Re: [cobalt-users] Mail relaying

[Brent Sims <brent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 8 Jun 2000, Jeff Lasman so wrote:

} I've been doing it a long time.  Until recently it was the only way I
} ever configured sendmail.

	Mere mortals use M4 Jeff.

} I think all you really need is a higher cost (lower priority) mx record
} for you system in the domain's primary DNS.

	That is correct. 

} The mailertable has the routing information in it, as I recall.

	This too is correct.

} And mailertable is no harder to has than is virtusertable; the
} instructions have been posted on this list more than a few times
} recently.

	I think you missed the point Jeff. I was answering the
question rather than trying to hustle myself into a higher tax
bracket. And I stand firm on the answer. But you need not take my
word for it, it's a well known fact that a disaster MX is only as
good as long as DNS servers stay alive to advertise it. To get
around this TTLs are often increased in the zone records to prevent
the records from timing out. However, long TTLs result in additional
problems as updates won't take effect until the TTL times out. The
result is that the best solution, and often used by people who
actually understand these things, is to setup the disaster Mail
Exchanger as a primary DNS server for site it is covering.

	The end result is that we're talking about a fairly complex
configuration that the GUI is more certainly going to want to
overwrite as a matter of course.

	Quite simply, the experise required here is a bit beyond
someone who would pose the question. That does not mean that such
questions should not be asked, it means what it means. Doing this is
not simple, it's not easy and the GUI is not going to like it. 

} Really?  While I like a separate queue, I'm not sure I remember this
} from anywhere.  Can you expand a bit?

	Yes, REALLY. Like it or not, mail is only going to queue so
long. If the primary mail exchanger is down longer than the default
queue time the mail will start bouncing off the disaster or backup
mail exchanger, to prevent the mail from bouncing system admins
often pull the mail out of the primary queue and create a storage
queue which has no purpose other than to keep the mail from bouncing
- which is usually the primary reason for having a backup machine
configured in the first place. 

	It is no secret that experts in this arena (backup mail
exchangers) recomend doing with out rather than doing with less than
the best. As I recall, such is stated in both the Bat book and the
Cricket book.     

} So in other words I could get filthy rich offering this as a service,
} right <smile>?

	Others have and others are.

} I could set this up on a separate, medium-endowed RHL box here if
} there's a market for it <smile>.

	Don't patronize me Jeff. I'll hereby publically apologize
for thinking that this list, like the many others I frequent, is a
place where people in similar situations help one another. I didn't
mean to cut into your meal ticket. 

	Thus I hereby bow down to your obviously superior knowledge
and to publically promise not to offer any free advice on your list.

	Excuse you.

	Peace be with you,
	
	Brent
	
	Brent Sims
	WebOkay Internet Services
	http://www.WebOkay.net
	Brent@xxxxxxxxxxx
	(719) 595-1427 (Voice/Fax)