the user can check the status
of
their sent mail in their client.

CU,
--
Massimo Rosen
Novell Support Connection Sysop
------------------------------------------------------------

Below is another extract from our GWIA log showing what happens when
we send to a non existent domain:

7-22-07 21:36:39 5 MSG 29981 Processing outbound message...
07-22-07 21:36:39 5 MSG 29981 Sender: ***@nod.com.au
07-22-07 21:36:39 5 MSG 29981 Building message: s6a3cde7.071
07-22-07 21:36:39 5 MSG 29981 Recipient: ***@notawds.com.au
07-22-07 21:36:39 5 DMN: MSG 29982 Send Failure: 550 Host unknown
(notawds.com.au)
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 MSG 29983 Analyzing result file: NODDY/DATA:\GWDOM
\WPGATE\GWIA\result\r6a3cde7.071
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 MSG 29983 Detected error on SMTP command
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 MSG 29983 Command: notawds.com.au
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 MSG 29983 Response: 550 Host unknown
(notawds.com.au)
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 Building undeliverable message
07-22-07 21:36:39 0 MSG 29983 Building message: s6a3cde7.072

The undeliverable message referred to in the last two lines is not
delivered, and neither can I find the message through an explorer
search of the GWPO and the GWDOM. So what is happening to the
undeliverable message? My route.cfg has correctly formatted lines
pointing to both the public and private IP address of the GWIA server
(I guess only one is needed, but I was not certain which).

Looking forward to feedback.

Jerome

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

Post by netwod
Massimo,
Thank you for the info. Sorry to be taking a while to respond also.
The system is one where the server with GWIA etc has a single NIC and
behind a firewall router. There are no errors in the log after that
message.
We also found this response below that you provided someone three
years ago, and I am now confused: on the one hand Groupwise is
supposed to tell me if the outgoing message I've sent to a non
existent address will let me know (almost immediately) that it can't
be delivered, but in 2004 you suggested GroupWise would only advise
when it gives up after 4 days.

Different issues. SMTP knows temporary or final errors. If GWIA
encounters a final error (5XX error code), it will generate an email
back immediately. If it encounters a temporary error (4XX error), it
will retry for 4 days, and only then send the undelieverable. A
non-existing address is always a 5XX.

CU,