KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q117646: PC DB: Ownerless Files on Novell Networks

Article: Q117646
Product(s): Microsoft Mail For PC Networks
Version(s): 2.1,3.0,3.0b,3.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 08-FEB-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 2.1, 3.0, 3.0b, 3.2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Versions 2.1, 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks running on a
Novell file server may exhibit strange behavior when files in the mail system
database become ownerless.

Several common indicators of ownerless files in the database are:

- File I/O: Short Write (displayed in the external's SESSION.LOG file)

- Notice 58: Postoffice Address List already has an alias with this name.

- Error Mailing To MailBag

CAUSE
=====

Files become ownerless on Novell networks when the owner of the file is deleted
from the bindery. When a file becomes ownerless, it can grow only to the next
multiple of its block size. The default block size is 4k.

RESOLUTION
==========

You can find ownerless
(http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/ownerless) files by
using the Novell NDIR command, and assign owners to them by using the Novell
FILER utility.

It is not a good idea to allow any mail system database files to be ownerless,
but ownerless ACCESS.GLB, ACCESS2.GLB, and ACCESS3.GLB files can seriously
undermine the integrity of the database when new users are added to a .GLB file
with no deleted records.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q99725 PC DB: Checking for Ownerless Files in NetWare

Additional query words: 2.1x 3.00 3.00b 3.20

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMailSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbMailPCN320 kbMailPCN300 kbMailPCN300b kbMailPCN210
Version           : :2.1,3.0,3.0b,3.2

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.