Rules in error - server too fast?

[bluemike]

I have an Outlook client who connects to the Scalix server through IMAP (she can't use the Outlook MAPI because she needs to be able to write custom rules that invoke a DLL).

Since we switched to the Scalix server, she regualrly (but not all the time) gets an Outlook rules error saying this:

The operation could not complete because the connection was busy peforming other tasks

I assume that by 'the connection' it means the server(?)

We have had the same set of rules for years and I have never seen this error until we started using IMAP mail on the Scalix server. Is it possible that the messages are simply arriving too quickly now? Before, we used our ISP and POP'ed the mail over. So it naturally came through slower.

If that's the case, is there a way to slow the message delivery down, even by just a few seconds?

[ScalixSupport]

You're the first person who's actually asked that we slow the server down :-)

The simple answer to your question is no but can you give some more details on this ? Does this happen when the custom rule is being invoked or is it on a regular rule ? Does it happen when you receive multiple messages at the same time ? Typically with IMAP, the client will receive notification of a new message rather than download it to a local store whereas POP tends to download the message first before the client reports it as a new message.

Cheers

Dave

[bluemike]

Most of my rules are just 'move to this folder' type, but the ones that seem to error out are doing this:

1. play a specific sound
2. print the email
3. invoke EZDetach.dll to save the attachment to a dated folder
4. move the email to a speciic Outlook folder

Outlook usually runs all the time, but if it shut down for a few hours and then brought back up, the swarm of simultaneous new mail seems to cause the error.

The client computer is plenty fast with tons of resources, so I'm sure it's not that. And, like I had said, the whole operation worked flawlessly for a long time. The only real change is going from ISP POP mail to Scalix IMAP.

[ScalixSupport]

Although there is no solution posted to the bottom of this link http://www.helpfeeds.com/showthread.php?t=34415, it would seem to indicate that the problem you are seeing is not specifically Scalix related.

Cheers

Dave

[bluemike]

I just sent a support request to the developer of the DLL I am using. Maybe they will has some advice. I will post any good news here.

I noticed the other post at helpfeeds.com was dated 6-05 with no result. That's not encouraging :(

[bluemike]

Well, no help from the EZDetach people. They have never seen that error before either.

In the past day or two, the problem has gotten worse. Now, whenever the rules error appears I also get a Dr Watson error and Outlook closes. When I attempt to re-open it i rebuilds the IMAP headers (about 3 minutes) and the says:

There has been a serious error in the add-in "scalix rules processing engine". Would you like to remove the add-in?(that's not exact, but you get the idea)

What's this add-in? I am not runnig the MAPI Outlook plugin (though I was about 2 months ago). I'm just running IMAP with the basic Outlook rules. I think I will remove the MAPI Outllok thing (if it's still there), and see if this problem goes away.

[ScalixSupport]

What version of Outlook are you running with ?

Cheers

Dave

[bluemike]

It's version 2002 (with the lates Office SP). I have 2003 on order i hopes that it will magically remove this problem ;)