FFAPI: Err Msg: [021] Message Was Not Delivered Due to...

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Mail Software Development Kit: FFAPI for Gateways and Applications, version 3.0

SYMPTOMS

When you send a message and later receive a non-delivery message, the following message may be included:

   [021] Message was not delivered due to missing routing file.

CAUSE

Gateways and FFAPI-based applications can contribute to the occurrence of this incorrect message. When these programs execute the mailer process, they will delete the routing file prior to updating the inqueue of the postoffice. When the inqueue cannot be updated due to file contention, a reference will continue to exist for a message that has no associated routing file. This will cause the 021 message on the next cycle of inqueue processing.

WORKAROUND

When possible, the following steps should be taken to reduce the occurrence of these errors.

• Use the mailer disable option on gateways that support this option. When you use the mailer disable option, an external program must be available to perform the mailer option. (Version 3.2 and later of the External Mail program (EXTERNAL.EXE will not delete the routing file if the inqueue cannot be updated.)

  The SMTP and X400 gateways support -md (mailer disable.)

• Place gateways and FFAPI-based applications on postoffices that have a minimal amount of inqueue activity. This will reduce the occurrence of inqueue file contention and increase the likelihood that the inqueue will be updated successfully.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in version 3.0 of Microsoft Mail Software Development Kit: FFAPI for Gateways and Applications. A fix for this problem is in development, but has not been regression-tested and may be destabilizing in production environments. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services for more information on the availability of this fix.

MORE INFORMATION

Mailer is the process that handles mail that has been posted to the inqueue mailbag of a postoffice. The process involves posting a message header into each recipients mailbag, updating the inqueue to remove the reference to the mail item, and deleting the routing file that was used to identify local recipients of the message.

The 021 error can occur when the mailer process is unable to access the inqueue to delete the reference to the mail item following mail delivery. On a subsequent mailer process, a header is found that no longer has a routing file associated with it. This produces the 021 error message in the SYSTEM.LOG and results in the non-delivery notice being sent to the sender of the mail item.

NOTE: The problem described in this article will not occur in mail systems that have version 3.2 or later of the External Mail program. These versions of External will not delete the routing file when the inqueue cannot be updated.