Smarthosts/multiple RCPTS timeout problems

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Author: Michelle Dick
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Smarthosts/multiple RCPTS timeout problems

I'm using exim to relay mail from a large mailing list (1500
subscribers) to a smarthost that uses an old sendmail that does some
sort of lookup on RCPTs. I do this because I have a 28.8 connection
and the smarthost is at an ISP with substantial internet connectivity.
I chunk my mailing list into 50 subscribers per message and send it
off.

Now and then I see the following in my exim mainlog:

1997-03-02 03:13:40 0w18rM-0008Hy-00 == pyocca+@??? T=smtp
defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected to
tango.rahul.net [192.160.13.5] after RCPT TO: <coxa@???>
1997-03-02 03:13:40 0w18rM-0008Hy-00 == nim+@??? T=smtp
defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected to
tango.rahul.net [192.160.13.5] after RCPT TO: <coxa@???>
1997-03-02 03:13:40 0w18rM-0008Hy-00 == jsgv+@??? T=smtp
defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected to
tango.rahul.net [192.160.13.5] after RCPT TO: <coxa@???>
1997-03-02 03:13:40 0w18rM-0008Hy-00 == paggarwa@??? T=smtp
defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected to
tango.rahul.net [192.160.13.5] after RCPT TO: <coxa@???>

Basically, my smarthost is timing out on one bad address. And exim
can't deliver any in that batch. There have so far been 6 attempts
over the last hour to get out this batch, and it always fails on the
same address. Exim can't overcome this because it only tracks
problems with the smarthost domain.

Any suggestions on what the best way to handle this sort of problem
is? Oh, there is little chance of reforming the smarthost at this
time (I'm working on it though). I'd like to at least be able to get
the other good addresses out.

Would the best option be to schedule a non-smarthost-using exim queue
run every so often to catch such problems? And if so, any hints on
scheduling so that the message with the problem won't be locked when
the non-smarthost-using exim queue runner gets to it? My queue is
mostly empty (I dump to the smarthost) and I've been running the queue
every 10 minutes.

Thanks for any advice,

-- 
Michelle Dick             artemis@???              East Palo Alto, CA