QueueMon Manual

Revision History

Initial - 3/5/2004

Download Manual In Word Format (Manual Is Still Valid For Version 2.0)

Overview.. 1

Installation.. 1

Licensing QueueMon.. 2

Verifying Your QueueMon License. 2

General Options Tab. 2

Spool Alert Options. 2

Declude Proc Alert Options. 3

Sample External Script 6

Overview

Most mail administrators at some point have experienced problems where their mail queue has backed up. Often queue based problems go undetected until one of your customers or end users notifies you that they are not receiving mail in a timely fashion or even worse yet not receiving mail at all.

QueueMon is windows based service that provides monitoring and alerting for your Imail spool and/or the Declude proc queue. QueueMon can be configured to monitor your mail queues based on user defined limits for queue size and growth. If any of these limits are exceeded QueueMon can notify you or execute user defined scripts that can diagnose and correct the problem.

QueueMon is an essential tool in providing you early notification in the event of a queue based problem. Early notification allows you to react and restore proper mail flow before your end users and customers even know a problem existed.

The following are common problems that have the potential to backup your mail queue.

Slow or non responding DNS server
Large influx of mail from a spammer
Large influx of mail from a virus outbreak
SMTP service quits
High CPU load

With QueueMon installed you can be alerted quickly to respond to these issues before they become major problems.

Installation

Obtain the latest QueueMon installation package from http://www.invariantsystems.com.
If you have a previous version of QueueMon you will need to uninstall it prior to installing the newest copy.
Launch the QueueMonInstall.MSI and follow the instructions of the installer.
Once QueueMon is installed you will need to launch the QueueMonConfigUtil.exe to license and set the configuration settings of QueueMon.
Failure to register for a trial license of QueueMon will result in the service not starting.
Once QueueMon is licensed you will need to start the QueueMon service from the services applet in the control panel. If the QueueMon service will not start please check the queuemonitor.log for details.

Licensing QueueMon

Licensing is accomplished through the QueueMonConfigUtil.exe program on the server that QueueMon will be installed on. Without a valid trial license key the QueueMon service will not start. QueueMon licensing occurs over port 80 (http). If you are unable to generate a trial license using the QueueMonConfigUtil.exe application you can email a copy of the generated qmlicense.dta file to support@invariantsystems.com for us to manually generate a license file for you.

Verifying Your QueueMon License

To verify your QueueMon license file you can use the QueueMonConfigUtil.exe application. In the application select "LicenseàValidate License File". You will then be prompted with the validity of your license file.

General Options Tab

Enter Path To Spool Directory - Browse to the path of your Imail Queue. For example "c:\imail\spool".
Monitor Spool/Proc Directory Every(Seconds) - Sets the time interval that QueueMon will check your spool and proc queue.
Server Name - The name of the server that is being monitored. This is the value of the %SERVER% variable.
CPU Priority - Sets the priority of the QueueMon process. It is advised that the CPU priority be left at "Below Normal".
Enable Verbose Logging - Enables extra logging in the queuemonitor.log.

Spool Alert Options

Enable Monitoring For Queue Size - When enabled QueueMon will monitor the defined file extensions to see if they exceed the configured alert size.
Alert When Queue Size Exceeds(Files) - The size in which an alert will be generated if a configured file extension exceeds the configured size.
Enable Monitoring For Queue Growth Percentage - When enabled QueueMon will monitor the defined file extensions to see if they exceed the configured alert growth percentage.
Alert When Queue Growth Exceeds (Percentage) - The growth percentage in which an alert will be generated if a configured file extension exceeds the configured size.
File Extension To Monitor - Set of file extensions or wildcard file names that will be monitored. Example: q*.smd, *.*, *.smd, .smd, etc.

Declude Proc Alert Options

If enabled QueueMon will monitor the proc directory for queue size/growth alerts. The path to the Declude proc directory is your defined spool path appended with "proc " (i.e c:\imail\spool\proc). This is the default directory that Declude creates for the proc. The file extension that is monitored in the proc directory is Q*.SMD.

Enable Monitoring For Proc Queue Size - When enabled QueueMon will monitor the proc queue to see if the configured alert size is exceeded for the q*.smd file.
Alert When Proc Queue Size Exceeds (Files) - The size in which an alert will be generated if the proc queue exceeds the configured size for q*.smd files.
Enable Monitoring For Proc Queue Growth (Percentage) - When enabled QueueMon will monitor the Declude Proc queue to see if the configured alert growth percentage has been exceeded.
Alert When Proc Queue Growth Exceeds (Percentage) - The growth percentage in which an alert will be generated if the proc queue growth exceeds the configured percentage.

Threshold Options

Thresholds allow you to tailor when an alert should occur. There may be times that your queue may exceed your specified alert setting for a short period of time. This may be normal for your server. However, if the alert setting is exceed for several consecutive queue checks than this may indicate a problem. Configuring thresholds give you the added flexibility of tailoring your alerts to your system.

Enable Thresholds For Queue Size Alerts - Enables thresholds for queue size alerts.
Enable Thresholds For Queue Growth Alerts - Enables thresholds for queue growth alerts.
Enable Thresholds For Proc Queue Size Alerts - Enable thresholds for Declude proc queue size alerts.
Enable Thresholds For Proc Queue Growth Alerts - Enable thresholds for proc queue growth alerts.
Number Of Occurrences Before Alert Is Generated - Sets the number of occurrences before an alert is generated. If either the queue size or growth alert percentage is exceed no alert will be generated until the number of occurrences configured is exceeded.
Number Of Alerts Before Notifications Are Suppressed - This option allows you to configure how many consecutive alerts are to be generated before alerting is suppressed. When the number of consecutive alerts is exceeded future alerts will be suppressed for the configured suppression interval defined below.
Number Of Seconds To Wait After Alerts Are Suppressed Before Resuming Alerts - Number of seconds that alerts are suppressed for.

