"Bad capability string" messages in client log

Products

• Messaging Gateway for Service Providers

Issue/Introduction

When reviewing the Messaging Gateway for Service Provider's client log file at INFO level logging,  a large number of "bad capability string" messages fill the log. bmclient_log
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158265024): [9001] Client initialization successful. 1 servers configured; 1 up, 0 down.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9006] Bad capability string received from server: [0]: PS.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9006] Bad capability string received from server: [0]: EF.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9006] Bad capability string received from server: [0]: PMD.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9006] Bad capability string received from server: [0]: GD.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9006] Bad capability string received from server: [0]: PC6.
2 Jul 20xx 14:02:32 (INFO:21403.4158262160): [9038] Opened persistent server connection [10.xx.yy.zz:41000 ID:0] (total=1).

Cause

This is caused by a mismatch between the client library version and the scanner server version.

Resolution

These messages do not indicate any issue with message filtering and can be safely ignored. This is usually the case when a mail server using the SMG 6.3 client library is communicating with an SMG-SP 10.5 scanner. Updating the client installation to a version which matches the scanner installation will address the appearance of these messages in the bmclient_log file.

If the client installation cannot be updated, reducing the log level of the client library to above INFO level is sufficient to suppress them. The configuration sample below shows the client library logging set to NOTICE level which will suppress their appearance in the log:

bmiconfig.xml
        <program xsi:type="bmClientType" name="bmclient">
            <servers>
              <server host="1zz.xx.yy.www" port="41000"/>
            </servers>
            <log enabled="true" level="4" period="1" periodUnits="DAY" numberRetained="30" haltThreshold="500" reduceThreshold="1024">/var/log/brightmail/bmclient_log</log>
            <syslog enabled="false" level="4">syslog|local1</syslog>
            <connection initialConnectedCount="1" maxConnectedCount="1000"/>
            <timeout transaction="0" connection="0"/>
            <delayCommunicationInit>false</delayCommunicationInit>
            <recoveryTimeInterval>0</recoveryTimeInterval>
        </program>