[exim] Avoid mail loops with backup servers

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Author: Patrik Jansson
Date:  
To: exim users
Old-Topics: Re: [exim] +ignore_unknown results in 451 Temporary local problem
Subject: [exim] Avoid mail loops with backup servers
We have a set of primary mail servers, let's call it A. We also have two
backup mail servers B and C (which should operate on the same MX
priority but a slightly different problem occurs even if they wouldn't).

Figure the case where a mail is to be delivered to a particular mail
server in the set A but that server is down so it is delivered to B
instead. B then tries to deliver to the primary server but it's still
down so it goes on in the MX priority and sends the mail to C insteads.
And here's where the loop begins I think, because C will then re-send it
to B won't it?

I haven't really seen this in action because our second backup mail
server isn't active yet. How do I configure the backup mail server to
only deliver mail to the end destination (which could be defined as the
highest MX priority (lowest MX value) for that domain).

Note that A isn't well-defined, it's a set of several primary mail
servers. Actually it's the set of every mail server that is defined as
the highest MX priority for every domain in relay_domains.

I'm sure there's a nice way to tackle this problem, I just don't know how.

Thanks,
Patrik