Email Options

One of QueueMon's features is its ability to send an email alert when a size or growth alert is exceeded for any of the queue's that are being monitored. QueueMon contains its own internal SMTP engine therefore eliminating the need to use the SMTP engine of the mail server being monitored. It is advisable that email alerts are not sent to destination addresses of the server that QueueMon is monitoring this is because alerts are usually generated when the server is having problems.

Enable Email Alerts - Enable email alerts.
Primary Mail Server - The IP address or host name of the first mail server that QueueMon will attempt to send the alert message through.
Secondary Mail Server -The IP address or host name of the second mail server that QueueMon will attempt to send the alert message through if the primary mail server encounters an error while sending through.
Enable SMTP Auth - Enable SMTP Auth.
SMTP Auth User Name - The user name used when SMTP auth is enabled.
SMTP Auth Password - The password that is used when SMTP auth is enabled.
Enter The Recipients Email Address - The recipient's email address that will receive the alert.
Enter The Recipients Display Name - The recipient's display name that will receive the alert.
Enter The Senders Email Address - The email address that will be displayed as the sender of the alert.
Enter The Senders Display Name - The display name that will be displayed as the sender of the alert.
Enter The Subject For Queue Size Alerts - The subject that will be used in size alert messages for the normal or proc queue. Please see the "Variables" section for valid variables that can be used.
Enter The Message Body Text For Queue Size Alerts - The message body text that will be used in queue size alert messages for the normal or proc queue. Please see the "Variables" section for valid variables that can be used.
Enter The Subject For Queue Growth Alerts - The subject that will be used in growth alert messages for the normal or proc queue. Please see the "Variables" section for valid variables that can be used.
Enter The Message Body For Queue Growth Alerts - The message body text that will be used for queue size alert messages for the normal or proc queue. Please see the "Variables" section for valid variables that can be used.

External Script

Run External Script On Alert - If enabled an external script will be ran when an alert is generated.
Enter Path To Script - The path to the external script that will be launched.
Enter Script Command Line Parameters - The command line parameters that will be passed to the script. Please see the "Variables" section for valid variables that can be passed.
Enter Script Working Directory - The working directory for the external script.

Logging

When the QueueMon service is running it will log the results of each time your queue is checked to the queuemonitor.log file. The log file is stored in the root directory of the application. It is advisable to leave "Verbose Logging" enabled on the general options tab.

Variables

The following variables can be used in

Passed as variables to your external script as command line parameters
SMTP subject or body

The following variables are currently supported. Please note that all variables are case sensitive and must be enclosed in percent signs.

%DATE%	The current date and time.
%QUEUE%	The queue that the alert is triggered by. Inserts either "normal" or "proc".
%ALERT%	The type of alert that is triggered. Inserts either "size" or "growth".
%ALERTNUM%	Current number of the alert that has been triggered.
%SERVER%	Name of the server as defined in the configuration utility.
%EXTENSION%	Inserts the file extension that is currently being monitored/triggered the alert.
%CURRENTQUEUESIZE%	Inserts the size of the current queue.
%ALERTQUEUESIZE%	Inserts the user defined value set for "alert when queue size exceeds this value".
%ALERTQUEUEGROWTH%	Current normal/proc queue growth percentage depending on which queue is being monitored.
%CURRENTQUEUEGROWTH%	Inserts the user defined value set for "alert when queue growth exceeds this percentage".

Sample External Script

REM - THIS SCRIPT DEMONSTRATES THE USE OF MULTIPLE ALERT RECOVERY OPTIONS

REM - FOR BOTH NORMAL/OVERFLOW QUEUE SIZE/GROWTH ALERTS

REM - THIS SCRIPT IS BASED OFF HAVING THE FOLLOWING COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS

REM - PASSED TO IT. "%QUEUE% %ALERT% %ALERTNUM%"

REM

REM - %QUEUE% = %1

REM - %ALERT% = %2

REM - %ALERTNUM% = %3

REM

REM - THE GOAL OF THIS SCRIPT IS ON THE

REM - 1st TO 4th ALERT MOVE GSC/GSE FILES TO TEMP DIR

REM - ONLY IF THE ALERT IS A SIZE ALERT FOR THE REGULAR QUEUE.

REM - ON THE 5th ALERT - STOP & RESTART THE SMTP SERVICE

REM

REM - CHECK TO SEE IF ALERT IS NOT FOR GROWTH

if "%2"=="growth" goto :END

if "%1"=="proc" goto :END

REM - CHECK THE ALERT NUMBER TO DETERMINE ACTION

if %3 LEQ 4 goto MOVEFILES %1 %2 %3

if %3 GEQ 5 goto RESTARTSERVICE %1 %2 %3

REM - IF WE FALL THROUGH TO HERE JUST END AS SOMETHING IS WRONG

goto END

REM - MOVEFILES WILL MOVE THE FILES TO A TEMP DIR OUT OF THE QUEUE

:MOVEFILES

cd \

cd IMAIL

cd SPOOL

move *.GSE c:\temp\backup

move *.GSC c:\temp\backup

goto END

:RESTARTSERVICE

REM NET STOP <SERVICE>

REM NET START <SERVICE>

:END