We are experiencing the problem that LISTSERV is getting bogged down
with search/retrieval requests and hence response time for distributing
new messages to subscribers is suffering. I am looking for suggestions
for technical measures that we could take (i.e. things other than
training the users how to search more efficiently). Our environment is
LISTSERV-NJE 1.8c on VM.

For example:

a. Is it possible to set up LISTSERV so that it never does searches
when there are messages to distribute (i.e. search/retrieval requests
are always defered until there is nothing else to do)?

b. Can the list owner or LISTSERV maintainer set a maximum CPU time
limit or wall clock time limit for searches (both CJLI database
search jobs and searches/retrievals using the new "SEARCH" and
"GETPOST" commands) which the user can't override?

c. (On VM) is it possible to set up two LISTSERV virtual machines so
that one refuses to do searches or retrievals (but does all other
LISTSERV operations) on a set of lists and the other virtual machine
does searches and retrievals (but no other LISTSERV operations) on the
same set of lists.

d. If b (above) is not possible, what about the following hack? Have
two LISTSERV virtual machines (running on the same VM system) and have
a peered list with one of the peers run by each of the LISTSERVs. Have
open subscriptions and posting to one of the peers, but no Notebooks
on that peer and have closed subscriptions and no posting but publicly
accessible Notebooks on the other peer. Would that work? If it wouldn't
work because I can't have two LISTSERV virtual machines on the same VM
system, would it work if the two LISTSERV virtual machines were on
different systems?

e. Does anyone have any experience breaking up a multi-year archive so
that only a few months is associated with the current active list and
a few months of archive is associated with each of a large number of
dummy lists that have no subscribers and no postings, but serve as
"holders" for a few months of searchable archives?

What other suggestions do you have?

/David M. Rosenberg        [log in to unmask]        1-617-253-8054