I have suffered this issue so many times in the last two weeks, and it is so easily reproducible, that I am going to tell the story step by step and offer all my logs, crash files, even access to my system to Zentyal staff/developers if interested. I think it is a CRITICAL issue, because, in fact, makes OpenChange deployment not an viable option.
Summary: some import of messages (almost any) and/or folder operations (create/delete) in OpenChange mailbox causes Samba to crash. Outlook connection aborts, and it is impossible to reconnect again. Samba and or OpenChange restart required. Moreover, then if you get connected it aborts and Samba crashes again and again, leaving OpenChange mailbox or perhaps database schema unusable.
Step by step procedure:
* We create a bootable live USB key from Zentyal 3.4 ISO i386, 32 bits. (It also happens with 64 bits version)
* Boot our server from this key, we choose Español (Spanish) language ans select Install (expert mode) (also happens with other install methods. tested)
* Country: España. Keyboard config detection: No. Keyboard: Español. Keyboard distribution: Español
* Hostname: servidor
* username: administrador (password and confirm password)
* Accept "Europe/Madrid" as TZ
* Warning about installation media mounted on /dev/sdb1 - Accept
* Partitioning: Chose "Guided - use whole disk and configure LVM"
* Chose our disk: SCSI8 (0,0,0) (sda) - 80.0 GB SEAGATE ST380011A
* Save changes and configure LVs? Yes. Delete previous LVs? Yes. Use maximum space (79.8 GB). Again, warning about installation media on /dev/sdb1. Accept. Write new partition table for sda? Yes.
* Install without GUI: yes (no GUI)
* No proxy
* Install GRUB in MBR? Yes
* System clock in UTC? Yes
* Installation completed. Extract installation media, etc. Continue
* System reboots. Installing core packages
* Zentyal interface at
https://192,168.1.36 (given by DHCP server in my ADSL router)
* Access from browser in my laptop, select OpenChange server and install. Accept selected packages to be installed.
* Configuration: eth0 as internal. Static IP: 192.168.1.10 Mask: 255.255.255.0 Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (my ADSL router) DNS Server 1: 192.168.1.10 (Zentyal server itself).
* Select Standalone AD server. Domain: utilisaction.local
* Virtual mail domain: utilisaction.local
* Server registered in Zentyal Remote as: utiliserver.zentyal.me
* Installation... configuration... success
* Created user "dadmin" (Domain Administrator), an included in group "Domain Administrators"
* Created user "javier" (Javier Echeverría)
* New mail virtual domain added: utilisaction.eu. Changes saved
* Openchange provisiones: Organization name: utilisaction. Changes saved.
* Domain utilisaction.eu configured as the one for outgoing e-mail. Changes saved
* Mail: Smarthost added (mail.utilisaction.eu:26) User/password autentication (
javier@utilisaction.eu) LOGIN method. Not necessary but for avoiding rejections due to the lack of an SPF or having to include an SPF record in external domain DNS servers. Changes saved
* Enabled retrieving mail from external accounts. saves changed.
* For user "javier": Retrieve messages from external account
javier@utilisaction.eu (mail.utilisaction.eu IMAP, port 143). OpenChange account enabled (for its email account
javier@utilisaction.local, created when creating the user as per the user creation template)
* My Windows 7 laptop joins the domain (using "dadmin" user credentials).
* Restart my laptop. Login as "javier"
* Shares, domain services... all run OK.
* Open Outlook 2007.
* Configuration assistant detects name (Javier Echeverría) and email account (
javier@utilisaction.local)
* Click next. Credentials, security warning about certificate. Accept
* Automatic configuration fails (shouldn't it work? I think so)
* OK, no problem. Manual for server options. Choose Exchange. User populated with name (Javier Echeverría). Server: servidor.utilisaction.local. Verify name. Success ---> underlined. Next Finish.
* Configuring Outlook for its first use... Asks for name and initials... Online help options... Outlook is configuring a local copy of mailbox. Ask "Synchronize RSS sources". Yes
* Connected to Microsoft Exchange and everything updated and Sync'd
* Folders (after this first login. Interesting, because then they change):
Buzón - Javier Echeverría
Correo electrónico no deseado
Drafts
Elementos Borrados
Fuentes RSS
INBOX
Outbox
Sent
Spam
Carpetas de búsqueda
(some English, some Spanish)
* Close Outlook / Open Outlook. Mailbox root folder name changes to: "OpenChange - javier". Rest the same (mixed Spanish and english)
* Everything is OK. Test e-mail message sent to
jecheve@movistar.es* First appear in Ourbox, then in Sent.
* WARNING: Initially in "Sent" with correct hour (15:57) and inmediately (when folder syncs, I suppose) it changes to 14:57!
* Visit my movistar.es webmail. Correctly received from from Javier Echeverría <
javier@utilisaction.eu> with correct hour (15:57)!
* Answered from movistar.es webmail
* Reply correctly retrieved and punt in OpenChange INBOX. Hour is OK.
* Anyway, if you choose "Message properties", section "Internet headers" is empty and it shouldn't. There is a bug in tracker about it...
Up to here everything runs (almost) perfectly (but autoconfiguration, time handling and Internet headers). I have repeated this dozen times, and I can send/receive any message to/from any external or local account (including attachments, etc.)
The nightmare begins when I have tried to import messages (and contacts, calendars, etc.) from an exported backup (.PST) from the previous Outlook POP3 profile into the OPenchange mailbox. This process always makes Samba crash, disconnect Outlook from Exchange, makes impossible to reconnect, requires Samba and/or Openchange restaring, then you can connect again but inmediately of after any minimal operation, Samba crashes again, you get disconnected and not only the specific mailbox but others (the whole Database schema, I suspect) remains unusable. Tried dozen times from scratch, I repeat. By the way, sometimes after several crashes all folders have appeared with its name in Spanish!
In this ocasion, for being able to see something, instead of importing a whole .pst I have decided to go slower, step by step:
* Export from another Outlook a single folder (Terra) with a single message.
* In Openchange Mailbox, I create a folder called "Old messages".
* Import only messages in the exported folder (not the whole folders tree: Personal Folders -> Inbox -> Terra) into current folder (Old messages), not directly in OpenChange:javier. OK, message imported. Although status bar says indefinitely " awating to be updated" when it is really updated and sync'ed (seen in folder properties). Although you click Send&Receive, etc message in the status bar does not change to "up to date" until you close and open Outlook again. although it is really synced. Well, a minor issue.
* Deleted the single message in "Old messages Folder". Now we import th whole structure. Goes OK. Under "Old messages" folder:
Bandeja de Entrada
Terra
Message
* Then, I import a folder with several messages from another .PST into "Old messages" folder. And everything goes OK.
* I was going to import a full .pst backup into the "Old messages" or directly into the mailbox (what has also caused the carsh and the explained disaster), but previously I decide to delete all content in "Old Messages" folder and goes OK, and then the "Old messages" folder itself. And... BUMP. Samba crashes, Openchange aborts, Outlook disconnect... and the disaster. An unusable Openchange provision.
So i think, it has relation to creation/deletion of folders or elements in the root folder of the Openchange Mailbox, not exactly the import of folders or elements (what obviusly implies the first).
Cannot attach zentyal.log, samba.log or crash file (although sent through Zentyal web admin) because they are bigger than allowed.
And, of course I can grant access to the crashed system. SSH and HTTPS ports in my router are forwarded and I can change passwords for Zentyal staff/development
I think issue is critical for OpenChange (by the way also happened with 3.3 and I was awating to see if solved in 3.4)
Thanks in advance. Regards,
Javier