Postermaster POP3S suddenly stopped working

[garrethmcdaid]

I have a Version 2.4.8 OTRS installation in place for the last 3 years, running on a CentOS 5 server.

It picks up its mail from a Google Mail account, at pop.gmail.com:995

2 days ago, it started giving errors when trying to connect to this service:

[root@issues bin]# perl /opt/otrs/bin/PostMasterMailbox.pl
ERROR: OTRS-PMAccount-10 Perl: 5.8.8 OS: linux Time: Tue Mar 26 11:24:48 2013

Message: POP3S: Can't connect to pop.gmail.com:995

Traceback (21782):
Module: Kernel::System::MailAccount::POP3S::_Fetch (v1.10.2.1) Line: 125
Module: Kernel::System::MailAccount::POP3S::Fetch (v1.10.2.1) Line: 51
Module: Kernel::System::MailAccount::MailAccountFetch (v1.9) Line: 380
Module: main::Fetch (v1.10) Line: 181
Module: /opt/otrs/bin/PostMasterMailbox.pl (v1.10) Line: 94

There is no general issue with the network. I have another OTRS installation on another server on the same network also connecting to the Google POP3S service, and its working fine. I can also manually connect to the service from the shell.

I've checked that there are no zombie sessions in the DB, or dead otrs process, and even rebooted the server, but all to no avail. The OTRS service just can't connect to Google.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[garrethmcdaid]

So anyway, I deleted the Postmaster Account, recreated it with the exact same details, and it started working!

Gotta love PERL (not!).

[garrethmcdaid]

I don't like to complain about free software, but OTRS should really do something about the Postmaster support for GMail.

I have a working OTRS installation that queries pop.gmail.com:995 (ie POP3S) for mail.

I've just cloned that server (ie disk to disk, no changes on the FS whatsoever) and now the Postmaster account on the clone is giving auth errors for the Google account. The errors are also useless in terms of explaining what is happening.

[jojo]

in most cases you have not installed all needed PERL modules or a firewall is blocking some ports. OTRS and Gmail do support all needed protocols

[crythias]

Message: POP3S: Can't connect to pop.gmail.com:995

This isn't authentication. This is literally saying that the otrs box cannot get to port 995 for pop.gmail.com. If you doubt this, try to telnet or nmap to it from the otrs box.

Postmaster account on the clone is giving auth errors for the Google account.

http://www.cknotes.com/?p=370

This is a Google Issue, not an OTRS one.
> Unlocking captcha is not required to access a GMail account via the IMAP protocol (imap.gmail.com).

[garrethmcdaid]

Sorry guys, but that is all bogus. This is an OTRS issue. POP3 authentication is OTRS is buggy in the extreme. See below, and my opening post.

I solved my problem by replacing pop.gmail.com with any of the DNS RR robin addresses this resolves too, eg 173.194.66.109, and it works fine. When I put back in pop.gmail.com, it stops working again.

OTRS has some strange system of link the Postmaster account with sessions and process IDs, and it fails, frequently. Its one of the most common faults reported on this forum.

[garrethmcdaid]

This is a Google Issue, not an OTRS one.
> Unlocking captcha is not required to access a GMail account via the IMAP protocol (imap.gmail.com).

No, its not.

I've already explained that the exact same account details are working fine on another server on the same network.

OTRS maintains statefullness re. the Postmaster account, to prevent duplicate polling and confusion of tickets. Its just doesn't do this statefullness very well, and its error handling is very unhelpful.

[crythias]

I've already explained that the exact same account details are working fine on another server on the same network.

I don't know what else to say. The results are not because OTRS is problematic. The other possibility is you're trying too often. The results are being reported from Google, and not generated randomly because OTRS isn't working. When OTRS says it can't connect to the POP3 server, it means it cannot do it because the server it is attempting to connect to is not available in the method you're attempting.

Since you've made a statement that it's the *OTRS* state -- how do you know? Considering this is a problem experienced only by you dealing with Google, how would OTRS be able to fix this?
We could tell you to use IMAP, and this would be a problem for you how?

[jojo]

this is a network issue. DNS might not work properly or one of the POP servers refuses the connection.

[jojo]

you are really still on 2.4.x?

[IXLabs]

I found the same problem on a 2.4.10 installation, changed the hostname for a ip address and it worked.
Yes, it seems the postmaster.pl from that version os very buggy, same installation in another server works perfect with the hostname.
It broke a scheduled migration today.

[jojo]

this sounds like a DNS issue

[IXLabs]

Sorry for the late answer, but no.
I was some kind of failure i don't know where. I copied again the whole otrs folder, and it works.

OTRS style