Re: [exim] retry configuration

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Author: Catalin Constantin
Date:  
To: Exim Mailing List
Subject: Re: [exim] retry configuration
Here is the configuration.

I will just print out changes we did from the base configuration
shipped with Gentoo Linux:

# in main section
primary_hostname = sandbox.dazoot.ro
queue_run_max = 50
domainlist relay_to_domains = sandbox.dazoot.ro
hostlist relay_from_hosts = 127.0.0.0/8 : 192.168.100.0/24

# in routes section
dnslookup:
driver = dnslookup
domains = ! +local_domains
retry_use_local_part
transport = remote_smtp
ignore_target_hosts = 0.0.0.0 : 127.0.0.0/8
no_more

# in transport section
remote_smtp:
driver = smtp

connect_timeout = 30s
final_timeout = 40s
command_timeout = 30s
data_timeout = 30s
address_retry_include_sender
retry_use_local_part

# in the retry section
*                      *           F,6h,10m; G,24h,30m,1.5; F,4d,2h


We also tried with the retry conf suggested by Bill Hacker:
*                       *           F,10m,2m; G,2h,5m,1.1; F,4h,30m


The Gentoo dist configuration we have can be found here:
http://sandbox.dazoot.ro/exim.conf.dist

Anyway, this whole retry issue seems like Exim normal way of running.
It's not something wrong, it's just the way it was made.
In the retry documentation in the retry section, it's pretty clear
what happens under the hood:

http://www.exim.org/exim-html-current/doc/html/spec_html/ch32.html
"The most common cause of retries is temporary failure to deliver to a
remote host because the host is down, or inaccessible because of a
network problem. Exim’s retry processing in this case is applied on a
per-host (strictly, per IP address) basis, not on a per-message basis.
Thus, if one message has recently been delayed, delivery of a new
message to the same host is not immediately tried, but waits for the
host’s retry time to arrive."

Having retry processing applied on a per-host (IP) by Exim is not fast
enough for situation when many emails
are in the queue waiting to be delivered to the SAME destination (same
domain - MX, etc.) and the receiving server does aggressive grey
listing.

On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Peter Bowyer <peter@???> wrote:
> .2009/4/21 Catalin Constantin <dazoot@???>:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm not 100% sure the greylisting per sender / recipient is done by Yahoo.
>> Nevertheless this is not the issue here (trying out to figure out what
>> Yahoo is doing).
>>
>> The problem is Exim when:
>> - sending lots of emails to the same destination domains.
>>
>> Exim is no retrying fast enough when the remote destination smtp
>> server is doing aggressive
>> greylisting (temporary defers).
>>
>> What i see in the logs (even after i did the changes suggested by Bill
>> Hacker) is:
>> - attempts for the first 10 - 15 messages from the queue to be delivered
>> - after that 1000 lines with @yahoo.com R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp
>> defer (-53): retry time not reached for any host
>
>
> Several people have asked to see your configuration. You have asserted
> several times that it's correct. Since the retry timing is a function
> of your config and your exim invocation (ie how you have the queue
> running), you're in a corner of your own making.
>
> Can I suggest reverse gear here - show the resident experts the
> information they've asked for and see if they can help you with the
> problem you've created. Otherwise I'm afraid you're on your own.
>
> Peter
>
> --
> Peter Bowyer
> Email: peter@???
> Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/peeebeee
>
> --
> ## List details at http://lists.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/exim-users
> ## Exim details at http://www.exim.org/
> ## Please use the Wiki with this list - http://wiki.exim.org/
>




--
Catalin Constantin
Dazoot Software
http://www.dazoot.eu/