Question on reducing load on MailScanner machine

[Julian Field]

On 25/06/2009 21:41, Christopher Fisk wrote:
>>   The setup used by everyone else in the universe is to
>>   have multiple MX
>>   servers sharing the incoming mail load.
>>      
> We have a 10 MX and a 20 MX on a remote site which just queues messages, doesn't check for recipient or for spam.
>    
Which makes your 20 MX a massive spam magnet.
> I've never run two mail servers of the same priority, although I'm sure it is easy enough.
>    
Just set the MX values the same, and it will automatically share mail 
between the two machines. Easy as that.
>
>    
>>   Let me get this straight.
>>   You've got a huge mail queue, and yet you have a server
>>   sitting there
>>   switched off.
>>   Dare I suggest you switch it on?
>>      
> This thread is about how I go about doing the actual switching on.  Right now it's just extra hardware in case our first server dies.  We have it there, the goal is to use it.  I want to "switch it on" correctly though.  If I didn't start this thread and ask, there is a good chance I would have tried just NFS mounting the hold queue and firing up MailScanner.  Obviously that would have been bad per your addition below =)
>
> So yes, your suggestion to switch it on is the one we're going to do, I just need to make sure I get the configuration correct.  This is part of my planning to make sure I do it correctly.
>    
Run it with the same setup as your primary and the same MX priority, 
with separate queues and no attempts at sharing the queues between the 
machines.
>
>    
>>   >  There is actually a good chance I will test this out.
>>   If I do I will inform of the results.
>>   >
>>   It won't work. Anyone sane runs multiple MX servers :-)
>>      
> The reason (Might not be a good one!) I have shied away from anything more than a backup MX which queues messages if the main MX server goes down is due to the logistics of keeping them both in sync with mail accounts.  I'm thinking I will have to move my account database to a third machine or just run it on one of the two I would have in place.
>    
There are a variety of milters which will provide this for you without 
each machine having to have a copy of your user list.
> A third machine seems ideal.
>
>
>    
>>   It does it all via file locking. And that locking is the
>>   same method
>>   used by your MTA. And that is not designed to work across
>>   NFS. So don't
>>   waste your time trying :)
>>      
> OK, then this method gets shelved.
>
> Now to present the options to the decision makers.
>
>
> Thank you's all for your time on this!
>    
Always glad to help people get it right first time :-)

Jules

-- 
Julian Field MEng CITP CEng
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