Why does MS rename postfix queue IDs?

[Glenn Steen]

On 02/04/06, Mike Jakubik <mikej at rogers.com> wrote:
> So, as the topic says, why does MS rename postfix queue IDs? Whats is
> the reason for this?
>
> --
> Apr  2 15:34:01 fbsd postfix/smtpd[18878]: 1EE3E2B2036:
> client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
> Apr  2 15:34:01 fbsd postfix/cleanup[18879]: 1EE3E2B2036: hold: header
> Received:
> ...
> Apr  2 15:34:04 fbsd MailScanner[17694]: Requeue: 1EE3E2B2036.F1395 to
> F39462B2043
> --
>
> Why add the .##### to the ID? Also, is it really necessary to change the
> ID when re queuing the message?

This is a bit of a FAQ it seems, for the postfix implementation... I
noticed that with MW and PF, since PF _will reuse queue IDs_, that I
got a rather disturbing amount of duplicates in my database....
(Could've been any database logging too, or even a script calculating
things based on the queue ID. Any such system was bound to have a fair
amount of errors, particularly if you employ a "less than simplistic
partitioning scheme", since the amount of continuous i-node
consumption will play a role too. I had var on its own partition, so
got hit pretty bad) ... I badgered first Steve for a fix, then
Jules... Who was gracious enough to oblige.

As mentioned, the whole problem is that the queue ID will be reused,
since it is calculated from the i-node and the present microsecond...
Sounds rather random, but simply isn't "random enough" (as Jules
comment in the code goes:).... Even in some rather common "standard
setups" you _will_ be bit by this.

Jules solution (to manage some extra randomness, tagged on behind a
very "scriptabe"/"ignorable" <dot><five hex digits> is purely
briliant. And no, it should stay, no matter what;-).

--
-- Glenn
email: glenn < dot > steen < at > gmail < dot > com
work: glenn < dot > steen < at > ap1 < dot > se