Topic: Configuring a backup mail server

[djhomeless]

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone could assist me with the following howto:

http://sme.swerts-knudsen.dk/howtos/howto_14.htm

My SME box is currently my primary mail server. I've also hooked up a backup mail server from twisted4life and I've already pointed to them via my primary dns (the accounts are not active so its ok!).

What confuses me is the steps I need to perform:

[root@e-smith]# mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/qmail/control/rcpthosts
[root@e-smith]# cd /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/qmail/control/rcpthosts
[root@e-smith]# echo "domain_name.com" > domain_name
[root@e-smith]# /sbin/e-smith/expand-template /var/qmail/control/rcpthosts[/list]

The instructions are a bit vague on what domain_name.com and domain_name stand for. Can I assume that domain_name.com should be the proper host name for my backup mail server (as specified in my MX record)?

If thats the case, then should I do the following for foo.com:

[root@e-smith]# echo "backup.foo.com" > foo.com[/list]

Thanks in advance everyone!

Geoffrey

[djhomeless]

Does anyone have any ideas??

Thanks!

Geoffrey

[smeghead]

.. don't do it the hard way, Pascal Schirrmann has built an rpm to provide a panel for this:

http://www.schirrms.net/files/smeserver-mxbackup-0.1.0-00.noarch.rpm

Thanks Pascal

[djhomeless]

That panel is to use your SME box as a backup mail server (for someone else). I'm looking to allow my primary mail server to also collect mail from a backup.

[smeghead]

.. if your talking about a backup MX server for your domain then a few things need to be clarified ...

Firstly, the MX DNS record entry for your backup server needs a number bigger than your primary (SME) server.

Secondly, a backup mail server polls for the existence of the primary server and when the primary comes back online it spools the mail it has held for the domain to the primary server; the primary server does not need to request for this to happen.

My ISP is my backup MX.  I have made no changes to my system to allow for this to occur.  My DNS record has both my mail server and my ISP's mail server nominated as MX servers.  My ISP's mail server is setup as an rcpthost for my domain (and as a relay if I want to use it).

HTH

[djhomeless]

Secondly, a backup mail server polls for the existence of the primary server and when the primary comes back online it spools the mail it has held for the domain to the primary server; the primary server does not need to request for this to happen.

Really? Ahhh, I see says the blind man.

The MX record for my backup is set at 10 (my primary of course is 0). I just assumed the backup would hold the mail until the primary came back online. Hmm, I suppose I could shutdown qmail and give this a test.

Thanks!

Geoffrey