query re process of dealing with bounce

[Lists-119]

Hi all,

Setup is: we have a server that does the spam checking running
MailScanner / Spamassassin and of course postfix

Mail is then delivered to a machine running MailEnable (where the boxes
are held)

We had a situation where the MailEnable machine went down

*In the maillog of the server running postfix were:*
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 37D5362E8A0:
to=<originallocalrecipient@...>,
relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.98,
delays=0.93/0/0/0.05, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
relay for originallocalrecipient@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/cleanup[3449]: 2B11F62E8A2:
message-id=<20091028194208.2B11F62E8A2@...>
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: from=<>, size=14216,
nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/bounce[4201]: 37D5362E8A0: sender non-delivery
notification: 2B11F62E8A2
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 37D5362E8A0: removed
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 2B11F62E8A2:
to=<originallocalsender@...>,
relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.05,
delays=0/0/0/0.04, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
relay for originallocalsender@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: removed

Neither the original recipient or the original sender received
notification that there was a problem or any form of bounce message. The
original recipient also never received the email.

My question is what happened to the email and the bounces and how can I
change the setup so that if this occured in the future (i.e. the spam
checking server can't communicate with the mailenable server) mail does
not disappear.

Thanks
Kate

[Wietse Venema]

Lists:

> Hi all,
>
> Setup is: we have a server that does the spam checking running
> MailScanner / Spamassassin and of course postfix
>
> Mail is then delivered to a machine running MailEnable (where the boxes
> are held)
>
> We had a situation where the MailEnable machine went down
>
> *In the maillog of the server running postfix were:*
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 37D5362E8A0:
> to=<originallocalrecipient@...>,
> relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.98,
> delays=0.93/0/0/0.05, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
> ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
> relay for originallocalrecipient@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/cleanup[3449]: 2B11F62E8A2:
> message-id=<20091028194208.2B11F62E8A2@...>
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: from=<>, size=14216,
> nrcpt=1 (queue active)
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/bounce[4201]: 37D5362E8A0: sender non-delivery
> notification: 2B11F62E8A2
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 37D5362E8A0: removed
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 2B11F62E8A2:
> to=<originallocalsender@...>,
> relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.05,
> delays=0/0/0/0.04, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
> ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
> relay for originallocalsender@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: removed
>
> Neither the original recipient or the original sender received
> notification that there was a problem or any form of bounce message. The
> original recipient also never received the email.

Indeed. The original message was rejected with a permanent error
("550 5.7.1 Unable to relay"), as was the non-delivery notification.

> My question is what happened to the email and the bounces and how can I
> change the setup so that if this occured in the future (i.e. the spam
> checking server can't communicate with the mailenable server) mail does
> not disappear.

Configure the Mailenable system such that it doesn't reject mail
with a PERMANENT error for conditions that you don't consider
permanent.

You can configure the Postfix SMTP client to pretend that permanent
errors aren't permanent, but that introduces other risks.

        Wietse

[Lists-119]

Wietse Venema wrote:

> Lists:
>  
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Setup is: we have a server that does the spam checking running
>> MailScanner / Spamassassin and of course postfix
>>
>> Mail is then delivered to a machine running MailEnable (where the boxes
>> are held)
>>
>> We had a situation where the MailEnable machine went down
>>
>> *In the maillog of the server running postfix were:*
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 37D5362E8A0:
>> to=<originallocalrecipient@...>,
>> relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.98,
>> delays=0.93/0/0/0.05, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
>> ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
>> relay for originallocalrecipient@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/cleanup[3449]: 2B11F62E8A2:
>> message-id=<20091028194208.2B11F62E8A2@...>
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: from=<>, size=14216,
>> nrcpt=1 (queue active)
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/bounce[4201]: 37D5362E8A0: sender non-delivery
>> notification: 2B11F62E8A2
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 37D5362E8A0: removed
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/smtp[3619]: 2B11F62E8A2:
>> to=<originallocalsender@...>,
>> relay=ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver]:25, delay=0.05,
>> delays=0/0/0/0.04, dsn=5.7.1, status=bounced (host
>> ipofmailenableserver[ipofmailenableserver] said: 550 5.7.1 Unable to
>> relay for originallocalsender@... (in reply to RCPT TO command))
>> Oct 29 08:42:08 postfix/qmgr[29235]: 2B11F62E8A2: removed
>>
>> Neither the original recipient or the original sender received
>> notification that there was a problem or any form of bounce message. The
>> original recipient also never received the email.
>>    
>
> Indeed. The original message was rejected with a permanent error
> ("550 5.7.1 Unable to relay"), as was the non-delivery notification.
>
>  
>> My question is what happened to the email and the bounces and how can I
>> change the setup so that if this occured in the future (i.e. the spam
>> checking server can't communicate with the mailenable server) mail does
>> not disappear.
>>    
>
> Configure the Mailenable system such that it doesn't reject mail
> with a PERMANENT error for conditions that you don't consider
> permanent.
>
> You can configure the Postfix SMTP client to pretend that permanent
> errors aren't permanent, but that introduces other risks.
>
> Wietse
>  

I heard back from MailEnable and it occurs when MailEnable can't access
the boxes. This is ok and probably as it should be.
When you say I can configure Postfix SMTP client to pretend that
permanent errors aren't permanent is this something I could change
temporarily (say for the time the MailEnable machine is rebooting) and
then change back?