Error Handling

Quarantined Files

When writing a file into one of FolderMonitor's Queues, it's possible that some error occurs which leaves the file incorrectly closed. Or perhaps FolderMonitor attempts to open the file while it is still being written into the Queue. In these situations, FolderMonitor makes multiple attempts to open the file. If after numerous attempts to open the file over about a 20-second period of time, the file is still not opening, the file gets put on a temporary Quarantine list. After any other queued jobs are processed, FolderMonitor comes back to the Quarantine list and re-attempts to open the file. As long as it cannot be opened it remains on the "Quarantine" list and is periodically checked again - up to a limit set by the QuarantineTime command option (which defaults to 30 minutes).

If the file still cannot be opened after this QuarantineTime period has elapsed, an error message is logged to the FolderMonitor logfile. Typically one would configure FolderMonitor to trigger an email alert to some email address whenever errors are logged (see -alert). This allows someone to be alerted that a problem exists. FolderMonitor will continue to attempt to open and run the file and re-issue the error every QuarantineTime minutes.

To remedy the situation it is necessary to either cause the file to be completed and closed properly, or to delete the file manually from the Queue.

Whenever FolderMonitor is shut down, a list of all Quarantined files is listed in the logfile.

To summarize - if a file cannot be read, FolderMonitor will repeatedly attempt to open the file. At regular intervals, (after possible email alerts) errors will be logged. Other files in the Queues will also continue to be processed normally.