Just a comment about the new version of DB Mail released in February 2002. Although no one there would admit to it, the previous version had significant problems keeping a connection to a database. This new version is proving to be significantly better in that area; however, the "error handling" seems to be window dressing because it doesn't seem to function at all.

After testing (on many occasions and trying different settings) to see if it would automatically reconnect to the DB after losing a connection (eg: database shutdown) it proves unable to regain a connection (however the message in the console window showing the error has also been removed - not good). In addition to being unable to reconnect as this version proudly claims, the notification emails in the event of an error also do not work.

As an experienced (10+ years) Network/Database Admin, I must say, that this software leaves a lot to be desired and is not reliable enough for an enterprise environment (as the lofty price would imply).

I do appreciate, the release of this new version, it at least shows that they are attempting to fix the problems; however, I look forward to the next release.

It is very unlikely that connection is lost by DB Mail! It is lost somewhere else.

Anyway, DB Mail traps Oracle errors and if any of these errors indicate lost connection DB Mail waits for a short time (by default 10 seconds) and then attempts to make a new connection. On the console and in the error log it should show things like "database connection is broken", "will attempt to reconnect in xxx seconds", "attempt n of mmm", etc... If this doesn't happen (you don't see these messages) what makes you think the connection is lost? Do you get an error message? If yes, what it is? Please include complete error text starting with ORA-XXXX error number.

One more question, do you have timing limits for the account you use for DB Mail?

: Just a comment about the new version of DB Mail released in February 2002.
: Although no one there would admit to it, the previous version had
: significant problems keeping a connection to a database. This new version
: is proving to be significantly better in that area; however, the
: "error handling" seems to be window dressing because it doesn't
: seem to function at all.

: After testing (on many occasions and trying different settings) to see if it
: would automatically reconnect to the DB after losing a connection (eg:
: database shutdown) it proves unable to regain a connection (however the
: message in the console window showing the error has also been removed -
: not good). In addition to being unable to reconnect as this version
: proudly claims, the notification emails in the event of an error also do
: not work.

: As an experienced (10+ years) Network/Database Admin, I must say, that this
: software leaves a lot to be desired and is not reliable enough for an
: enterprise environment (as the lofty price would imply).

: I do appreciate, the release of this new version, it at least shows that they
: are attempting to fix the problems; however, I look forward to the next
: release.

To address your response:
Regarding the connection problems:
The OLDER version would lose connection to the DB several times per week for no apparent reason (no there are no connection time limits on any of our accounts including the one that DB Mail uses); however, that problem seems to have magically disappeared with this new version. So please don't tell me that it isn't DB Mail's problem when a simple upgrade of DB Mail seems to have fixed it. Kudos to you for fixing the problem.

However, the error handling features that you added in this new version don't seem to work.

Regarding my comment when I said that the console message no longer seems to be displaying errors when it loses connection. You said that the errors are also trapped in an error log, thanks, i'll check it from now on. You also made a comment that if the errors aren't showing up... how do I know it lost connection. Well.... becuase I have manually tested it many times, and there are 2 ways I know that it lost connection....

1. Because it is no longer sending emails......
2. Because I intentionally broke the connection (eg: manual database shutdown) in order to test it.

: It is very unlikely that connection is lost by DB Mail! It is lost somewhere
: else.

: Anyway, DB Mail traps Oracle errors and if any of these errors indicate lost
: connection DB Mail waits for a short time (by default 10 seconds) and then
: attempts to make a new connection. On the console and in the error log it
: should show things like "database connection is broken",
: "will attempt to reconnect in xxx seconds", "attempt n of
: mmm", etc... If this doesn't happen (you don't see these messages)
: what makes you think the connection is lost? Do you get an error message?
: If yes, what it is? Please include complete error text starting with
: ORA-XXXX error number.

: One more question, do you have timing limits for the account you use for DB
: Mail?

Any messages in the log?

BTW: The new version does not handle/lose connection differently, it simply reconnects when broken connection is detected. Please check new DB Mail Options, if you have't done it yet. You may want to change the default error-handling parameters, such as how many times to reconnect.

: To address your response: Regarding the connection problems: The OLDER
: version would lose connection to the DB several times per week for no
: apparent reason (no there are no connection time limits on any of our
: accounts including the one that DB Mail uses); however, that problem seems
: to have magically disappeared with this new version. So please don't tell
: me that it isn't DB Mail's problem when a simple upgrade of DB Mail seems
: to have fixed it. Kudos to you for fixing the problem.

