Topic: using e-smith server as a backup mail server

[brian Moore]

hi.  my friend and I are both using the e-smith server for our home networks and want to act as each others backup mail servers.  I think I understand about publishing secondary mx records in the event of one or the other server going down and mail being routed to the other.  My guess would be that if we setup virtual domains for each others domain, thatwould allow each of us to get the others mail.  what I can't figure is how to retrieve mail when a server comes back online from its backup mail server.  any comments or references where one could rtfm would be appreciated.  thanks.  Brian.

[Charlie Brady]

brian Moore wrote:

> hi.  my friend and I are both using the e-smith server for our
> home networks and want to act as each others backup mail
> servers.  I think I understand about publishing secondary mx
> records in the event of one or the other server going down and
> mail being routed to the other.  My guess would be that if we
> setup virtual domains for each others domain, thatwould allow
> each of us to get the others mail.

No, you don't need to do that.  What you do need to do is to have the buddy server listed in /var/qmail/control/rcpthosts but not listed in /var/qmail/control/locals. You can do this by building custom templates - see http://www.e-smith.org/custom/.

> what I can't figure is how
> to retrieve mail when a server comes back online from its
> backup mail server.

If both systems are semi-permanently connected, you don't need to do anything. If mail is delivered to the secondary MX, that machine will periodically attempt to forward it to its proper destination.

Charlie

[Michiel Boterenbrood]

Hi, I sort of got the same problem...


> No, you don't need to do that.  What you do need to do is to
> have the buddy server listed in /var/qmail/control/rcpthosts
> but not listed in /var/qmail/control/locals. You can do this
> by building custom templates - see
> http://www.e-smith.org/custom/.
>

I have done what the custom page said and it doesn't work. I'm using version 4.1.2 and the rcpthosts file states:
#
# This file is no longer used because qmail-smptd is no longer being
# used. (The obtuse smtpd program is being used instead).
#
# However, by keeping this file intact we ensure that if qmail-smtpd
# is inadvertently used, it will NOT act as an open relay.
#

So I guess I have to do something else too....
 
>
> If both systems are semi-permanently connected, you don't
> need to do anything. If mail is delivered to the secondary
> MX, that machine will periodically attempt to forward it to
> its proper destination.

The mx records have been changed to:

DOMAIN     IN   MX   0   MAIL.MYSERVER.COM
DOMAIN     IN   MX   5   MAIL.FRIENDSSERVER.COM

I tried to test the setup with the following:
Change MX records.
Configuring the RCPHOSTS template on my friend's server.
Check if the MX records were updated.
Power down my server.
Send mail to myself using hotmail etc.
Wait fifteen minutes
Turn server back on.

I received NDR's for the mails sent, so somewhere something goes wrong...
As far as I can see the MAIL.FRIENDSSERVER.COM is not relaying the mail as I get the follwing error:

Sorry mail1.home.nl(213.51.129.225), I don't allow
unauthorized relaying.

Does anybody have a clue as to what files need to be adjusted??

Thanks in advance,
Michiel Boterenbrood

[Ryan]

I have the same problem, anyone figured this out yet?