bayes expiry

[Julian Field]

It's a problem where MailScanner's call to SpamAssassin times out. When
this happens in normal processing, SpamAssassin leaves behind its lock
files. To avoid you ending up with thousands of lock files, MailScanner
clears them up after killing off the timed-out SpamAssassin call.
Unfortunately if the timeout is due to the expiry run happening,
MailScanner ends up removing the lock files. However, it is impossible to
tell why the timeout occurred, so there is no way for MailScanner to know
that it should leave the lock files in place in this (relatively rare) case.

It is unfortunately a problem I can do nothing about. Either I run a very
small chance of the Bayes file being corrupted, or you collect potentially
thousands of lock files which eventually bring down your system.

Rock and hard place :-(

This is why I wrote the code for MailScanner to trigger the expiry run
itself. That way it knows it is happening and can either wait for it to
complete, or else ignore Bayes while the expiry is running.

At 17:01 29/03/2004, you wrote:
>Doesn't sa-learn lock the bayes database before using it?  I thought that
>spamassassin, even when used via it's API like with MailScanner, would try
>to lock the bayes database before using it.  Otherwise, should we also pause
>MailScanner when training the bayes database?  Or is this something specific
>with the force-expire option?
>
>Jason
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Julian Field [mailto:mailscanner at ECS.SOTON.AC.UK]
>Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 9:55 AM
>To: MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: [MAILSCANNER] bayes expiry
>
>
>Due to your nightly expiry not pausing MailScanner while it does it, your
>Bayes files got corrupted.
>
>At 15:43 29/03/2004, you wrote:
> >Hi.
> >
> >Any guesses as to why I would all of a sudden be getting the following
> >message when doing nightly expiry after this had been working for weeks?
> >
> >[root at thumper]# sa-learn -C
> >/usr/local/etc/MailScanner/spam.assassin.prefs.conf --force-expire
> >Cannot open bayes_path /var/spool/spamassassin/bayes R/O: Inappropriate
> >file type or format
> >Cannot open bayes_path /var/spool/spamassassin/bayes R/W: Inappropriate
> >file type or format
> >
> >The path is correct, and the files were there. I ended up having to delete
> >all the bayes files, and when the command was re-ran it created new files.
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >gib
> >
> >
> >      Gib Gilbertson Jr.
> >     Tierramiga Info Systems
> >      619-287-8647 Support
> >      http://www.tmisnet.com
> >      San Diego's "Friendly ISP"
>
>--
>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