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Re: [ietf-smtp] Reject messages on backup mail exchangers when primary MX is online

2013-02-28 11:29:45
On 2/28/2013 9:33 AM, Rolf E. Sonneveld wrote:
Op 28-02-13 13:18, hector wrote:
Problem(s) to solve:

- (Detecting and) Rejecting Bad Guys,

oh, please, let's not try to solve all problems of the world here.

- Reducing Computers for Reception (turning off backups when primary is up),

What problem are you trying to address?

I was extracting some of the issues within the threads, as you asked for more. :) The OP proposed to "punish" the MTA who didn't follow the MDA's MX order. I guess reducing the MTAs down to the primary only would be one way to make the others unavailable. Not necessarily punishing, but would just make it harder to deliver. If the server used a permanent fail like a 550, this will hurt deliver by stopping attempts. If it used a temporary 450, then a retry is scheduled. But this will not stop it using a non-primary MX the next time. So nothing gained. Therefore, to follow such an idea, you can only do one thing; reduce the computers and perhaps that is the genesis of all this - having one computer with multi-cores, enough to handle huge amount of worker receiver threads, 25, 50, 100 or more using advanced IOCP technology. Thats called scaling up where scaling out would be like the old days with farms of multiple computers.


- Uniformity and  Consistent Filtering Methods across MXes,

falls in category problem #3.

- RFC Error with implications that different MX and its order has a direct correlation to quality of mail acceptance.

Can you elaborate on this? What error are you referring to?

Sure, I can see where the MX sorting and preference semantics starting with 2821 can provide the idea that filtering can be done at the secondary computers, hence different quality levels for acceptance. That means if this was the case, part of the semantics, it would drastically change the sender strategies and one perhaps where the first MX would always be the only one attempted - why bother with the secondaries?

Overall, I don't think it was the intent to do filtering at the secondary MXs. I don't really think its and error per se because this is made clear in section 5.1 paragraph 3 by indicating a purpose for the list of addresses - "To provide reliable mail transmission..."

   When the lookup succeeds, the mapping can result in a list of
   alternative delivery addresses rather than a single address, because
   of multiple MX records, multihoming, or both.  To provide reliable
   mail transmission, the SMTP client MUST be able to try (and retry)
   each of the relevant addresses in this list in order, until a
   delivery attempt succeeds.  However, there MAY also be a configurable
   limit on the number of alternate addresses that can be tried.  In any
   case, the SMTP client SHOULD try at least two addresses.

If there is ever a new 5321, it may be something to clarify.

Thanks

--
HLS

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