Most common support issues
Old versions
Always try to have the most up-to-date version of the server, Internet Services, Application Services, and FirstClass client.
In addition, keep your operating system up to date with security patches, as per the software specifications.
Remember that if you have the server, Internet Services, and Application Services running on separate computers, or if you have Internet Services clustered on your system, you'll have to run software updates on all the computers.
Backups don't work
Test your backups on a test computer on a reasonable schedule, perhaps twice a year to once a quarter, as part of your disaster recovery procedure. Don't let a real disaster become the proving ground.
Lapses in security measures
Always change the password for the administrator after the initial install. Try to use a jumbled array of letters and numbers. Passwords are case sensitive.
Check the log files for failed ADMIN or subadmin logins.
Assign a password to the Internet Services gateway.
Avoid using the administrator account for tasks that a subadministrator can do. Create a subadministrator account for that purpose with only the necessary privileges.
Keep the server in a controlled area. Avoid keeping remote control software running on the server. If this can't be avoided, set the highest security settings on the software.
Internet email pileups, improper DNS and MX record configuration
Improper DNS and MX record configuration can appear to be related to FirstClass. Some clues are:
• being able to send but not receive Internet email (MX record)
• quickly using up all of the incoming SMTP sessions after starting Internet Services (DNS server).
Also, check the settings on the Advanced Mail form in the Internet Services folder. If, as an example, you have the SMTP retries set to 100 and the delay to 2 minutes, your Internet email won't get out.
It's best not to adjust these settings from the defaults unless expressly advised to by Customer Support.
Not using the monitors
The FirstClass monitors are your first line of defense and should be checked at least twice daily.
The Server Monitor can alert you to sources of problems such as low session memory, not enough sessions for user demand, and mirror/batch/audit problems.
The Internet Monitor can alert you to sources of problems such as bottlenecks and not enough Internet sessions for the various protocols.
The Session Monitor can assist in displaying the users currently logged in and what they are doing.
Permissions problems
Changing permissions for such objects as gateways and the Other Sites group can have far-reaching effects. Do not alter permissions on any of the installed groups or container templates.
An unwieldy network store
Large network stores are convenient, but the storage technology can sometimes make them cumbersome and unwieldy in operation, because per-unit storage space has increased a great deal without an equivalent increase in transfer speed. This operation hit is especially true when it comes to backups, restores, and running efficiency.
To limit the network store size, always establish a policy for your users that states the limits on personal storage and sets reasonable expiry times. When was the last time you read something that was three years old?
"Directory unbalanced" or "Index not optimized" in diagnostics
To try and resolve this problem, do a Directory rebuild and run Directory diagnostics again. If it remains unbalanced, don't run a second rebuild, because a Directory can remain unbalanced if:
• the user names and/or IDs are very similar (for example, they begin with the same characters)
• the user names and/or IDs don't cover all the letters of the alphabet
• the user IDs are all numeric.
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