Messaging Gateway Mail Transfer Agent logs report "Domain container is NULL"

Products

• Messaging Gateway

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Messaging Gateway (SMG) MTA logs report error level entries with the following message:

2012 Sep 23 13:19:59 CEST (err) ecelerity: [3246] [error]: SMS_AUDITLOGGER-02520: Domain container is NULL.

No other symptom or malfunction has been noticed on the product.

Message bounced due to bifurcation of too many recipients: 215 > 150(max)

2012 Sep 23 13:19:59 CEST (err) ecelerity: [3246] [error]: SMS_AUDITLOGGER-02520: Domain container is NULL.

Cause

For this scenario to occur, two settings must match:

• The value for Maximum number of messages in delivery queue has been greatly reduced from its default value (default is 150000).
• A message that has more recipients than the new value set on Maximum number of messages in delivery queue causing an internal MTA rejection (5xx code)

Resolution

Verify the value for Maximum number of messages in delivery queue under Administration > Hosts > Configuration > <hostname> > SMTP > Advanced Settings > Delivery is set to the default value or well above the amount of potential recipients on any given email message.