Preference for batch sizes

[Ken Anderson]

If the load avg is dropping, it's probably network timeouts in
SpamAssassin. Are you running a current version of SA? Do you have a
nameserver running on the same box? If no to either of these, that's
where I'd start.

Ken A
Pacific.Net

Stephe Campbell wrote:

> We are seeing a real slow down in mail delivery here since yesterday. We are
> receiving about 50% more mail, but our system can't seem to keep up. Our
> normal mail count is probably about 35K-50K a day. Spam percentage is about
> 85-90%.
>
> I have noticed the last two days a high rate of mail in incoming beginning
> around 10pm until midnight. When I look at my average load, it seems to be
> dropping linearly from 3 down to .6 or something like that. (Can servers get
> tired and need a rest?). Large incoming batches were always handled fairly
> quickly before this period, and I'm not sure if we're just slow or are
> receiving a lot of new mail, but based on complaints, mail is slow.
>
> I have two questions:
>
> Would smaller batches of mail be better? I have this set to 100 normally,
> and am testing 50 at the moment. I am guessing that smaller batch sizes may
> take less time to process and get them through faster as a batch, but
> overall processing of total email may be the same or slightly slower.
>
> I have Max Children set to 5. Top shows 8-9 MailScanners running. Is this a
> problem or could it be multiple parents/children. This machine is pretty
> much maxed out when this happens. Maybe lower the Max Children, or increase
> the Queue Scan Interval from 5?
>
> Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> Steve Campbell
> campbell at cnpapers.com
> Charleston Newspapers
>
>