Re: Queue directories on faster media?
> > Why are you storing maildirs in the queue directory? > > I think it is a legacy thing from a very old how-to. Note it's for > virtual accounts, so no /home directories. What's the more standard > place to put them if I may ask? Anywhere else, like /var/spool/mail (just an idea) > Thanks. Would it be OK to put everything in /var/spool/postfix on > fast media or do only some directories benefit from the speed > increase? I would put ONLY the WHOLE queue directory there. -- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebra...@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:00:08PM -0800, Ori Bani wrote: > > Otherwise, you're trying to solve some problem that's motivating > > this question, so state that instead. > > No, no problem. Only attempting to future-proof things. I anticipate > mail volume to grow in the future, and as I have access to SSD, I > thought maybe postfix would run faster using it under its queues. Is > this not the case? Generally, there is no performance advantage, unless the disk is a significant bottleneck for your workload. If you're receiving mail, generally the bottleneck is content inspection. If you're sending mail at under 100 msgs/sec, or virus-scanning outbound mail, a modern server with a RAID controller with a BBU, will be plenty fast. If you to get well north of ~300 msgs/sec, then perhaps you need a faster disk, or more machines, whichever is more cost effective. For a sufficiently expensive SSD, another server may be a better option, though cost of cooling, power and data-center space also comes into the equation. -- Viktor.
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:27 AM, Viktor Dukhovni wrote: > On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 11:47:39PM -0800, Ori Bani wrote: > >> I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the postfix >> queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in this case). > > The answer depends on your real goals. Mounting the spool on an > SSD is only your real goal if you're are a compulsive tinkerer. Haha. :) > Otherwise, you're trying to solve some problem that's motivating > this question, so state that instead. No, no problem. Only attempting to future-proof things. I anticipate mail volume to grow in the future, and as I have access to SSD, I thought maybe postfix would run faster using it under its queues. Is this not the case? >> In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix > > This is a bad idea. The /var/spool/postfix directory is just for > the Postfix queue (messages in transit). Do not deliver mail there. > Ideally deliver mail into a separate file-system that does not > compete for space with the Postfix queue. Point taken, glad I accidentally bumped into this advice.
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 11:47:39PM -0800, Ori Bani wrote: > I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the postfix > queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in this case). The answer depends on your real goals. Mounting the spool on an SSD is only your real goal if you're are a compulsive tinkerer. Otherwise, you're trying to solve some problem that's motivating this question, so state that instead. > In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix This is a bad idea. The /var/spool/postfix directory is just for the Postfix queue (messages in transit). Do not deliver mail there. Ideally deliver mail into a separate file-system that does not compete for space with the Postfix queue. > Does that make any sense? Not without a reason to consider SSD. Do however avoid using /var/spool/postfix for user maildirs, that's a mistake. -- Viktor.
