--On Tuesday, March 12, 2002 14:05:21 -0500 Steven Eichner
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> (sorry for the x-posting
> Subject: Alternative SMTP servers on Listserv Box
> 
> 
> I know this question has already been asked, but I can't seem to find the
> answer in the archives.
> 
> What alternatives are there for an SMTP service colocated on the Listserv
> box? I seem to recall a new one recently being announced.

I do what most people would do on a Unix; I run a sendmail both for
receiving and distributing mail. The limiting factor in speed for us seems
to be slow destination mail servers, sendmail is afaict most forgiving and
will wait seroius amounts of time for replies from slow servers. What I've
done is to tune the initial timeout quite low, so that the first delivery
attempt will time out very quick, (but not so fast that it will skip a well
connected server) which means that all slow recipients will have to wait to
a second queue run, while the fast ones (who generally are aggregated
recipients as well, like big .edu main MXen and so on) get their mail fast.
This seems to work really well for my situation. The parameter in question
is confTO_ICONNECT, and it is set like so in a .mc file:

define(`confTO_ICONNECT', `5s')

for 5 seconds, which is good for me, who has Gig Ethernet to the 'net from
my switch. YMMV. 

Having drifted that far away from the actual subject, I suppose I could
return and say that Postfix will probably work well too, as both recipient
and distributor. I will probably try that (as deliverer) for speed if need
arises; but I'm far from there; with around 150000 messages daily, there is
no need for anything but sendmail. 

Now I'll go back to tuning business again... 
-- 
Måns Nilsson            Systems Specialist
+46 70 681 7204         KTHNOC
                        MN1334-RIPE