: However, the error handling features that you added in this new version don't
: seem to work.

: Regarding my comment when I said that the console message no longer seems to
: be displaying errors when it loses connection. You said that the errors
: are also trapped in an error log, thanks, i'll check it from now on. You
: also made a comment that if the errors aren't showing up... how do I know
: it lost connection. Well.... becuase I have manually tested it many times,
: and there are 2 ways I know that it lost connection....

: 1. Because it is no longer sending emails......
: 2. Because I intentionally broke the connection (eg: manual database
: shutdown) in order to test it.

I'm going to send a copy of my "db_mail.log" file to your support email address "support@softtreetech.com" so you can see what I'm talking about. The log file contains entries from both before I upgraded and after. I upgraded on 2-15-02, notice the obvious difference after that date.

Also bear in mind that at the very least, I shut the database down every Friday night for backup (not to mention multiple times for testing this program), and the log shows no evidence of it losing connection, other than me manually restarting it in order to get it to work again. After each backup, in order to get DB Mail to work again I have to completely exit DB Mail and start it up again. For some reason, the "Reconnect" button doesn't seem to do the trick.

Hope this helps you to see my side of the problem. I'm not making this stuff up, and believe it or not, although I certainly don't claim to "know it all", I'm fairly confident that I know what I'm talking about.

Thank you for your attention to this problem.

: Any messages in the log?

: BTW: The new version does not handle/lose connection differently, it simply
: reconnects when broken connection is detected. Please check new DB Mail
: Options, if you have't done it yet. You may want to change the default
: error-handling parameters, such as how many times to reconnect.

By default DB Mail tries a number of times to reconnect with an interval of 10 seconds and this can be clearly seen in the log (see for example from 2/15/02 19:14:34 to 2/15/02 20:02:56).

The error line "ERROR (Production) ORA-01041: internal error. hostdef extension doesn't exist" indicates an attempt to connect to Oracle and that attempt fails with ORA-01041. This error means that your Oracle server is not running.

Here is what you should do since your Oracle server goes down often and for a long time:

1. In DB Mail Options increase number of reconnect attempts and also increase the time interval DB Mail should wait before making a new attempt.

2. To see more details on errors and connections, including warnings and status messages, change logging level in DB Mail Options to "Development"

Please let me know if that helps.

PS. Just out of my curiosity, why do you make cold backups, not hot backups to avoid downtime?

: I'm going to send a copy of my "db_mail.log" file to your support
: email address "support@softtreetech.com" so you can see what I'm
: talking about. The log file contains entries from both before I upgraded
: and after. I upgraded on 2-15-02, notice the obvious difference after that
: date.

: Also bear in mind that at the very least, I shut the database down every
: Friday night for backup (not to mention multiple times for testing this
: program), and the log shows no evidence of it losing connection, other
: than me manually restarting it in order to get it to work again. After
: each backup, in order to get DB Mail to work again I have to completely
: exit DB Mail and start it up again. For some reason, the
: "Reconnect" button doesn't seem to do the trick.

: Hope this helps you to see my side of the problem. I'm not making this stuff
: up, and believe it or not, although I certainly don't claim to "know
: it all", I'm fairly confident that I know what I'm talking about.

: Thank you for your attention to this problem.

I think you missed when I said that I installed the update on the 15th... the error that you referenced was before the update. You'll notice in the log file that there are no such error messages on the 16th or later. (and DB MAIL has been running 24/7 since the day I installed it.)

I'll increase the logging level to Developer and see if I can isolate the problem.

Thanks for your help

: By default DB Mail tries a number of times to reconnect with an interval of
: 10 seconds and this can be clearly seen in the log (see for example from
: 2/15/02 19:14:34 to 2/15/02 20:02:56).

: The error line "ERROR (Production) ORA-01041: internal error. hostdef
: extension doesn't exist" indicates an attempt to connect to Oracle
: and that attempt fails with ORA-01041. This error means that your Oracle
: server is not running.

: Here is what you should do since your Oracle server goes down often and for a
: long time: 1. In DB Mail Options increase number of reconnect attempts and
: also increase the time interval DB Mail should wait before making a new
: attempt.

: 2. To see more details on errors and connections, including warnings and
: status messages, change logging level in DB Mail Options to
: "Development"

: Please let me know if that helps.

: PS. Just out of my curiosity, why do you make cold backups, not hot backups
: to avoid downtime?