Long usage cause memory, modem problem

Long usage cause memory, modem problem SearchSearch
Author Message
HY Lim
Posted on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 02:15 pm:   

I occassionally get this error when the Wavecom GSM modem is used for a prolonged time -
NowSMS Error Report. SMS message could not be sent to +60122251785, ERROR - Modem Response (2): ERROR

What can I do so that NowSMS can autorestart or rectify the problem? I usually restart the service and it is OK. Plus how do we delete the message in the SIM card? Is there any command?

And prolonged time of usage will also make NowSMS take up lots of memory, sometimes up to 50-70 MB.

Ur software is great, I think with better stability and greater control the messages inside the SIM, it is even better!!
Kent Williams
Posted on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 04:18 pm:   

I haven't seen any memory utilisation problems with NowSMS v4.20. However, there was a problem in v4.x releases where a memory leak occurred every time a "2-way" command processed a received SMS message, and the script that processed the message returned either a redirect response (a technique recommended by one of our technical bulletins on this site), or if the script returned an error code. This problem could cause a memory leak similar to what you describe.

If you are encountering a memory utilisation problem with v4.20, then I would like to learn more about your configuration, so that we can better determine where the leak is occurring. If you could please e-mail your SMSGW.INI file to NowSMS@now.co.uk, that would be helpful. Additionally, if you could run the gateway in debug mode for several hours during which the memory utilisation is climbing, and then send us the corresponding debug log (SMSDEBUG.LOG), then that would also be of help. (To put the gateway into debug mode, manually edit SMSGW.INI, and add Debug=Yes under the [SMSGW] section header, then restart the gateway.)

Hopefully with that information, we should be able to sort where the memory utilisation error is being triggered by your configuration.

I'm going to talk to our developers regarding the restart issue. It sounds like the modem is entering an odd state where it is responding with the text "ERROR" to any attempts to send a message. However, it is responding ok to other commands. That is why we are not performing a reset of the modem. I'm going to have to talk to engineering to see what their thoughts are on this issue.

Regarding the messages on the SIM, I need more clarification. Normally, when NowSMS receives a message, it would delete it from the SIM when it processes it.

- Kent Williams
Now Wireless Support
HY Lim
Posted on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 06:01 pm:   

Thanks Kent,

I am running a NowSMS 4.1, not 4.2 (my mistake, din say properly). I believe with the upgrade of 4.2, it will solve my problem.

As for the modem, I don't know why, it keep on return the "ERROR" after a while. Will high traffic of SMS affect this? When an error occur, I try to Test modem under SMSC, it will not initialize. If I restart the service, it will be alright. When this happen, incoming SMS keeps coming in, fillng up its inbox bcoz NowSMS seem cant do HTTP POST nor send out SMS, and the SMS is not deleted

When I took the SIM card into mobile phone, it show the status of the SMS as "READ", I think that's why NowSMS din delete those SMS, and no more SMS will be delivered by telco SMSC as the inbox is 'full'. I would like to know any way to copy/delete the SMS from the modem using NowSMS.

How do I upgrade to NowSMS 4.2, any upgrade fees?

Thanks
HY LIM
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 10:12 pm:   

Hi,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you. Kent was filling in for me while I was out for a few days.

v4.20 is a free update for anyone who has purchased a v4.x version of NowSMS. (Basically, we provide free updates for a year.)

The modem handler in v4.20 has seen quite a few updates, so let's get that installed on your system, and see if that makes any difference on the modem entering this "ERROR" state.

I've done some testing here ... and NowSMS seems to do pretty well recovering from modem errors. After it encounters an error of any sort, it attempts to verify that the modem is still responsive by sending a simple AT command and verifying that it gets an "OK" response back from the modem. It only performs a hard reset of the modem if this simple AT command test does not work.

That leads me to think that in your configuration, something is wrong with the modem. The modem enters a state where it will no longer send out SMS messages, but it is otherwise still responsive. I hate to make the suggestion, but if it were me, I'd try another GSM modem.

On the messages still being on the SIM but appearing as read ... when NowSMS retrieves an inbound SMS message, it sends the command to delete the message immediately after receiving the message.

I'd have to see a debug log from your system to see if there is anything unusual in the processing of inbound messages off of your GSM modem. I'd suggest deleting those messages from the SIM ... then putting the SIM back into the gateway modem with NowSMS running in debug mode. Run NowSMS for awhile receiving messages, and then verify that the received messages are actually getting deleted from the SIM. If any messages are not getting deleted from the SIM, e-mail the debug log to nowsms@now.co.uk, and let us know information about the messages that you saw which were not deleted from the SIM.

(To put the gateway into debug mode, manually edit SMSGW.INI, and add Debug=Yes under the [SMSGW] section header of that file. The debug log is named SMSDEBUG.LOG.)

-bn
HY Lim
Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 09:18 am:   

Thanks,

I will put in debug mode and let you know. As for the upgrade, do I just download the 4.2 version and install and it will upgrade?

HY Lim
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 01:20 pm:   

Yes, just download and install the v4.2 version. It will replace the EXE and DLL files from the previous release, but leave all configuration settings in place.

-bn
HiongPeng
Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 12:02 pm:   

Hi,

I am evaluating NowSMS v4.20 using iTegno WM1080A GPRS Modem and am experiencing about the same symptoms faced by HY LIM.

Under high traffic conditions where incoming SMS keeps coming in, NowSMS seems either unable to read the incoming sms, or unable to execute HTTP commands.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 06:09 pm:   

HiongPeng,

Are you simultaneously sending out a large number of outbound messages via that same modem?

I'd really like to see an SMSDEBUG.LOG as described above. That will tell us exactly what is going on with your system.

To put the gateway into debug mode, manually edit SMSGW.INI, and add Debug=Yes under the [SMSGW] section header of that file. The debug log is named SMSDEBUG.LOG. You can e-mail that file to nowsms@now.co.uk.

-bn
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Posted on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 04:07 am:   

HY,

I studied a debug log that Hiong Peng forwarded to me, and then contacted iTegno support (the manufacturer of the modem that he is using).

They recommended that we should make sure that we are using "device memory" to receive messages instead of using the SIM. Currently, NowSMS uses the default settings on the modem. On this particular device, the default is the SIM.

We've made some changes in NowSMS to allow this setting to be configured within NowSMS, so if you would like to try an update that has a configuration setting in this area, please feel free to contact me at nowsms@now.co.uk.

-bn