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On 30 January 2012 12:49, /dev/rob0 wrote: > On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 01:09:29AM -0800, Ori Bani wrote: >> On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:42 AM, Ralf Hildebrandt >> wrote: >> > * Ori Bani : >> >> I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the >> >> postfix queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in >> >> this case). >> >> >> >> In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix >> >> and those would be relocated to elsewhere (onto slower normal >> >> media) because the faster (SSD) media isn't in a RAID >> >> configuration (slower media is). >> > >> > Why are you storing maildirs in the queue directory? >> >> I think it is a legacy thing from a very old how-to. > > Having recently written a Postfix howto, I reviewed quite a few URL please? :) Simon
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 01:09:29AM -0800, Ori Bani wrote: > On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:42 AM, Ralf Hildebrandt > wrote: > > * Ori Bani : > >> I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the > >> postfix queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in > >> this case). > >> > >> In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix > >> and those would be relocated to elsewhere (onto slower normal > >> media) because the faster (SSD) media isn't in a RAID > >> configuration (slower media is). > > > > Why are you storing maildirs in the queue directory? > > I think it is a legacy thing from a very old how-to. Having recently written a Postfix howto, I reviewed quite a few others in the process. With few exceptions I found that they were written by people with a poor understanding of Postfix. This was especially true of the old, unmaintained howto documents. > Note it's for virtual accounts, so no /home directories. A virtual user should have a $HOME, but perhaps that is not what you're talking about. In my own system I happen to use virtual_mailbox_base = /home because that filesystem has the most room for storage. > What's the more standard place to put them if I may ask? There is no standard, as shown by the default postconf(5) value of $virtual_mailbox_base. However there is the official Postfix VIRTUAL_README.html#virtual_mailbox document, which uses this: virtual_mailbox_base = /var/mail/vhosts As hinted above, I suggest sticking with the official Postfix documentation. Look at third-party howtos for ideas, but you shouldn't rely on them for exact guidance. When their ideas don't mesh with what is in Postfix documentation, consider the entire document to be of dubious quality. > >> Does that make any sense? Is there adverse risk putting the > >> queue directories on non-RAID fast media? Am I right to think > >> that that's where the most performance is to be gained? > > > > Yep. > > Thanks. Would it be OK to put everything in /var/spool/postfix > on fast media or do only some directories benefit from the > speed increase? I wouldn't think it worth the trouble to try to separate actual queues from the few other files under /var/spool/postfix/. But then, I am not sure that there is an actual problem that this idea will solve. :) We here tend to want to focus on real problems. If everything is working well, don't tinker. Postfix default settings generally are good; a competently-managed system's "postconf -n" should typically be very short. -- http://rob0.nodns4.us/ -- system administration and consulting Offlist GMX mail is seen only if "/dev/rob0" is in the Subject:
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On 1/30/2012 1:47 AM, Ori Bani wrote: > Does that make any sense? Is there adverse risk putting the queue > directories on non-RAID fast media? SSDs, both MLC and SLC, do fail, just not the same failure modes as SRDs. Thus you need to use a mirrored pair for the Postfix spool, just as you'd do with spinning rust discs. I've owned a total of 1 SSD, an MLC consumer Corsair model. It failed after 3 months. The replacement has lasted longer (knocks on wood). Not used in a server role but a desktop. Failed due to poor QC, not write load. -- Stan
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:42 AM, Ralf Hildebrandt wrote: > * Ori Bani : >> Hello, >> >> I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the postfix >> queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in this case). >> >> In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix and those >> would be relocated to elsewhere (onto slower normal media) because the >> faster (SSD) media isn't in a RAID configuration (slower media is). > > Why are you storing maildirs in the queue directory? I think it is a legacy thing from a very old how-to. Note it's for virtual accounts, so no /home directories. What's the more standard place to put them if I may ask? >> Does that make any sense? Is there adverse risk putting the queue >> directories on non-RAID fast media? Am I right to think that that's >> where the most performance is to be gained? > > Yep. Thanks. Would it be OK to put everything in /var/spool/postfix on fast media or do only some directories benefit from the speed increase?
Re: Queue directories on faster media?
* Ori Bani : > Hello, > > I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the postfix > queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in this case). > > In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix and those > would be relocated to elsewhere (onto slower normal media) because the > faster (SSD) media isn't in a RAID configuration (slower media is). Why are you storing maildirs in the queue directory? > Does that make any sense? Is there adverse risk putting the queue > directories on non-RAID fast media? Am I right to think that that's > where the most performance is to be gained? Yep. > I guess you could put some queue directories in tmpfs, but that seems > even more risky, a little too risky. -- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebra...@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
Queue directories on faster media?
Hello, I'm curious to get feedback on the idea of mounting all the postfix queue directories on a faster media (SSD drive in this case). In my case, I have virtual maildirs under /var/spool/postfix and those would be relocated to elsewhere (onto slower normal media) because the faster (SSD) media isn't in a RAID configuration (slower media is). Does that make any sense? Is there adverse risk putting the queue directories on non-RAID fast media? Am I right to think that that's where the most performance is to be gained? I guess you could put some queue directories in tmpfs, but that seems even more risky, a little too risky.
