Hi! I see mails fail to deliver with the message "retry time exceeded" but i can't really place why the retry time was exceeded in the first place. I think this has to do with hints databases, but what exactly can be done to prevent it is unclear.
Scenario: We have a (mailman) mailinglist with >20 members on a list. A message gets sent to the list, mailman sends one message to >20 recipients. Our smtp server accepts these messages to >20 recipients and tries to pass them on to our mx-servers as routing dictates. Our mx-server is set to allow max 20 recipients in a single message, all other recipients get '452 too many recipients', should be fine, but our smtp-servers (sometimes) immediately drop mail because of 'retry timeout exceeded'. This is the log of said message, sorry for the long lines. This all was logged by the same exim-process in two seconds time: 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ <= [email protected] H=(mailman.example.com) [172.25.10.1]:2579 I=[172.25.0.234]:25 P=esmtp S=23850 [email protected] 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<[email protected]>: host mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237]: 452 too many recipients 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ mx3.example.com [172.25.0.235] Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ => [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp S=25049 H=mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237] C="250 OK id=1NZPYS-0006VP-My" QT=0s DT=0s [ .. 18 C="250 OK id=..." msgs removed, mx accepts 20 .. ] 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ -> [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp S=25049 H=mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237] C="250 OK id=1NZPYS-0006VP-My" QT=0s DT=0s 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ == [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ ** [email protected]: retry timeout exceeded 1NZPYS-0006yp-Pr <= <> R=1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ U=exim P=local S=4721 The bounce message just says what the log says, retry time exceeded. Not -all- failed recipients had been discarded, i logged in to this server and manually flushed 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ which did retry delivery for two recipients which at first had failed to deliver correctly: 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ => [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp S=25049 H=mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237] C="250 OK id=1NZPpE-0006rt-4b" QT=17m20s DT=0s 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ -> [email protected] R=dnslookup T=remote_smtp S=25049 H=mx1.example.com [172.25.0.237] C="250 OK id=1NZPpE-0006rt-4b" QT=17m20s DT=0s 1NZPYS-0006yl-CZ Completed What could cause this retry timeout exceeded message? Why did two of the recipients 'survive' the timeout? Exim didn't even retry any of the messages before logging the timeout was 'exceeded'. We have one general retry rule: * * F,4h,5m; F,16h,30m; F,7d,3h As the QT= values indicate, none of these messages have been in queue longer than 7d. I 'fixed' this by setting max_rcpt on the smtp-servers, but rather had it fixed at the origin of the problem. I just can't figure out what the origin is. Any hints appreciated! With regards, -Sander. -- | 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. | 4096R/20CC6CD2 - 6D40 1A20 B9AA 87D4 84C7 FBD6 F3A9 9442 20CC 6CD2 -- ## List details at http://lists.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/exim-users ## Exim details at http://www.exim.org/ ## Please use the Wiki with this list - http://wiki.exim.org/
