mailscanner/postfix issue (this is going to make me mad)

[Martin.Hepworth]

Hi

I'd start slow here..

Get postfix running on it's own as a pure gateway. Once that works

Install mailscanner into mix. Make sure you're installing using modern documentation and the 'hold' queue method. Don't install the avira stuff yet.

When that's working install the avira stuff.


--
Martin Hepworth
Snr Systems Administrator
Solid State Logic
Tel: +44 (0)1865 842300

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info [mailto:mailscanner-
> bounces at lists.mailscanner.info] On Behalf Of Marco Barbero
> Sent: 25 March 2008 16:33
> To: mailscanner at lists.mailscanner.info
> Subject: mailscanner/postfix issue (this is going to make me mad)
>
> Hi all
>
> Scenario is the following:
> Dual Xeon Quad Core 4GB Ram
> Debian Etch, custom kernel 2.6.24.3
>
> A)  At the first I use the following env:
>
> MTA: postfix
> MailScanner 4.67.6
> SpamAssassin 3.2.4
> Razor , DCC
> vispan (only for spam stats)
> avira antivir
>
> I use drbd 8.2.5 for network mirroring (using heartbeat 1.2.5) of
> postfix/mailscanner queues and for mailscanner quarantine and bayes.
>
> I use list.dsbl.org and dnsbl.njabl.org, plus I have spamhaus feed
> using rbldnsd and rsync. All the dnsbl are set on postfix
> configuration
>
> I use avira antivir like Virus Scanner.
>
> Had to say this is not my first experience with MailScanner. I'm using
> it since 2004
> with success using both sendmail and postfix like MTA.
>
> This time this scenario has a high traffic mail (about 3/4 millions
> every month).
> Ok after debugging both mailscanner and spamassassin I tried to put
> the thing in production environment.
>
> After a while I noticed queues began to grow. I look at logs and seems
> problem appears during requeing (so after mailscanner checks). In
> short words: it works but it's slow and delays are noticeable.
> vmstat and top doesn't show any important bottleneck.   Postfix smtpd
> processes grows fast and they reach max in a few time.
> So I tried to block port 25 using a firewall and in 1 minute all
> queues empties....
>
>
> B)  So I tried to do this (thinking about postfix developers not
> loving Mailscanner)
> MTA on port 25:  Postfix
> MTA on port 26: Sendmail/MailScanner
>
> So Postfix receives mail from Internet and then send them to Sendmail
> on port 26 that call MailScanner.
> Run the test and issue persists. And are always postfix queues to fill
> up.  Postfix people says that this happens because of postfix rate
> limit, so I cannot blame Postfix for this. For postfix people problem
> is still on MailScanner.
>
> C) So I tried this:
> MTA on port 25:  Sendmail
> all other pieces of software like first env
>
> Things do not come better. Delays persist and sendmail suffer.
> I tried two things:
> 1) disable spam checks and issue persists
> 2) disable mailscanner at all with no issue
>
>
> D) So I tried to use Sendmail but downgrade MailScanner to 4.61.7 (a
> release I'm sure it's working well since I have it in other recent
> production environment).
>
> And... it works with no more issues.  Delays now are few seconds
> (againts 5-10-20 minutes)
>
> Ah..so problem is MailScanner 4.67!?!?  All rights, let's put again
> Postfix using MailScanner 4.61.
> I do that and issue come back again......
>
> So let's sum up:
>
> Postfix 2.3.8 + MailScanner 4.67 =   ISSUES
> Postfix 2.3.8 + Sendmail 8.13 + MailScanner 4.67 = ISSUES
> Sendmail 8.13 + MailScanner 4.67 = ISSUES
> Sendmail 8.13 + MailScanner 4.61 = WORKS WITH NO ISSUES!!!!
> Postfix 2.3.8 + MailScanner 4.61 = ISSUES
>
> This makes me mad.  Why this happens?
>
> Like said before I have similar working installations (less traffic
> and using clamav in place of antivir). What's happening this time?
>
> It seems postfix related (always) and mailscanner related (4.67)
>
> Maybe postfix related?
> Maybe mailscanner related?
> Maybe drbd related?
>
> Any helps or hints will be appreciated
>
> Adding:  during postfix tests, I noticed in logs this:
> MailScanner[10310]: Cannot lock /tmp/AntiVirBusy.lock, Permission denied
>
> /tmp/AntiVirBusy.lock is 600   Putting it 777 suppress log but does
> not resolve performance issue.
> This does not appear at all using sendmail
>
>
> Thanks
> --
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> http://lists.mailscanner.info/mailman/listinfo/mailscanner
>
> Before posting, read http://wiki.mailscanner.info/posting
>
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