Re: smtpd_policy_service_timeout question

2019-12-29 Thread Bastian Blank
Hi Scott

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 10:04:39AM -0500, Scott Kitterman wrote:
> For the policy server in question, the 100s default should be more than 2x 
> the 
> maximum time the policy request can take, even if DNS is very slow,

The policy service is supposed to do proper timeouts for everything it
requests.

The timeouts in Postfix should be considered as last-resort, for when the
policy service itself broke.

Bastian

-- 
Another dream that failed.  There's nothing sadder.
-- Kirk, "This side of Paradise", stardate 3417.3


Re: smtpd_policy_service_timeout question

2019-12-29 Thread Scott Kitterman
On Sunday, December 29, 2019 9:01:12 AM EST Wietse Venema wrote:
> Scott Kitterman:
> > If Postfix smtpd is waiting for a response to an in progress request
> 
> An SMTP client request or policy request?

Policy request.

> > and the smtpd_policy_service_timeout is reached, does Postfix keep
> > the pipe open until that request completes or does it close it
> > right away?
> 
> smtpd_policy_service_timeout is the limit for connecting to, writing
> to, or receiving from a policy server.
> 
> - If this expires while the Postfix SMTP server is waiting for an
> SMTP client request, nothing happens.
> 
> - If this expires while writing to, or receiving from a policy
> server, the Postfix SMTP server will disconnect from the policy
> server, and new connection, and retry the policy request.
> 
> > Is it sufficient to set it to slightly higher than the maximum
> > time the policy service is supposed to run for a single request
> > are should it be substantially higher than that?
> 
> I would not recommend to set timeouts just a little higher than
> needed. If, not when, some system becomes overloaded, having 'tight'
> timeouts will just make things worse.
> 
>   Wietse

For the policy server in question, the 100s default should be more than 2x the 
maximum time the policy request can take, even if DNS is very slow, but there 
are configuration options users might select that could make it a much closer 
thing.  That clarifies it for me enough that I believe I can get my 
documentation correct.

Thanks,

Scott K




Re: smtpd_policy_service_timeout question

2019-12-29 Thread Wietse Venema
Scott Kitterman:
> If Postfix smtpd is waiting for a response to an in progress request

An SMTP client request or policy request?

> and the smtpd_policy_service_timeout is reached, does Postfix keep
> the pipe open until that request completes or does it close it
> right away?

smtpd_policy_service_timeout is the limit for connecting to, writing
to, or receiving from a policy server. 

- If this expires while the Postfix SMTP server is waiting for an
SMTP client request, nothing happens.

- If this expires while writing to, or receiving from a policy
server, the Postfix SMTP server will disconnect from the policy
server, and new connection, and retry the policy request.

> Is it sufficient to set it to slightly higher than the maximum
> time the policy service is supposed to run for a single request
> are should it be substantially higher than that?

I would not recommend to set timeouts just a little higher than
needed. If, not when, some system becomes overloaded, having 'tight'
timeouts will just make things worse.

Wietse


smtpd_policy_service_timeout question

2019-12-28 Thread Scott Kitterman
If Postfix smtpd is waiting for a response to an in progress request and the 
smtpd_policy_service_timeout is reached, does Postfix keep the pipe open until 
that request completes or does it close it right away?

Is it sufficient to set it to slightly higher than the maximum time the policy 
service is supposed to run for a single request are should it be substantially 
higher than that?

Scott K