Troubleshooting alerts

Avast Business Avast Distributed Network Manager
1

I have set up a simple smtp alert to warn of virus detections. When I hit the test button it says it was successfully sent however I never get an email. Where can I start looking for troubleshooting this problem?

2

Never get a real alert or never get the test alert?

The Alert dialog is (again) little bit unintuitive. You actually have to have the specific alert target highlighted in it (e.g. your email address under the SMTP node) and then hit Test. Otherwise, it won’t work… (unless you hit the Test All… button).

Thanks
Vlk

3

Ok so I click on the actual email address and I get the message that the machine has actively refused the connection. I can telnet to port 25 on the machine that I have specified in the smtp settings in the main adnm console without a problem and I know it doesn’t require authentication so I don’t know where the problem lies. I was hoping that maybe there was a log of the session around someplace or a way of turning on the debugging for it? And I am not getting real alerts or test ones.

thanks
4

Hmm, strange… The error message you’ve quoted is usually returned exactly in the case when there’s noone listening on the remote host. Are you sure there isn’t a typo in the server name and the port (most likely 25) is set correctly?

BTW is this in an on-access or on-demand task?

Thanks.

5

I was able to get smtp alerts to work from a new RC2A installation. So I copied the relevant text from the working adnm\avast4.ini file to the non-working adnm\avast4.ini file. Now when you click on the test all it works IF you are on the AMS console. However if you try to do it from a remote console you still get the active refusal message. I am now going to actually try triggering a virus alert using the eicar test pattern and see if the alerts will work from an on demand and an on access alert.

6

I see… Makes sense now. :slight_smile:

When using the Test button, the console reads the SMTP settings locally which doesn’t make much sense.

The real alerts should work though (they’ll be sent either by the AMS (server side tasks) or the agent(s) (client side tasks) - but in any case, the SMTP details should be set correctly.

We’ll try to fix the console so that it uses the proper SMTP server details.

It’s possible that there are some other (similar) issues elsewhere in the console (where the console tacitly assumes it’s running in the same install as the AMS). We’ll need to check this once more.

Thanks
Vlk

7

After doing that cut and past the regular alerts work as well now. So the only issue is doing the test from a remote console.

8

Hi Vlk,

Time to ressurect this old thread. I have to convert over to a SMTP server requiring authentication. 2 Problems, first the gui interface on the adnm → settings → smtp Still doesn’t remember the username. Changing this in the avast4.ini file I put in

[Communication]
InformationTimeout=300
InformationPortAddress=6000
ClientsListenPortAddress=6011
SynchroTimeout=30
EmailChestFile_To=virus@asw.cz
ProblemEmail=support@avast.com
PopTimeout=120
PopTimeoutDiff=60
ServerAddress=127.0.0.1
LastServerAddress=127.0.0.1
SMTPServer=smtp.jmfamily.com
SMTPFrom=apop@monetrics.com
SMTPPort=25
SMTPUserName=myusername
SMTPUserPassword=mypassword
ClientsListenPortAddressSSL=16102
ClientsPushPortAddress=16109

Then I try to test my alert task by having it send an email and I get:

Unknown Error
The alert cannot be sent.

How do I enable debugging of the SMTP alert system?

           Thanks - Greg
9

Hi Greg, how’s it going?

Change the SMTP settings in the Computer Group’s properties (don’t forget to remove the appropriate settings from the Custom INI Settings page).

10

Going good Vlk, Avast continues to out perform the others by a land slide. Set the settings in the Computer Catalog properties (all sub groups inherit) and still no go.

11

And there is a net alert defined and assigned to a task, right? :slight_smile:

Are we talking about on-access tasks here? Let me try to simulate it here.

BTW out performs the others by a land slide? Sounds good :slight_smile:

12

Greg, you were right, there was a bug that was preventing the alerts from being sent correctly (only in the on-access scanner).
The problem will be fixed in the upcoming netclient update.

Thanks for the heads up.
Vlk

13

Sorry to resurect this!

What version of the ADNM console had this problem. I’m having the same/similar issue.

I’m using v 4.7.657.

I’ve created an alert and put an SMTP address in it - when I select Test ot Test All, an e-mail is recieved.
I’ve gone into the proporties of \Tasks\Client-side tasks\On-access scanning tasks\Workstation Resident Tasks
and checked the Alerts section, and as is expected, it’s listed as a Used Alert, but I am still not getting any e-mails when the On-Access scanner gets a result.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

thanks!

James

14

anyone got any ideas? please?
I see you said it was a problem with the NetClient, not the ADNM Console.
What version was this please?