ietf-mta-filters
[Top] [All Lists]

error reporting with run time errors

2007-12-12 03:01:41

Hello,

I have subscribed to this list to report a (possible) problem with error reporting. Please accept my apologies if this is not the correct place to report it or if I'm not following the list policy.

RFC3028 and the latest draft of RFC3028bis state in section 2.10.6.

2.10.6.  Errors

   ...

   When an error happens, implementations MUST notify the user that an
   error occurred, which actions (if any) were taken, and do an implicit
   keep.


We are using Cyrus Imapd and their sieve implementation. I found out of the following problem last week. Our incoming mail relays accept email with a size limit of 12MB. We have users that have sieve redirect scripts on the backend mail stores. As you know to forward the email a sendmail forward is used (as stated in the RFC, but this is left out in the latest draft). Because of an unfortunate oversight the postfix that runs on the mail stores (and thus it is postfix providing the sendmail binary) did have its message size limit set to 10MB. Forwarding messages greater than 10MB didn't work.

In my logs I saw that like this:

Nov 22 17:29:40 manaslu postfix/postdrop[23167]: warning: uid=980: File too large Nov 22 17:29:40 manaslu postfix/sendmail[23166]: fatal: ((_dot_)(_dot_)(_dot_)(_at_)(_dot_)(_dot_)(_dot_))(980): Message file too big Nov 22 17:29:41 manaslu mail6/lmtp[9186]: sieve runtime error for jeanmarie^noterdaeme(_at_)ugent(_dot_)be id <4745AC91(_dot_)30707(_at_)ugent(_dot_)be>: Redirect: Sendmail process terminated normally, exit status 69

I understand that the RFC says the user needs to be notified, but this doesn't happen. I agree that the issue is implementation specific, but I want to raise the following questions.


a) Who is the user?
b) How must the user be notified?

For (a) you would be assume it is the user who set the sieve script. But actually it should be (in this case) the sender that at least gets a message that the email could not be forwarded (it delivered, but not to the final destination).

(b) I would say by email, but depending who the user is, there could be problems. E.g. if he is forwarding all incoming email to an other address, it depends if he will be notified (mail could be lost). If the forwarding mechanism is broken the mailadmin should be notified.


Maybe the RFCbis could be clearer on some points?

Thank you in advance,

Rudy
--
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Rudy Gevaert          Rudy(_dot_)Gevaert(_at_)UGent(_dot_)be          tel:+32 9 
264 4734
Directie ICT, afd. Infrastructuur ICT Department, Infrastructure office
Groep Systemen                    Systems group
Universiteit Gent                 Ghent University
Krijgslaan 281, gebouw S9, 9000 Gent, Belgie               www.UGent.be
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>