On Tue, 2007-05-22 at 11:41 +0100, Mike Jones wrote: > Hi,
> Perhaps an obvious question, but could anyone tell me at the technical level
> how redirection works with exim ?
>
> Reason I ask is this. We run a mail server for a client, and they are about
> to run a promotion for something which involve vasts quantities of mail that
> will go to another company. Basically I don't want to receive those mails
> into our mail server, 'cause it'll probably bring it to a halt, so I just
> want exim to redirect the mails immediately, and not receive them, and then
> redirect them.
>
> That make sense to anyone ? Apologies if I've not explained that to well. It
> might be that I've just not understood how redirection works at the basic
> level.
As Kjetil stated, email is store-and-forward.
However: when you say "vasts quantities of mail that will go to another
company", what do you mean?
Are you:
1. The source of the emails?
2. Mentioned in the emails?
3. Nothing to do with them?
I suspect (3) is false, since you clearly are or you wouldn't be
asking :)
If your service is the source of the emails *and* you are the MX for the
domain sending the messages, then you are potentially open to receiving
a lot of bounces, NDRs and so on. And spam complaints - unless you're
absolutely sure that the list being used is really, really, clean. But
that's a separate problem for discussion elsewhere!
If you're the source of the emails and you are not the MX for the domain
in question then you are far less likely to receive as much; the problem
will be "reflected" to the sending domain's MX. A bit like a Joe Job.
If you're not the source of the emails, but you are the MX for the
sending domain, then you have the other end of the "reflection" problem
above.
If you're not the source, and not the MX, go for a beer.
