Single process taking over?

Tue Feb 17 21:34:32 GMT 2004

Mr. Field:

Done. There were 4 files in the /root/.spamassassin folder, the 3 bayes
files along with user prefs. I assume you wanted bayes turned back on, so it
is running that way. I will try to let it run overnight and see how it does,
unless it starts crapping sooner.

By the way, I don't have in either MailScanner.conf or
spam.assassin.prefs.conf a configuration line such as:

auto_learn 0

Could this have helped in any way? I was auto learning on most of my mail
before I turned it off. I have also disabled the auto_expire, which was
running and maybe causing the .new files.

Thanks again.

Steve Campbell
campbell at cnpapers.com
Charleston Newspapers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Julian Field" <mailscanner at ECS.SOTON.AC.UK>
To: <MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: Single process taking over?

> As a rather off-the-wall test, can you check to ensure there are no stray
> locks outstanding.
> cd ~root/.spamassassin
> mkdir temp
> cp * temp
> rm *
> mv temp/* .
> then restart MailScanner with the bayes engine turned back on.
> It theoretically shouldn't help, but have seen this improve things in the
> past in other applications.
>
> At 20:59 17/02/2004, you wrote:
> >Mr. Field:
> >
> >Thank you very much. I have updated clamav to 0.67, and SA to their
latest
> >(one at a time, of course for testing purposes). Neither seemed to
provide
> >much help, but turning off Bayes, so far has seemed to allow MS to keep
up.
> >
> >Again, my load average is back to it's normal range of 5.00+ whenever
there
> >are emails to scan instead of spiralling down to sub 0.75 levels
regardless
> >of what was in incoming. If only I had a machine where the lower range
was
> >normal.
> >
> >I will follow the list in the event something is found with the latest
bayes
> >engine.
> >
> >Thank you very much.
> >
> >Steve Campbell
> >campbell at cnpapers.com
> >Charleston Newspapers
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Julian Field" <mailscanner at ECS.SOTON.AC.UK>
> >To: <MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
> >Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 11:31 AM
> >Subject: Re: Single process taking over?
> >
> >
> > > Can you try switching off Bayes (use_bayes 0 in
spam.assassin.prefs.conf).
> > > Then let me know if the problem recurs.
> > >
> > > Also, upgrade your SA to 2.63 in case you are seeing a bug in SA.
> > >
> > > At 15:31 17/02/2004, you wrote:
> > > >Mr. Field,
> > > >
> > > >I have been going through pretty much the same situation as described
> >with
> > > >this post. The exception is that my machine does not show a
domineering
> > > >process and load average drops to near nothing. I have been trying to
> >change
> > > >sendmail to remedy this problem, but I may be looking at the wrong
part
> >of
> > > >the puzzle. I have still not determined what is going on, but I do
see a
> >lot
> > > >of Bayes lock files and one main bayes.lock file. It peaks once I see
the
> > > >bayes_toks.new file which seems to stay around forever. I offer this
only
> >to
> > > >maybe point things toward a solution.
> > > >
> > > >I am running
> > > >     MS 4.26.8-1
> > > >     SA 2.61-1
> > > >     ClamAV 0.65
> > > >     MailWatch 0.5.1
> > > >     Sendmail 8.11.6-27.73
> > > >     RH 7.3
> > > >
> > > >I upgraded MS on a Monday and MailWatch on a Wednesday. That week
> >problems
> > > >started happening. The problems seemed to be resolved by my removing
my
> > > >Bayes files (you suggested poisoning, and this appeared to have been
the
> > > >case), but since I must stop MS, remove all of the bayes lock files,
the
> > > >bayes_tok.new file, restart MS and all appears fine. Load average
climbs
> >to
> > > >normal to normal-high limits, my incoming backlog clears quickly and
> > > >everything is fine. I replaced my Message.pm file with the the one
you
> > > >posted to the list, and that is the only other change I have made to
the
> > > >above installed programs.
> > > >
> > > >I hope some common thread may appear from my configuration and what
> >others
> > > >describe to shed some light on this. Most people don't complain about
> >load
> > > >averages this low, but to me it signals a slow down in my mail
system,
> > > >creating backlogs in the incoming queue.
> > > >
> > > >Thank you for your efforts, sir.
> > > >
> > > >Steve Campbell
> > > >campbell at cnpapers.com
> > > >Charleston Newspapers
> > > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "Julian Field" <mailscanner at ECS.SOTON.AC.UK>
> > > >To: <MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
> > > >Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 7:24 AM
> > > >Subject: Re: Single process taking over?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > At 11:38 17/02/2004, you wrote:
> > > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > > From: MailScanner mailing list
[mailto:MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK]
> >On
> > > > > > > Behalf Of Julian Field
> > > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, 17 February 2004 8:36 PM
> > > > > > > To: MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
> > > > > > > Subject: Re: Single process taking over?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Ah, a reproducible fault! I like those :-)
> > > > > >
> > > > > >I don't!!  :)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > What does your MailScanner.conf look like? (just the
interesting
> >bits,
> > > > > > > don't care what all the filenames of your reports are and
stuff
> >like
> > > > > > > that).
> > > > > >
> > > > > >See below..
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > What virus scanner(s), SpamAssassin, etc?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >ClamAV, McAfee, Spamassassin 2.6.3, DCC, Razor
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > What is the last thing the runaway process logs before CPU
> >hogging?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Nothing abnormal, just the process starting and mail being
processed,
> > > >even
> > > > > >in verbose logging, it just appears to be a normal process that
won't
> >let
> > > > > >the other threads have any resources.  If I kill it, the other
> >threads
> > > >spawn
> > > > > >and run as per normal.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Does the CPU hogging start the instant you start MailScanner,
or
> >the
> > > > > > > instant the first child process runs, or when?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >As soon as mail begins to be processed.  If no mail is in the
queue,
> >not
> > > > > >hogging, but the second any mail is in queue it's hogging.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >MailScanner.conf
> > > > > >============================================
> > > > > >Max Children = 4
> > > > > >Queue Scan Interval = 1
> > > > > >MTA = sendmail
> > > > > >Max Unscanned Bytes Per Scan = 100000000
> > > > > >Max Unsafe Bytes Per Scan = 50000000
> > > > > >Max Unscanned Messages Per Scan = 15
> > > > > >Max Unsafe Messages Per Scan = 15
> > > > > >Virus Scanning = yes
> > > > > >Virus Scanners = mcafee clamav
> > > > > >Virus Scanner Timeout = 300
> > > > > >Spam Checks = yes
> > > > > >Spam List =
> > > > > >Use SpamAssassin = yes
> > > > > >Max SpamAssassin Size = 90000
> > > > > >Deliver In Background = yes
> > > > > >Delivery Method = batch
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you reckon you could reproduce the problem on a box to which
you
> >could
> > > > > give me login access? I suspect it's something very simple, but I
have
> > > > > never witnessed it here and it's apparently not a common problem.
> > > > > --
> > > > > Julian Field
> > > > > www.MailScanner.info
> > > > > MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support
> > > > >
> > > > > PGP footprint: EE81 D763 3DB0 0BFD E1DC 7222 11F6 5947 1415 B654
> > >
> > > --
> > > Julian Field
> > > www.MailScanner.info
> > > MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support
> > >
> > > PGP footprint: EE81 D763 3DB0 0BFD E1DC 7222 11F6 5947 1415 B654
>
> --
> Julian Field
> www.MailScanner.info
> Professional Support Services at www.MailScanner.biz
> MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support
> PGP footprint: EE81 D763 3DB0 0BFD E1DC 7222 11F6 5947 1415 B654