Re: [exim] too many connections to smarthost

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Author: Phil Pennock
Date:  
To: Bodo Eggert
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] too many connections to smarthost
On 2010-07-29 at 13:19 +0200, Bodo Eggert wrote:
> I'm forced to use my provider's smarthost. This is done by this
> configuration:
>
> smart_route:
>    driver = manualroute
>    same_domain_copy_routing = true
>    domains = !+local_domains:!+my_domains
>    transport = remote_smtp
>    host_find_failed = defer
>    route_list = "* mail.arcor.de bydns no_randomize"

>
> As far as I understand, exim is supposed to use one connection for at
> least 100 mails via this smarthost. Unfortunatly, it does not, and my
> provider has a limit on the number of TCP connections in a given time.
>
> Is this a bug in exim or a configuration error?


Configuration error. Exim will send multiple mails down one connection,
if there are multiple mails queued up for that recipient. However, the
most common way of starting Exim allows for immediate delivery, which
will open a connection for each.

To fix, either:
 (1) queue_smtp_domains = *
 (2) Change the flags used for invoking exim as a daemon to use
     -qq<time> instead of -q<time>


In both of these approaches, Exim will not send out mail immediately; it
will be held until a queue-runner picks it up. If Exim is started with
-q, then that is the time-period, otherwise whatever you use in cron for
starting queue-runners.

Myself, I run Exim with:
exim -bd -qq2m

which means I'm prepared to accept up to a 2 minute delay in outbound
mail, to let things batch up.

-Phil