[exim] Testing retry rules

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Author: Dave Evans
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: [exim] Testing retry rules
Hi,

Quick summary: testing my retry rules with "-brt" seems to give the correct
results, but observing their behaviour in the main log seems to suggest the
wrong results. I'm looking for pointers as to what I might test next.

On to the detail:

The server in question handles incoming mail only, for a given set of domains
(+relay_domains). Mail sent to those domains should have a long retry time
(14 days). Other mail (namely "outgoing" bounces) should time out much more
quickly (1 hour).

Hence (config highlights):

domainlist relay_domains = cdb;CONF_DIR/relay-domains.cdb

begin retry

  !*@+relay_domains      * senders=: F,1h,15m
  *                      *           F,2h,15m; G,16h,1h,1.5; F,14d,6h


Here's an example of one message which seemed to time out too quickly:

2006-07-04 17:28:37 1FxohR-0004K9-8t <= <> H=ns1.twfnet.com [216.87.208.4] P=esmtps X=TLSv1:DES-CBC3-SHA:168 S=2696 id=E1Fx2gx-0003Bj-00@??? T="Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender"
2006-07-04 17:31:22 1FxohR-0004K9-8t == cegom@??? R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (0): SMTP error from remote mail server after MAIL FROM:<>: host mail.frank-thomas.co.uk [195.60.18.49]: 421 4.1.0 Dropping connection due to an error on this server
2006-07-04 17:48:51 1FxohR-0004K9-8t == cegom@??? R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (0): SMTP error from remote mail server after MAIL FROM:<>: host mail.frank-thomas.co.uk [195.60.18.49]: 421 4.1.0 Dropping connection due to an error on this server
2006-07-04 18:07:03 1FxohR-0004K9-8t == cegom@??? R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (0): SMTP error from remote mail server after MAIL FROM:<>: host mail.frank-thomas.co.uk [195.60.18.49]: 421 4.1.0 Dropping connection due to an error on this server
2006-07-04 18:40:00 1FxohR-0004K9-8t Spool file is locked (another process is handling this message)
2006-07-04 18:42:03 1FxohR-0004K9-8t == cegom@??? R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (0): SMTP error from remote mail server after MAIL FROM:<>: host mail.frank-thomas.co.uk [195.60.18.49]: 421 4.1.0 Dropping connection due to an error on this server
2006-07-04 18:42:03 1FxohR-0004K9-8t ** cegom@???: retry timeout exceeded
2006-07-04 18:42:03 1FxohR-0004K9-8t cegom@???: error ignored
2006-07-04 18:42:03 1FxohR-0004K9-8t Completed

which suggested that the message timed out after just over 1 hour, despite
frank-thomas.co.uk being in +relay_domains. So I did some testing with
"-brt", and it showed results that I would consider to be correct:

# "incoming bounce"
$ exim -f '' -brt cegom@???
Retry rule: * * F,2h,15m; G,16h,1h,1.5; F,2w,6h;

# "outgoing bounce"
$ exim -f '' -brt outgoing@???
Retry rule: !*@+relay_domains * F,1h,15m;

# "incoming non-bounce"
$ exim -brt cegom@???
Retry rule: * * F,2h,15m; G,16h,1h,1.5; F,2w,6h;

Any answers / suggestions / pointers anyone?

Thanks,

--
Dave Evans
Power Internet

PGP key: http://powernet.co.uk/~davide/pgpkey