Re: [cobalt-users] [Qube2] Freezing Box

["Rob Evans" <robe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Mitchell" <snowy_elf@xxxxxxx>
To: <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, 3 May 2001 09:32
Subject: [cobalt-users] [Qube2] Freezing Box


Hi. We have a Qube2 that regulary locks up and requires a power down to bring
all services back online. We have installed all the latest updates and
security packages and the log files only report the the box has been
re-started once back online. We are puzzled since the box behaved normally
prior to installing the latest packages and connecting it to the Internet.
Please help with any advice you may have.

Cheers,
Paul

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We had a similar problem on our Qube1 last Friday.  We put the problem down to
several of our users sending very large mail items (150MB and 25MB, at the same
time).  To make matters worse, the recipients were also on the same box.  So,
the poor thing was tied up receiving the mail items and copying them.

The box was obviously thrashing and wouldn't let anyone in.  Even after getting
everyone to shut down their e-mail clients, I couldn't telnet in (I'm the only
one able to do that).  In fact, I had great trouble getting the panel on the box
to recognise my pressing of buttons, let alone getting it to reboot.  It sounded
like there was heavy disk activity and I noticed that the data transfer light on
the network card was also hard on.

I eventually got on and scrubbed the offending items from mqueue, so that
sending would not be reattempted, and removed the very large item from the
recipient's mailbox.  Then I gave the word that all was back to normal, so that
the users could be let loose again.

I think that all might have corrected itself after another half-hour or so, but
my users were getting impatient - not able to send or receive mail.  I have
since implemented a 10MB limit on the size of mail items (some will say that
even that is too large), and told everyone to transfer large files either by
sharing folders or using ftp servers - this is also much kinder on the network
and on the recipient, who can pick them up when they want to instead of when
their e-mail client insists on doing it.

With the limit in place, anyone who tries to send a large mail item will have
their PC very busy for a longish period of time constructing the item and trying
to send it, only to then get a message that it was too large to be sent.  They
will learn that there are much better ways to achieve their purposes.

The bottom line, in our case, was that the Qube was overtaxed trying to handle
large mail items.  Could that be the cause of your problem?

Regards, Rob Evans
_______________________________________________________
Phone:    (02) 9452 9129                             Fax:    (02) 9975 2899
E-mail:    robe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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