[Exim] Exim apparently ignoring "ignore_bounce_errors_after"

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Author: Mike Laheen
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: [Exim] Exim apparently ignoring "ignore_bounce_errors_after"
Hi there,

Can anyone explain why I have > 150k messages on my queue, most of which
are failed bounces, e.g:

/var/spool/exim/msglog# cat 1Ahahn-0002Nt-HO
2004-01-16 20:36:36 Received from <> R=1Ahahh-0002JR-Di U=exim P=local
S=1874
2004-01-16 20:39:45 www.jereznet.com.mx [200.53.70.27]: Connection timed
out
2004-01-16 20:39:46 genemccauley_im@???
<genemcCauley_im@???> R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (110):
Connection timed out
2004-01-16 21:03:54 www.jereznet.com.mx [200.53.70.27]: Connection timed
out
2004-01-16 21:03:54 genemccauley_im@???
<genemcCauley_im@???> R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (110):
Connection timed out
2004-01-16 21:27:53 www.jereznet.com.mx [200.53.70.27]: Connection timed
out
2004-01-16 21:27:53 genemccauley_im@???
<genemcCauley_im@???> R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (110):
Connection timed out
2004-01-16 22:01:54 www.jereznet.com.mx [200.53.70.27]: Connection timed
out
2004-01-16 22:01:54 genemccauley_im@???
<genemcCauley_im@???> R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (110):
Connection timed out
2004-01-16 22:47:39 www.jereznet.com.mx [200.53.70.27]: Connection timed
out
2004-01-16 22:47:39 genemccauley_im@???
<genemcCauley_im@???> R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (110):
Connection timed out

And..

/var/spool/exim/msglog# cat 1AhamX-0003uS-MW
2004-01-16 20:41:31 Received from <> R=1AhamJ-0003nd-JQ U=exim P=local
S=3297
2004-01-16 20:41:32 SMTP error from remote mailer after RCPT
TO:<vherman_mt@???>: host mail.cordis.lu [212.190.217.57]: 550
5.1.1 <vherman_mt@???>... User unknown
2004-01-16 20:41:32 vherman_mt@??? R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp: SMTP
error from remote mailer after RCPT TO:<vherman_mt@???>: host
mail.cordis.lu [212.190.217.57]: 550 5.1.1 <vherman_mt@???>...
User unknown
*** Frozen (delivery error message)

...even though I have

ignore_bounce_errors_after = 8h
timeout_frozen_after = 5d

In my Exim config.

Both of these messages are clearly > 5d old, for a start.

Admittedly, I may have changed those settings since the messages were
queued, but surely those settings are read by each queue runner?

This is causing something of a problem, as there's now so much on the
queue that it's interfering with local delivery to the point that I had
to set queue_smtp_domains = * so that local deliverys would take
preference (this server is only really supposed to be accepting mail for
pop3 users) but that's a but sub-optimal as it means that anything
that's being redirected in /etc/aliases is being swallowed.

FWIW, I also switched to split_spool_directory in the hope it'd drop the
system load a bit and process it all a bit quicker.

The machine should be beefy enough, it's a dual P3/800 with 786Mb RAM
and the maildirs and spool are held on separate ATA100 disks. Load
average is insanely variable, but having jiggered it all about it seems
to have settled a bit.

Anyone shed any light?

Exim 4.30. Config below:

queue_smtp_domains = *
smtp_accept_max = 20
smtp_connect_backlog = 20
smtp_accept_max_per_connection = 100
split_spool_directory = true
smtp_accept_queue = 150
smtp_accept_queue_per_connection = 15
check_spool_inodes = 100
check_spool_space = 20M
check_log_inodes = 2048
check_log_space = 3M
message_size_limit = 10M
return_size_limit = 10K
rfc1413_query_timeout = 10s
strip_excess_angle_brackets = true
strip_trailing_dot = true
delay_warning = 2h:8h:24h:48h
freeze_tell = postmaster
auto_thaw = 4d
ignore_bounce_errors_after = 8h
timeout_frozen_after = 5d
deliver_queue_load_max = 20
queue_only_load = 20
queue_run_max = 5
helo_allow_chars = _
log_selector = -skip_delivery
primary_hostname =mx1.stayfree.co.uk
domainlist local_domains = @ : *stayfree.co.uk : monkeybarrel.co.uk :
channel2020.co.uk
domainlist relay_to_domains =
hostlist   relay_from_hosts = 127.0.0.1 : /usr/exim/networks
acl_smtp_rcpt = acl_check_rcpt
qualify_domain = stayfree.co.uk
never_users = root
rfc1413_hosts =
begin acl
acl_check_rcpt:
  accept  hosts = :
  deny    local_parts   = ^.*[@%!/|] : ^\\.
  accept  local_parts   = postmaster
          domains       = +local_domains
  warn    message        = X-SA-Do-Not_rej: Yes
    local_parts    = potmaster:abuse
  accept  domains       = +local_domains
          endpass
          message       = unknown user
          verify        = recipient
  accept  domains       = +relay_to_domains
          endpass
          message       = unrouteable address
          verify        = recipient
  accept  hosts         = +relay_from_hosts
  accept  authenticated = *
  deny    message       = relay not permitted
begin routers
c2020:
  driver = redirect
  allow_fail
  allow_defer
  domains = channel2020.co.uk
  data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch*{/usr/exim/virtual/$domain}}
  file_transport = address_file
  pipe_transport = address_pipe
  no_more
user_from_domain:
  driver = redirect
  data = ${if match{$domain}{\N^(.+)\.stayfree\.co\.uk$\N}\
    {$1@???} }
system_aliases:
  driver = redirect
  allow_fail
  allow_defer
  data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch{/etc/aliases}}
  file_transport = address_file
  pipe_transport = address_pipe
virtual:
 driver = accept
 domains = stayfree.co.uk : monkeybarrel.co.uk
 transport_home_directory = /pop/$domain/$local_part
 transport = maildir_delivery
 local_parts = lsearch;/usr/exim/local_parts/$domain
 user = vmail
 group = vmail
dnslookup:
  driver = dnslookup
  domains = ! +local_domains
  transport = remote_smtp
  ignore_target_hosts = 0.0.0.0 : 127.0.0.0/8
  no_more
begin transports
remote_smtp:
  driver = smtp
maildir_delivery:
  driver = appendfile
  delivery_date_add
  envelope_to_add
  return_path_add
  maildir_format
  use_crlf
  check_string=
  directory = /pop/$domain/$local_part/Maildir
 quota = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch*{/usr/exim/quotas}{$value}{4M}}
 quota_is_inclusive = false
 maildir_tag = ,S=$message_size
 quota_size_regex = ,S=(\d+)
 quota_warn_threshold = 75%
 quota_warn_message = "\
    To: $local_part@$domain\n\
    Subject: Warning - Almost out of email space\n\
    This is an automated email generated by the mail server.\n\
    \n\
    The storage space used by your email has \
    almost exceeded the allowed limit.\n\
    If you have just downloaded your email \
    you can probably ignore this warning \n\
    particularly if you have been away from it for a while. \n\
    Otherwise, please delete some emails, especially those \
    with attachments, to free up space otherwise \n\
    new email sent to you may not be delivered \
    until you do so.\n"
address_pipe:
  driver = pipe
  return_output
address_file:
  driver = appendfile
  delivery_date_add
  envelope_to_add
  return_path_add
address_reply:
  driver = autoreply
begin retry
stayfree.co.uk        quota
*                      *           F,2h,15m; G,16h,1h,1.5; F,4d,6h
begin rewrite
begin authenticators


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