Cannot Start MTA Services.

Products

• Messaging Gateway

Issue/Introduction

Checking the failed sequence we have the following:

2025 Aug 26 13:08:09 (info) systemd: [-] Starting SYSV: Symantec Mail Security MTA...
2025 Aug 26 13:08:09 (info) mta: [-] Starting MTA:
2025 Aug 26 13:08:44 (info) mta: [-] [FAILED]
2025 Aug 26 13:08:44 (notice) systemd: [-] mta.service: control process exited, code=exited status=1
2025 Aug 26 13:08:44 (err) systemd: [-] Failed to start SYSV: Symantec Mail Security MTA.
2025 Aug 26 13:08:44 (notice) systemd: [-] Unit mta.service entered failed state.
2025 Aug 26 13:08:44 (warning) systemd: [-] mta.service failed.

Checking MTA locks are present:

2025 Aug 26 12:00:09 +03 (err) runner: [34798] Error creating runner lock file. File already locked by: /opt/Symantec/Brightmail/scanner/sbin/runner PID=19080
2025 Aug 26 12:00:11 +03 (err) runner: [34810] Error creating runner lock file. File already locked by: /opt/Symantec/Brightmail/scanner/sbin/runner PID=19158
2025 Aug 26 12:00:13 +03 (err) runner: [34820] Error creating runner lock file. File already locked by: /opt/Symantec/Brightmail/scanner/sbin/runner PID=19203

Resolution

The following steps may resolve the issue:

1. Ensure that the scanner host is not disabled in the Control Center Administration > Configuration page. If the scanner is disabled, enable it.
2. Reboot the scanner system from either Administration > Shutdown
3. Change the SMTP connection limit in Administration > Configuration > hostname > SMTP > Advanced Settings > Delivery from 2000 to 2001 and save the change. This will force the configuration to be pushed to the scanner
4. Confirm the MTA has started from the command line via service mta status